ful medames- egyptian style fava beans (vegan option/ gf)

While fava beans are a bit more effort than most other dried beans, the deliciousness and nutrient density of them more than makes up for the PITA factor. Fava beans have fiber, folate,and tend to be lower sodium even when canned. A bag shouldn't run you more than 2$ conventional 4$ organic. Do not attempt to crockpot fava beans unless they have been soaked overnight. Try to find haba style beans (pre peeled). If you cannot find haba style, peel the outer skin after soaking and before cooking for approximately 8 hours high in a crockpot or 3 on a stovetop.  Once the beans are cooked this thing takes 15 minutes max. Yes, you can also make this from canned fava beans...and let's be honest I did tonight.

Peel and Slice 1 small red onion into pretty little rounds. You can use any sweet onion but I like how the red looks and  it's the same price by the bag at our local market Or you can just use 3 green onions chopped up. If you choose those add them with the parsley.
Slice 3 cloves of garlic
Put the above in a pan with 2 tb olive oil and heat at medium until onions are translucent.

Optional: add  1 tb cumin seeds, a pinch of oregano or cinnamon or some red pepper flake.

Add 12 ounces mostly drained beans. Note: if you plan on mashing your ful leave in about a half cup of the liquid. I prefer mine unmashed.
Cook with onion mixture and the juice of 1/2 large or 1 small lemon until liquid is mostly evaporated.
Salt to taste or Salt after cooking. Mash, if desired.
Garnish with 1/2 bunch chopped parsley and tomato.
Crumble in 1 oz feta if you like.   Drizzle on thinned tahini or  Bakdoonisiya. 
It won't taste quite right without some tahini flavour and the addition of tahini makes the favas a complete protein.
 
Eat with rice, chopepd cucumber and tomatoes, dill rice, pita,on its own, or with yogurt. Seriously, make the Bakdoonisiya if you have an extra 10 minutes.

falafel waffles- prep method

I got sick of burning myself deepfrying and panfrying these guys. It also lowers the fat, I guess.  Falafel is my friend. I eat it with chopped cucumber, onion,peppers and tomato. I also eat it dipped in hot sauce and maple syrup (Don't judge me.) or yogurt sauce which stays beautifully in the cups made by waffle irons.

Warm your waffle iron. Keep a thoroughly damp towel on a plate and another plate for your falafel waffles. Take about 10 oz quality falafel mix (check ingredients list for bulghur and modified food starch if you can't eat wheat) and mix as directed or as usual. If you are like me and add parsley, garlic and stuff. If you use homemade or doctored falafel dough run it through a food processor or stick blender first so it's not too chunky. Mix in two eggs thoroughly.You can also use flax goo instead of egg if desired (4 tb boiling water & 2 tb ground flax)  or commercial egg replacer. Brush or spray olive oil on your waffle iron. Glop in 1/2 cup of your mixture (please measure).  Allow to cook until steam stops pouring from the iron. The waffle should not begin to split ...If it does you need more time or to have less liquid. In any case removal of waffles sometimes requires assistance. Wood chopsticks make good unwedging tools. Place complete waffles on plate to cool. Repeat until batter is used up.  If iron gets smoky or too crumb covered, steam the towel in the iron for about 30 seconds and resume. In the event of batch cooking or excess waffles (likely as they are quite filling) allow to cool completely wrap in bags and store in freezer up to 1 month. These can be warmed in a toaster or toaster oven.

sesame spinach ( and other greens) gf if needed

You just roasted some tofu and made some rice
You need edible greens...

Take 1 lb leaves wash em'. Remove woody parts.
Please don't be skittish about ingesting a variety of edible greens. Use what's in season, you can grow it and will be ok cooked. Eating what's available encourages biodviersity, your health and can save you money. (For ex right now in may spinach is tres expensive but the kale is coming up, and so is arugula and dandelion greens. Last month cress was cheap...and if the strawberry spinach would grow it should have shown up then..alas.
Pour 1 tb off the top of your tahini or direct from a bottle of sesame oil
add 1 tb lemon juice and 3 cloves garlic, if desired grate in 1/2 inch fresh ginger.
Heat and allow greens to wilt . Add 3 tb soy sauce (gf if needed) and a small handful of sesame or sesame and flax seeds. Serve hot or chilled. Some greens freeze well, some do not.

Cook until most of the liquid is dissolved and evaporated and your greens are bright green.
options:
add 1 tsp honey or maple syrup if sweetness is desired with the soysauce
add 1/4 tsp thai or korean chili powder with the soysauce.
This is good packed with a protein and rice balls for lunch, as part of bibimbap, sushi filling, as a sandwich topping or omlette filling and along side bbq tempeh or pulled jackfruit bbq.

baked tostada party and guacamole

We got back from going to grocery store and the laundrymat late-ish tonight. We were hungry and wanted food. At my neighborhood grocery ancient peppers produced in the us by UFW farms go on sale for 79 cents a lb to 1$ at least every few months. They are versatile and freeze well (either whole or after veining and slicing.) Avocados also were on sale 2 for 1$ (happy day!) so it became imperative to make tostadas.

