Soft Pretzels

Adapted from Sugarlaws

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

1/3 cup warm water

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1-2 teaspoon organic sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 tablespoon baking soda

1 cup hot water

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for brushing

garlic-salt or/and cinnamon-sugar for sprinkle

Directions:

Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored.  Mix the yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt and canola oil, and knead until combined well, about 5 minutes.  Let the dough rise in a ziplock until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the dough has risen, pinch off a handful and roll it out into a long strand, approximately 12 inches.  Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, about 6 times. Once all the strands are rolled out, twist it into a pretzel shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or cooking spray.  Repeat with the rest of the strands.  Dissolve baking soda into hot water and stir until dissolved.  Quickly dip each rolled pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the baking sheet.  Bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown.  Brush them lightly with EVOO and sprinkle 3 each with garlic-salt and 3 each with cinnamon-sugar.  Enjoy!

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Eggplant "French" Fries

Adapted from The Hungry Mouse

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into "french fries" strips

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

canola oil for frying

Directions:

Combine flour, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, and freshly cracked pepper in a large bowl and mix well.   Set aside.  Cut the eggplant into the strips and toss in the flour mixture to coat well.  Heat 1/2 cup canola oil in a large heavy pan over medium, shake off the eggplant strips excess and place handful of floured strips into the oiled frying pan (make sure not to overcrowd) to cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Drained them on paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle them with sea salt.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant fries.  Enjoy!

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Super Bowl Guilt-Free Crunchy Roasted Chick Peas

Recipe by Food Connection

Make sure to pat dry the chick peas after draining and rinsing them in order to get a good crunch to the chickpeas or they will not achieve it if they are damp.

2 cans of chickpeas

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon spice of your choice or to taste (salt, pepper, garam masala, cumin, paprika, allspice, cayenne pepper, cinnamon sugar, garlic, etc.) 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Transfer them to a large dry dish towel and pat dry with a paper towel.  Put the chick peas in a bowl, add olive oil, sea salt and spices of your choice. Toss them to coat, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 30-35 minutes or until crunchy, stirring them every 10 minutes to prevent burning.  Take out and serve warm or cool.  Enjoy!

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Shami Kabab (spicy burger-like kababs from Pakistan)

Inspired by my mother-in-law

2 pound of beef stew

3/4 cup channa daal

2 medium onions

8 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 inch square of ginger

2 tsp. white whole dried cumin

2 tsp. whole dried coriander

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tsp. garam masala

2 green chili pepper

1/4 bunch of cilantro

1 egg beaten

Directions:

Put beef stew and channa daal in a large pan.  Add 1 onion(quartered), garlic, ginger, cumin, whole dried coriander, salt, crushed red pepper(ground red pepper is fine), and pour 2 glasses of water.  Bring to boil and then cook on medium low heat.  When meat is tendered, then dry all the water, and let it cool.

Then grind the mixture in a food processor.  Then add garam masala, green chili pepper, and cilantro leaves, and chopped onion, and mix everything and taste first then add egg beaten.  Make patties-you can chop the onion(optional), green pepper, and cilantro in the mixture.  Make kababs and freeze them(each seperate) and fry them when you are ready to eat.  Enjoy!

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