Saturday, February 7, 2009

Falafel and tzatziki no longer in its comfort zone!!!

Earmarking anything in my house will be of no avail! I would never allow for anything to just have a single purpose. I could never be that rigid, never has been and never will be. So with that said, whether it be kitchen gadgets or specific types of groceries, my mind goes into overdrive just contemplating what I'm going to manipulate next!
" There is absolutely no need for this showmanship!" I am thinking. It is only a Saturday night and my family just wants a simple dinner on the table already, but no, this need to please has become a neurosis that I have adopted from my dear Mother. Preparing something simple just "aint going to happen."
I was eyeballing the falafel mix and decided to coat the chicken kebabs with it instead of breadcrumbs and hey, maybe when I am in the mood for falafel, will I then gladly oblige but for now it has another destiny! The tzatziki, too, is also presented just a little differently.

The result...... nothing less than spectacular! The falafel chicken kebabs were juicy and that alluring spicy aroma sent everyone into a ravenous "tizzy"( Is there such a word?) . Well, they refused to wait another minute for this much prolonged supper! The couscous was so flavorful with the addition of the green chili and the orange juice and the tzatziki, a refreshing finale to a memorable meal! Silence always follows when we sit down to eat and like a rich benefactor, I always come to the rescue of my family's dinner dilemmas. In the end the wait was definitely worth it and the clean plates alone were all the "thanks" I really wanted!

Couscous prepared with oven roasted garlic, bell peppers, green chili and citrus juice. I had to be very careful unmolding this delicate design !




Chicken kebabs dusted with falafel mix and spices
and
then baked

Click on the picture!




Cucumber "spaghetti" tzatziki and baked zucchini
on the
side





Groceries










Without further ado, here now is the recipe:

Please use organic ingredients when possible.

Do not forget to soak the skewers for an hour in water!

  • 3 lbs organic boneless and skinless breast pieces ( cubed)
  • falafel mix
  • tahini
  • roasted bell pepper seeds
  • garam masala mix( I make my own mix, toasting all the spices and then grinding them)
  • fresh lemon juice
  • lots of pounded oven roasted garlic ( roast with the bell pepper)
  • olive oil
  • parsley
  • pure pickle masala
  • red bell pepper( roast in the oven)
  • small can green chili
  • Orange juice
  • fresh lemon juice
  • Greek yogurt
  • couscous ( garlic and olive oil)
  • cucumber
  • a little miracle whip
Sprinkle the chicken kebabs with kosher salt, 2t bell pepper seeds, 2t garam masala and then squeeze with the lemon juice. Stir the pounded garlic( about 2 t) into olive oil( just a little more than quarter cup but not quite a half cup) and then pour over the chicken and let sit for an hour.
Meanwhile chop the bunch of parsley( no stems) and mix into the falafel mix and half teaspoon of pure pickle masala . Dredge the kebabs very heavily in this mix, thread onto the skewers and then bake ( convection bake ) on 375 degrees for 30 mins. Do not forget to pour all the remaining garlicky olive oil over the chicken kebabs prior to baking!

For the couscous:
Remove the skin from the red bell pepper and chop, drain the can of green chili and mix together. Prepare the couscous as per directions on the box but substitute a quarter cup of the water with the orange juice, also use a little less H20 than suggested on the box . Make sure that the liquid is a rolling boil!!!!! I used the little sachet in the box as well and when you add this add some roasted pounded garlic as well ( 1 t) . When the liquid has evaporated add the green chili and roasted pepper mixture, fluff the couscous and then close the lid and let the couscous steam.

For the zucchini;

Slice the zucchini into thin slices, sprinkle with some pure pickle masala( very little) and some bell pepper seeds, brush with olive oil and then bake for about 20 mins until crispy.

Tzatziki:

Cut the ends off the cucumber and rub these ends on the sides of the cucumber. Peel and slice into thin strands. Take some of these strands and chop into small dice and mix into half cup of yogurt , leave the rest for presentation , 2 T tahini , 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T orange juice, some bell pepper seeds and some kosher salt. I also added 2T of miracle whip to this mixture.

Nazarina A.


Probeer hierdie resep. Jou hele famielie sal jou liefhe en die wereld van jou dink ! Ek is verseker dat jy sal vriende he wat jy nie eens geken het nie!

53 comments:

Sara said...

What a great idea, I love falafel! I am going to try this soon.

Reeni said...

You always have the best ideas!! I just love how you 'manipulate' your food!! Such lovely flavors to the couscous and pretty-looking tzatziki!
And the falafel idea is genius!!

