Falaffins - Falafel Muffin Cups

With Yom Haatzmaut coming up in a few days,  I was trying to think about what special muffin to make for Muffin Monday. I thought about what foods are synonymous with Israel and falafel was the first food to come to mind. I said to myself, no there's no way I can make a falafel as a muffin, so I made these delicious Blue and White Muffins instead. But then I thought why not? Israel is the land of saying why not? It is a country that defies the odds. A country that doesn't take no for an answer and pushes itself to be the best that it could be. So if Israel, a little piece of land the size of the state of New Jersey can accomplish so much in 73 years why can't I make a falafel into a muffin? 

These falafel muffins or falaffins as I like to call them are made from a simple mix of chickpeas, spices, and lots of fresh herbs to create the delicious flavor of falafel we all love. But instead of forming them into balls and frying as is usually done, the chickpea mixture is pressed into a muffin pan and baked to create a falafel muffin cup. These falaffins are crispy around the edges and soft on the inside. They are delicious on their own, but they are made even better when loaded up with classic falafel additions like Israeli salad, chummus, techina, and pickles. Or you can go the sabich route and fill the falaffins with chummus, fried eggplant, chopped hardboiled eggs, and amba. Shwarma is another option, make shwarma spiced chicken, chop it up and fill the falaffins along with chummus and pickles. Whichever filling you choose just make sure not to leave out the chummus because it acts as a barrier between the other fillings and the falafel so the bottom doesn't get soggy and break and really what is a falafel without chummus? 

Falaffins 

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight - NOT CANNED* - see below for more info

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic - not frozen cubes

1 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp hot paprika (optional) 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

Zest of one lemon 

1 1/2 packed cup fresh parsley and/or cilantro 

2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil  

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F 

Generously coat a standard-size muffin pan with oil and set it aside

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade, place all of the ingredients. Pulse until finely minced, scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few more times until just combined. Make sure not to turn this into a pureed mix or this result in a dense and chewy falafel and no one wants that. 

Place a heaping tablespoon of the chickpea mixture into each space of the prepared muffin pan. Wet your fingers slightly and using your fingers or the base of a disposable shot glass gently press the mixture into the pan creating a small well in the center and walls around the side. Make sure that you don't make the base on the bottom too thin or else the falaffin will crumble when baked. Once all the falaffins have been formed spray the tops with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Leave the falaffins in the pan for 10 minutes and then place a tray over the top and carefully flip the pan to remove them from the muffin pan. If you have any extra falaffin batter and no more muffin cups just roll the remaining batter into falafel balls and bake along with the falaffins. 

To serve place about 1/2 a teaspoon of chummus on the bottom of each falaffin and then fill up with your favorite falafel additions.

The falaffins can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container or in the freezer just pop them into a 190°C/375° oven to defrost and crisp up. 

*To achieve the perfect crumbly soft texture of falafel these need to be made with dried chickpeas that have been soaked not canned. Place 1 cup of dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with a few inches of water. Leave the chickpeas to soak for 8 hours or overnight they will grow in size and be slightly softer if you can firmly press one between your fingers and it breaks you're good to go. If you're short on time you can achieve the same texture with a quick soak. Simply place the dried chickpeas in a large pot and cover with a few inches of water, bring to a rolling boil and allow the chickpeas to boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and let the chickpeas sit for one hour. Canned chickpeas are too soft and have too much moisture and will result in a wet and mushy falaffin. 

This recipe can also be used to make regular baked falafel balls. Just form the chickpea mixture into patties or balls, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spray the tops and bake for 25 minutes flipping halfway through. 

Yield: 12-14 falaffins

Blue and White Muffins

This week we will be celebrating the 73rd birthday of the greatest state on earth. 

73 years ago on May 14, 1948 ה אייר תש״ח the state of Israel was established and in honor of this joyous day, a special muffin had to be created. 

The colors of Israel's flag are blue and white so it's only appropriate to make a blue and white muffin using blueberries. I also think blueberries are great to symbolize all that Israel has gone through in 73 years. Blueberries are a delicious mix of sweet and sour and that is what Israel's history is all about. There are a lot of difficult sour moments in the history of the Jewish homeland, but there are also beautiful sweet parts of our history. Both the sweet and sour make up our history and who we are as Israelis. 

