babaganoush

oh eggplant, you are so wonderful. this is my favourite eggplant recipe of all time.

1 medium (500-600g) eggplant

to taste:

tahini

olive oil

lemon juice

smoked paprika

salt

chilli powder

crushed garlic

on a gas burner, sit the whole unpeeled eggplant over the flame. turn gently so that the whole eggplant is burnt on the outside and soft and cooked inside. carefully rinse the burnt skin off under cool running water. 

blend the peeled eggplant with all the other ingredients. add the flavours a little at a time and adjust as needed.

weeknight simple: mini falafel burgers

it's been hot here for the last few days; unreasonably so. 40 degrees? i mean, come on!!

armed with forewarning of the doomy weather, i cooked a whole lot of food to fridge and eat with salad during the apocalypse. falafel is my all-time favourite vegetarian meal, and it's a doddle to prepare.

the powdered mix is available in most supermarkets, and all you have to do is combine roughly 200g of mix + a cup of water (i like to add a shredded carrot and some fresh herbs too). stir, shape into heaped teaspoon-sized balls and fry in as little oil as possible (using a non-stick pan helps, as much as i hate the things). 

if you're impatient (like me), you can squish the patties flat to speed cooking after you've flipped them over once.

serve with sauce of choice (tomato, hot chilli, relish, chutney, hummus, tahini, mayo) and salad, or wrap in flat bread for portability. these keep well in the fridge for a few days, can be eaten cold or reheated in no time.

hummus

o hummus, you are wonderful. so wonderful that you are all gone, and no photo will be taken of your unassuming deliciousness. here is a chickpea to tide me over:

blend 300g cooked chickpeas, 2tbs tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 4tbs olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, chilli powder, salt, cumin and paprika to taste. add water a tablespoon at a time, keep blending until smooth. 


serve with everything: falafel, crudités, on toast with chargrilled peppers, with BBQd meat, or eat plain with a spoon.