Sweet Potato Falafel

A sweet potato dish again? Yes ma'am, and I'm okay with that. What I really appreciated about tonights dinner was that I was able to prep it all this afternoon. I had a photo shoot tonight and we were heading out and would be gone until closer to seven, so I knew I wasn't going to want to make anything then. With these falafels I was able to prep it all and then go off on our way, come back, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes and plate up the rest of the dinner. Like I'm a pro or something. Uhmmm, yeah, more like not a pro tonight. Not the falafel that was great. I was trying to come up with something to serve it with, having well, not many options in the fridge. I had broccoli and cherry tomatoes that I needed to use. So I found a little salad recipe and thought, let's go for it. Well, as I told Al when he finished his meal with almost all the salad I had served him left on his plate....you can't hit 'em all out of the park. And let me tell you, that kid has never not finished something I put in front of him. It just wasn't our style. I think it may have been the rice vinegar. It was a bit too potent. After I had a few bites I was fine and was definitely a member of the clean plate club tonight. But I don't think I'll make it again....the salad that is. So falafel, yay...broccoli & tomato salad, nay.

INGREDIENTS:
(falafel)
3 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 1/2 teas ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teas ground coriander
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of a lemon
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
salt & pepper
olive oil
sesame seeds

*In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients up through salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, should come out kinda sticky still. If its too moist add a little more garbanzo bean flour. Sometimes the sweet potatoes have varying water content.
* Oil a pan, and place scoops of mixture onto the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Bottoms will brown, then you're good to go.

(broccoli & tomato salad)
2 large heads of broccoli, chopped
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 teas dijon mustard
3 tbls seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbls olive oil
2 tbls chopped fresh oregano or 2 teas dried oregano

*Steam the broccoli until just crisp-tender. Only takes a few minutes. Cool and add tomatoes.
*Place mustard in a small bowl and whisk in the vinegar and then whisk in the oil  and then the oregano.
*Pour dressing over broccoli and tomatoes, toss to coat. Season with s&p to taste.
*Chill and serve.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Last night was my first post and I was delighted to start off with such an amazing meal. For todays post we've gone a bit of a different route. Tuesdays are Al's long day at school...well, really most of them are. But on Tuesdays he has class from 12-5 and 6-8:30, not to mention he usually goes to school around 8 in the morning to get things done. Long story...semi-long, he's gone all day. So I usually don't end up making a big meal, usually a soup or something that we can eat over the next couple days. Or I'll putts around making snacks or baked goods. That's what I did this afternoon. Last week my good friend Cherrie (hi cherrie!) let me borrow "eat vegan on $4 a day". A simple little cookbook with all kinds of vegan options and very reasonable prices. I copied out a few of the recipes in anticipation of this week endeavors. Todays baked good: sweet potato muffins. I looked at the recipe and I had my doubts, not gonna lie. My mind (and hips) immediately longed to see ingredients like butter and eggs and oil. Which were no where to be found. This recipe baked 10 hearty muffins. My kitchen has a wonderful fall scent still wafting into the rest of the house. They honestly turned out great. Next time I might do a little brown sugar & cinnamon topping, to make them more of a dessert type of baked good. But thumbs up from me...we'll see what the husband says when he, most likely scarfs one down within ten seconds of walking in the door tonight. 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups all-purpose wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar less 1 tbls

1 tbls brown sugar

1 tbls baking powder

1/2 teas baking soda

1/2 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas ground nutmeg

1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed(1 3/4 cup approx)

1/2 cup water

optional:

1/2 cup raisins

*Pre-heat oven to 375

*Put all ingredients except the sweet potato and water in a bowl and stir to combine. 

*Add the sweet potato and water. Stir to combine and make sure all is mixed together well.

*Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup just about full. 

*Place in the oven, cook for 25-30 minutes. The tops of the muffins should bounce back when lightly pressed. Remove and let muffins cool in tin for 1-2 minutes prior to putting on a cooling rack.