A delicious blueberry muffin is great, but I needed to make it extra special to celebrate 73 years of a Jewish state. I thought about ingredients that work great in sweets that are also intrinsically Israeli. So I turned to two of my favorite ingredients. Two foods that I use practically every day, techina and silan. Techina is made from crushed sesame seeds and used in so many Israeli dishes, I drizzle it on pretty much everything. Silan is a sweet and sticky syrup made from dates something that grows in abundance here in Israel. Israel is known as the land flowing with milk and honey and that isn't referring to bee honey it's talking about silan, the honey of dates. Silan is a great cheaper alternative to honey or maple syrup just make sure that you are purchasing jars marked as 100% dates with no added sugar. 

Techina and silan work really well together, the nuttiness of the techina with the rich sweetness of the silan are a great combination. I mix the two together and drizzle over roasted vegetables for a delicious lunch, but for these muffins, I mixed them together with some flour to create a yummy crumb topping. 

Happy birthday Israel! You're looking really good for 73! 

Blue and White Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour 

1/2 tsp salt  

2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional, but highly recommended)

1/3 cup vegetable oil 

1 egg 

1/2 cup milk of your choice 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries tossed with 1 tablespoon of flour. If using frozen do not thaw them. 

Crumb Topping 

1 cup flour 

1/8 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup tahini 

3 Tbsp silan 

Preheat oven to 400º F/200°C 

Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and lemon zest until well combined.

In a liquid measuring cup or medium-size bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture along with the sugar  

Mix together until just combined, being sure not to overmix as this will result in a dense muffin.

In a small bowl toss the blueberries with 1 Tbs of flour. This will help them not sink to the bottom of the muffins during baking. 

Gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter. 

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the topping. Add the tahini and silan and mix with your fingers until you have large crumbs. 

Scoop the muffin batter into prepared tins and generously pack the crumb topping on top. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins 

Sweet Potato Soup

It's the Sunday after Pesach and I did not plan on making soup. I thought soup season and #soupsunday ended. The Sunday before Pesach it was very warm and I actually didn't share a new soup recipe on my Instagram page and instead shared a recipe for gazpacho the bright and flavorful cold soup perfect for summer days. I decided that the gazpacho recipe would be the final soup recipe I would be sharing to close up this #soupsunday season. However, this past Friday the temperature dropped and the wind picked up and it felt like a day in mid-January, not April. So when I woke up today to grey skies and chilly winter air aka soup weather I decided to make a big pot of creamy comforting sweet potato soup.

This soup is made from basic pantry staples and has a few simple steps that result in a very flavorful cozy soup. 

I think that often sweet potato soups become just orange vegetable soups and you can't discern what vegetables and flavors are in the soup. I like when a soup has a distinct flavor of the vegetable like this carrot soup which is just a potful of sweet carrot flavor enhanced by a few aromatics. When creating this sweet potato soup recipe I wanted to do the same thing. This soup has a strong flavor of creamy sweet potato but also has the subtle flavor of spices that add depth and aroma. 

Make this soup today or save this recipe for the next time it's rainy out. 

Sweet Potato Soup 

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced 

Salt

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/8 tsp cumin 

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper 

2 medium sweet potatoes about 1.5 lbs / 800 grams, peeled and cut into chunks 

2/3 cup dry or semi-dry white wine*

2 1/2 - 3 cups

In a medium-sized pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion starts to become translucent and slightly golden around the edges about 8 minutes. While the onion cooks peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, and cumin to the pot and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot and cook for about 3 minutes until the wine has reduced. Add the water just to cover everything in the pot and add another pinch of salt. Don't add all 3 cups of water start out with 2 1/2 cups and if you need more water to thin out the soup you can add it after it's blended. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes until everything is tender. 

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup using an immersion blender. You can use a stand blender just be sure to work in batches and make sure to remove the small plastic cap in the cover and place a kitchen towel over the top being very careful with the build-up of steam. 

Whichever method you choose just blend until smooth, then add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick for you add a little more water. 

Yield: 4 portions 

*White wine - there is 2/3 of a cup in the recipe - please use a wine that you would drink, a wine that you enjoy because why would you add something that doesn't taste good to your soup? If you don't have any wine on hand you can use 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 2 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of water.