If you're just making dinner
1. Slice up some sweet peppers (bell,ancient,wax whatever) ,
1/2 a red onion and
2 cloves garlic
(and sliced  mushrooms or greens  if you like)
Put this in a heavy bottomed pan with 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano (or 1 tsp your preferred brand of adobo seasoning) 1 tsp olive oil 1/4 cup water and the juice of 1 lime. Stir fry this until onions become translucent and begin to brown lightly.  salt to taste.

 If you're having a party do 2-3 lg or 5 very small peppers and 1 1/2 onion and 6 cloves of garlic.
2. Warm 5 oz (family) 12 oz (small party) black beans (smooth blended or whole)
3. Pull out tostada shells ( we prefer baked but these may be hard to find in your area: recipe follows)
4. Spread about 2 -3 tb beans on your tostada (if using whole drain very well or adhere by spreading guac first )
5. Now add the pepper and onion stuff and greens like any salad mixture, guac if you're using it cooked greens, fine sliced cabbage, chopped tomatoes or a large handful chopped cilantro.
6. Balance other stuff atop your creation. For example Rabbit likes to have queso fresco on theirs. I have been known to sneak mussels or cooked leftover fish onto mine.
Two of these make me stuffed and I'm not a small woman.

Baking tostadas and corn chips
Fried tostadas tend to make my stomach hurt. They also tend to be fried in hydrogenated oil or sometimes lard which I also avoid.
Baked tostada shells are 2$ per box. I can make 10 for 35 cents when I have the extra 15 minutes.

Pull out a cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 7 minutes each side
for lime flavoured: line sheet with parchment first
juice one lime and sprinkle / brush over 1 medium cookie sheet worth of tortillas
proceed as above. you could also sprinkle a little salt or chile powder on these easily. The moisture has the added benefit of making the chips crisper
Corn chips cut into triangles with a pair of kitchen shears or pizza wheel or knife. Proceed as you would for the chips.

Simple Guacamole
Peel and pit two avocados. Add pinch oregano, 1/2 lime juice, salt ground cumin 1 tsp. Mash. We prefer ours lumpy so we only mash 2-3 times. Add finely minced onion or 2 tb salsa of choice. Stir. keep sealed from air until serving. Wax paper or last minutes prep work well for this.
For parties
There are a number of other options for creating a tostada bar.
Simply line up the toppings (each with their own spoon) and let people roam free. Or have each person bring a topping and  prepare 3-4 basics just in case some folks are lax or decide to bring booze or dessert.

Rummaging the fridge papaya salad

Optimally you will have most of the ingredients on hand...except the sprouts and green papaya. Dinner will be ready in less than 15 minutes because I'm tired from going to 8 million places for groceries as is my wont and the last stop was the Thai market over at Berwyn where they sell prepped green papaya shreds for under 2$ a lb. This isn't a proper papaya salad. I just like it anyway.

For the sauce:

2 tb tamarind paste or 4 tamarind pods (soak either in 2tb water and squish until the water is DARK Brown

1 tb honey

2 tb soysauce

2 tb samabal oelek or sri racha

1 green onion

2 tb dried shrimp if you like but totally not necessary

mix this and toss with the other stuff

You'll need

1 lb shredded and seeded green papaya

3 tb peanuts chopped or crushed

basil

cilantro

baked tofu chunks

another chopped green onion

And any of the above you like:

leftover mushroom steak bits

broccoli leaves

any leftover lettuces that haven't wilted

mung sprouts if you want

pieces of fresh tomato

leftover cooked green beans

rehydrated cellophane noodles if you like (put 2 pkg mung/ yam noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.drain and chill for later. Mix into salad after chilling.

Phoenix Red Pepper Tofu jam band (vegan and gf if you check your ingredients)

I swiped and modified this recipe from one I got from Phoenix bean llc: my favorite Chicago tofu factory. BTW, it's cheaper if you actually go to the factory. 5438 N broadway from 9a-3p weekdays.

Mix sauce in a bowl
1tb sambal oelek, sri racha or gojuchang (I prefer gojuchang)
1 tb sugar or maple syrup or (1/2 tb honey)-skip this if you used  gojuchang or are avoiding sugar
1 clove or two sliced garlic (totally optional)
1 tb miso or black pepper sauce (check for gluten if you're sensitive)
2 tsp soy sauce (check for gluten if you're sensitive)
-----------------------------
Throw one tb veg oil in a pan
add 1/2 chopped sweet onion (red or yellow) or one clean whole leek
and 1-2 red bell, cubanelle, or ancient peppers(anything red and sweet)
fry until onions are translucent
10 oz tofu(either pre-fried extra firm or baked plain or yellow tofu)
If it's the fried soak and rinse it first
then chop into bite sized pieces and add to pan allow to fry 2 minutes and lower heat
 Add sauce and stir quickly until it thickens.
Serve over rice or cool and eat on a salad or this recipe doubles and stores in the fridge up to one week with no ucky soggyness.  Also makes excellent sandwich filling with some sprouts and cheddar cheese....sounds weird but soo good.