I have to admit, I relish the diversity of guests so far on Cemented Ink, it has been such a whimical experience being able to connect with these incredibly talented human beings. Farah Majzoub is a secondary school teacher for a genuine passion for health, proper nutrition, and encouraging her students to prepare meals that are inspired from expensive fast food venues. Farah, offers her students a space to be as creative as they require and provides such a cornucopia of them to pursue. There were many recipes mentioned throughout this interview, Farah was so gracious as to share her recipes with us.
Hummus Recipe
Ingredients 15 ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans 3 tablespoons lemon juice or more 2 tablespoons tahini 2 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt Extra virgin olive oil for serving Paprika for serving 1 Place chickpeas in a bowl of water and rub them together to peel the skin (optional step, but helps create a creamy texture). Drain the garbanzo beans and transfer them to a food processor. Blend them alone until they become powder-like, scraping down the sides as needed. 2 Add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic cloves and salt and 2-3 ice cubes, and blend for about 5 minutes until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed by adding more lemon juice or salt. Spoon the hummus onto a plate or bowl, and spread the hummus with the back of a spoon to create swirls. 3 Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and fresh parsley. Serve cold or at room temperature. 4 Soak chickpeas in baking soda. Whether you are boiling the chickpeas, soaking them briefly in a bowl or cooking them in the pressure cooker, the baking soda softens the skin. The softer skin helps them peel off easily or blend more easily. And here’s a bonus benefit: the baking soda can also help reduce gas and bloating! Peel the chickpeas. I mentioned this earlier as one of the options for creating a smooth and creamy homemade hummus texture. But I found that peeling the chickpeas, although a little tedious, can create such a difference in the texture. 5 Add ice cubes to the blender. This sounds a bit crazy, but it’s a tip I learned from my dad and it totally works. I never understood it until I tried it. But basically it gives it a freshly churned ice cream-like texture. I would recommend adding at the step with the tahini, lemon and garlic, especially if the hummus is looking grainy. Use a strong blender and blend for at least 4-5 minutes. I’ve seen a difference in the texture by testing two levels of blenders and the blender definitely matters. The truth is, it will most likely never be as creamy as the store-bought and restaurant ones because of the actual machine they use for blending. So one way to remedy that is to blend longer.
Caesar Salad
Ingredients 2 cloves of garlic (peeled) A pinch of anchovy paste 2 tbsp oil, 2 eggs yolk, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, a splash of lemons ½ cup olive oil (keep in liquid measuring cup) 2 tbsp is parmesan cheese 2 shakes of Worcestershire Croutons: Baguette cut in cubes ¼ cup olive oil 1 clove or garlic Instructions: For the dressing: - In a food processor or blender crush garlic with anchovy paste. - Add 2 tbsp oil, 2 eggs yolk, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, a splash of lemons - With the mixture still running, slowly incorporate olive oil, in a slow steady stream. - Scrape side. - Add 2 shakes of Worcestershire sauce - Add parmesan Croutons: - Cut the bread into cubes, set aside uncovered. - Heat oil in garlic on low for 5 minutes - Add cubed bread and cook until golden brown on medium heat. Salad: - Wash and dry a head of romaine lettuce. Bacon: - Cook 4 strips of bacon in a sauté pan on med until nice and crispy. Chicken Breast: - Heat a sauté pan on medium with a little vegetable oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper - Add chicken to pan and cook for 7-8 min on each side. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degree Fahrenheit - In a large salad bowl mix lettuce and dressing, add toppings and extra parmesan if desired. Serve and enjoy ☺
Fafafel
Ingredients 1 cup dried chickpeas 1 cup dried fava beans 3 heaping tsp of baking soda 2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on preference) 1 onion (any works) 2 big handfuls of parsley 1 handful fresh cilantro 1 tsp all spice (you can buy this at a local ethnic store, RCS might sell it. Or make your own - 1 tblsp, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, 2tsp black pepper and 2tsp cinnamon. Mix all spices together). 1tsp dried coriander 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika ( I like smoked) 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 cumin 1tblsp salt Vegetable oil for frying Instructions: - Soak your beans in two separate bowls and add 1.5 tsp of baking soda for each bowl, mix well. Let for 18-24 hrs. - The following day, using a colander, rinse your beans WELL in cold water. Using a food processor grind the beans to a rough grind. - Remove from processor, place in a large bowl. Add parsley, onion, colander and garlic to food processor. Grind well. Add vegetables to beans and mix with your hands. Then, in batches grind falafel until it's fine and smooth. Once you have grinned the entire mixture, add spices. Mix well with hands. - Pre-heat deep pot (stock pot) with oil to 350F, form into small balls using a cookie scoop and fry for 5-7 min. Enjoy!
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