Grain-Free Crumb Muffins

Every Monday I get messages asking if I have a grain-free muffin recipe and I know that many of the recipes from #MuffinMonday can be made using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend, but I wanted to develop a recipe that I know works without grains and without any fancy flour blends. So I thought Pesach would be the perfect time to share this muffin recipe that uses blanched almond flour which is readily available this time of year but can also be found all year long. The rest of the ingredients are basic pantry staples year-round and on Pesach. This recipe is non-kitniyot and non-gebrokts.

I really love every part of Pesach, the preparations, the raspberry syrup, the matzah, the food, the songs, the sponge cake, the family time, the corned beef at seder, the wine, the traditions, did I mention the food?

I think that many of us stress out over Pesach foods and are always trying to find ways to make the chametz foods we make year-round kosher for Pesach. Flour blends, pastas, rolls, there are so just many items on the market that I think take away from the beauty of what Pesach is all about. Pesach really is a great time to appreciate the simplicity of good food. All year long I enjoy seasonal vegetables that are nicely roasted, grilled proteins, hearty and creamy soups, and of course eggs. All of these things are kosher for Pesach and are just deliciously simple. I think the only thing that I need on Pesach that isn't really eaten all year long (even though I do eat it randomly throughout the year) is matzah and cream cheese and matzah pizza. 

I know you might be thinking that making these muffins are the complete opposite of what I said about keeping things simple on Pesach, but these muffins really are extremely simple to make and with normal ingredients. I also don't think these muffins are trying to be like their chametz counterparts. The texture, crumb, and flavor of these muffins are really great, they aren't just like chametz muffins, they are their own thing and I love that. 

The muffin batter comes together in moments and you can either leave them plain or add in your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chips, dried fruit, frozen berries, orange zest, shredded zucchini...Make them your own, make them for friends, make them for Pesach, make them year-round and enjoy!

Grain-Free Crumb Muffins

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour 

1 Tbsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp salt 

3 eggs 

1/4 cup oil 

1/3 cup milk of your choice 

1 tsp vanilla extract - I made my own bottle years ago for Pesach, but if you don't have that you can use 1 tsp brandy or 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar 

1/3 cup sugar

OPTIONAL MIX-INS

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup frozen blueberries 

1/2 cup craisins + 1 tsp orange zest 

1 small zucchini, shredded

Topping 

1/2 cup blanched almond flour 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

2 Tbsp sugar 

tiny pinch of salt 

1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp oil 

Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C 

Coat a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the sugar. Mix until just combined. Fold in the mix-ins of your choice. 

In a small bowl mix together the topping. Stir the almond flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Drizzle in the oil and pinch together until you have a mixture that resembles wet sand.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with the crumb topping mixture gently pressing the crumbs into the top of the muffin batter.

Bake for 15-18 minutes 

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before popping out and cooling on a rack. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins 

Black Bean Soup

This black bean soup is so hearty and creamy it's a whole meal in a bowl! 

What I love about this soup is that it uses basic pantry ingredients and it kind of reminds me of tacos which are one of my favorite foods. 

This soup starts off like most soups by sauteing an onion in olive oil. Carrots join the pot to add another layer of flavor. Plenty of minced garlic, diced jalapeno, and plenty of spices are added to the onion and carrots to make this soup a real powerhouse of flavor and to liven up the canned products that are being used in this recipe. Water or vegetable stock is added to loosen up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot - that's where the flavor is. Soft and creamy black beans are added along with crushed tomatoes and then you just have to let the soup simmer while the flavors all meld together and deepen. When the soup is ready you can ladle it up and eat it as is or take it to the next level by blending some of the soup to add great texture to the soup. To really take it over the top I like to top the soup with chunks of creamy avocado, tangy yogurt or sour cream, and bright fresh cilantro.

