Baked Sweet Potato Falafel December 11, 2012

My crop-share doled out a ton of huge sweet potatoes this fall and I was in need of an appetizer to serve a crowd.  Scrolling through Pinterest for ideas, I came across a pin for a baked sweet potato falafel from the Leon Cookbook featured on 101 Cookbooks.  I doubled the recipe and added a yogurt sauce to complete the dish (as my husband would say, isn’t everything better with a dipping sauce?!?).  These baked mounds of goodness are topped with sesame seeds to make up for the crunch lost from baking instead of frying.  This recipe is now in my regular weeknight rotation, but is tasty enough to serve as a cocktail party appetizer.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds total)
2 small cloves of garlic

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½  teaspoons ground coriander

½ bunch fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup chickpea flour

Olive oil

Small handful sesame seeds

1 tsp. Kosher salt + more for yogurt sauce

fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 (6oz) container Greek yogurt (such as Fage 0%)

To make the falafel:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Wrap pierce sweet potatoes several times with a knife, then wrap each potato in tinfoil.  Place wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Roast until just tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let potatoes cool, then peel them and discard the skin.

2.  Mince garlic in the bowl of a large food processor, then add sweet potato flesh, cumin, coriander, cilantro, ½ lemon juice, chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth, with no large lumps.  Refrigerate mixture for about an hour, giving it time to firm up.  The mixture should be sticky rather than really wet.  Add a additional chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies).

3.  Reheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Using a spring-loaded scoop or a couple of soup spoons (scoop up a heaping spoonful of mixture in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides), make the mixture into balls and place on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown and the balls are firm to the touch (but not hard – they should give a little).  Serve in whole wheat pita with yogurt sauce.

To make the yogurt sauce:

Combine yogurt, remaining ½ lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Serve with falafel.

Serves 4-6 (makes about 18 falafels)

Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers August 1, 2012

I must admit that I first heard of peppadews a few weeks ago when a friend offered me one after her visit to a local olive bar.  Peppadews are tiny little peppers that are mildly spicy and slightly sweet, with a complex flavor.  They are seeded and pickled and typically found in a jar near olives or on an olive bar.

As you may know, I love all things mini and am always looking for new bite-size appetizers to serve at my next soiree.  Stuffing them with a creamy cheese or tuna salad makes for a lovely appetizer.  This tuna stuffing recipe is inspired by Andrew Carmellini’s recipe in Urban Italian, and is packed with protein, flavor and tang.

The tuna can be made up to 2 days in advance, but the peppers should only be stuffed up to 2 hours in advance.  Stuffing 30 peppers takes about 10-15 minutes so it can be done right before serving.

I made these little tuna stuffed peppers for a picnic in the park, but they would also be perfect for any cocktail party – especially a retro-themed party, complete with deviled eggs, a port wine cheese ball and pigs in a blanket.

Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

10 oz. can tuna (in oil)

3 scallions, divided

1 Tbs. mayonnaise

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. picking juice from peppadew peppers

Juice of 1 lemon

6 basil leaves, chopped

1 jar peppadew peppers (about 30)

salt and pepper to taste

Drain oil from tuna.  Combine tuna and 2 minced scallions in bowl (reserve additional scallion for garnish).  Add mayo and olive oil and mix until well combined.  Add peppadew juice, lemon juice and basil and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Using your fingers, stuff each pepper with tuna mixture.  Place stuffed peppers on serving platter and sprinkle with reserved chopped scallion.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.