Black Bean Soup 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced 

Salt

2 medium carrots, diced 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jalpeño, minced - remove the seeds if that's too much heat for you OR 1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 Tbsp paprika 

1 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp smoked paprika 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 cups water or vegetable stock

400 gram / 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cans of black beans* 

Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 a lemon about 2 teaspoons

Optional Toppings 

cubed avocado 

fresh cilantro or parsley 

Greek yogurt / sour cream / labneh 

diced red onion 

pickled jalapeno

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes and then add the carrots. Cook an additional 5 minutes and then add the garlic and jalapeño. After about a minute or two add the paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper. Toast the spices for about 30 seconds then add the water and make sure to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot then add the crushed tomatoes and black beans. Bring the soup to a simmer and then cover the pot and lower the heat. Allow the soup to gently simmer for about 30 minutes. The soup is ready to eat as is, but I like to blend about 1/3 of the soup and add that back to the rest of the soup this adds a great creamy texture to the soup, but also still has the chunkiness from the unblended soup. Stir in the lime/lemon juice and then taste adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

Ladle it up and top with a good dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, and any of the other toppings. 

*To make this soup I used canned black beans, but if you don't have access to those you can make it from dried beans it's just a bit of a longer process. Follow this thorough step-by-step guide on how to cook dried black beans. 

Yield: 4 servings 

Hazelnut Mocha Muffins

Hazelnuts, coffee, and chocolate are three flavors that work really well together. 

Chocolate and hazelnuts we all know go so great together, who doesn't love a spoonful of Nutella? That creamy hazelnut chocolate spread is absolutely decadent. Chocolate also works really well with coffee. The flavor of chocolate is enhanced when combined with coffee. 

Hazelnuts also go really well with coffee. When I was in college I would have a hazelnut latte from Dunkin Donuts several times a week. A few years ago on a trip to NY, I had one of those lattes and while that is now a bit too sweet for my palette I do still enjoy the flavors of hazelnut and coffee together. 

So when all three of these flavors, hazelnut, chocolate, and coffee are put together it makes for a great combination. 

I took inspiration from the rich and creamy Nutella and my morning coffee in college to make these hazelnut mocha muffins. These muffins are made from a rich chocolate batter with chunks of roasted hazelnuts and bittersweet chocolate and all of this is enhanced by the addition of coffee. 

Hazelnut Mocha Muffins 

2 1/2 cups flour 

1/3 cup cocoa powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

2/3 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 cup water OR 1/2 cup brewed coffee leftover from your morning pot

1/2 cup milk of your choice 

2 eggs 

1/4 oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped 

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C

Grease a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Add the sugar, coffee, milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and mix until just combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the hazelnuts and the chocolate chips on the side to sprinkle over the top. Fold in the rest of the hazelnuts and chocolate chips into the batter. 

Fill the prepared muffin pan with the batter and sprinkle the reserved hazelnuts and chocolate chips on top of each muffin. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins 

Creamy Lemon Artichoke Soup

Artichokes are one of my favorite snacks or side dishes. Peeling back the leaves dunking them in really good mayonnaise or melted butter and scraping the leaf against your teeth is such a delicious activity. Then when you finish peeling off all of the leaves you get to the spiky choke which has to be scooped out to reveal the sweet and tender heart. The heart of the artichoke is your reward for all of the work it takes to get there. 

Last week I was enjoying an artichoke as a little afternoon snack and while I was dunking the leaves in a lemony mayonnaise I thought this would be really delicious as a soup. 

I took the idea of my I can't believe it's not dairy broccoli soup to use potatoes and olive oil to make this soup rich and creamy without the cream. 

Creamy Lemon Artichoke Soup 

3 Tbsp olive oil - divided 

1 large onion, diced

Salt

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup dry or semi-dry white wine 

400 grams/14 oz frozen artichoke hearts - defrosted 

OR 2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts that are drained and well rinsed 

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 

4-6 cups of water 

Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons 

In a medium-sized pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion starts to become translucent about 5 minutes. While the onion cooks trim any hard bits off of the artichoke hearts and then cut the trimmed hearts into cubes. Add the garlic and black pepper to the pot and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the white wine and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot and cook for about 3 minutes until the wine has reduced. Add the artichokes, potatoes, and water just to cover everything in the pot and add another pinch of salt. Don't add all 6 cups of water start out with 4-5 cups and if you need more water to thin out the soup you can add it after it's blended. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 30-40 minutes until everything is tender. 

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup using an immersion blender. You can use a stand blender just be sure to work in batches and make sure to remove the small plastic cap in the cover and place a kitchen towel over the top being very careful with the build-up of steam. 

Whichever method you choose just blend until smooth, then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice blend to mix that in and then taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick for you add a little more water. 

Yield: 4-6 portions