Anonymous said...

Great ideas! Everything looks so delicious and I love your presentations. Coating the chicken kabobs with falafel is something I definitely would like to try.

Bunny said...

I wanna come to your house for dinner! WOW!!!Your pictures are always beautiful!

Amy said...

Wow! Just wow! I had falafel for dinner last night in it's true form, but I love the idea of using it for a coating!

And your couscous is so pretty!

Dewi said...

Wow, that chicken kebab really look delicious. I like to serve this with tzaziki too.
Cheers,
Elra

Jo A. T.B. said...

Oh Nazarina,

Your chicken kabobs look so mouth watering! I bet your spices are excellent with chicken, I'm going to have to try them with my chicken tenders!

I've never heard of falafel mix, or even tasted couscous. My daughter likes couscous, I'll have to try it sometime.

You have so many wonderful ideas, and I bet your family is so glad to have you cooking for them! You go girl, I know to eat something good you must put your time and love into it! :)

Snooky doodle said...

ohh!! You re amazing. this dish looks spectacular. So colourful and the cous cous presentation is really nice. I m bookmarking this one :)

Attic Clutter said...

Oh man~~~~ that looks so good..
Beautiful food I can just taste it(:) ..
You have a great blog..
hugs, Patty

Couture Carrie said...

Such gorgeous creations, as usual, N! Love the cucumber spaghetti most!

xoxox,
CC

vanillasugarblog said...

well, my my, what a spread! I wish I had the patience to decorate as you!
I just ate the last of my tzatziki with some falafels balls I grabbed at whole foods; they were fabulous. But not as good looking as yours!

Anonymous said...

gesundhieght, wow, is it possible to fall for a cartoon character?? yowza baby

Attic Clutter said...

(:) Oh yes we could find lots of vintage and funky things couldn't we!!

Thanks on my post too (:) hugs, Patyt

Anonymous said...

What an idea Nazarina!! I am head over heels in love with your couscous:-) Those are some flavors going on there. healthy way to coat the kebabs too. & what a pretty looking tzatziki. those green spaghettis! i do not know where u live, but i wish u were my neighbor:-)

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

What gorgeous food! really scrumptious looking!

Cheers,

Rosa

Coffee and Vanilla said...

What a great dinner! I have also made couscous few days ago with grilled peppers... I will post recipe in a couple of days.
Love the idea of sprinkling chicken kebabs with falafel mix :)

Anonymous said...

An amazing looking meal-I love every course and how you coated the chicken kebabs with the felafel mix too!

MaryBeth said...

Everything looked fabulous as usual, wonderful looking pictures.

ochikeron said...

Hi Nazarina,

I love boneless & skinless chicken breast! Your kabobs look very healthy and yummy!!!

I like how you serve. Very nice and colorful everytime!!!
I wish I could serve like you all the time. Or, is there something wrong with my camera?! Ha-ha!

natalia said...

I love your menu !!

Deeba PAB said...

I *HEART* that menu Naz. Yum yum!I wanna try it NOW!!

grace said...

as a lover of pretty much all middle eastern food, i think your idea and its execution is absolutely brilliant--you'd better believe i'll be trying it out!

Anonymous said...

I love this! Its so creative and the pictures are gorgeous! :)

The Food Hunter said...

It all looks sooo good!

Live.Love.Eat said...

How do you do all this? How long does it take for you to make supper. You are super woman!!!!!!

Erica said...

Thank you so much for your sweet comment on my blog :) You are the best!!

Your food seriously always looks beautiful and tasty! Please come and cook for me ;)

Selba said...

Wow... everything looks really yummy!!!

Anonymous said...

What a clever twist on Greek flavors! my husband looooves Greek food, so i'll have to give this a try!

lubnakarim06 said...

Wow Iam coming there by next possible flight......The chicken kabab make me droooooooooooooooooooooooooool. Yummy presentation.....

Anonymous said...

Oh wow! Looks fantastic, as always. That's a creative meal you've got there.

Unknown said...

what a great meal... everything looks delicious... :)

Olga said...

What wonderful ideas! I like how you used the mold for the cous cous :)

Cucumber spaghetti is adorable.

Tangled Noodle said...

Your plating is absolutely spectacular!! The couscous looks like the sun and I can already taste the chicken kabob. Outstanding!

And thank you for visiting my site - I'll be back here myself!

Dershana said...

wow! that's indeed fusion at its yummy best! especially loved of coating the chicken with the falafel mixture!

Chitra said...

hi nazarina,wowowowow.....no words to appreciate ur pics:)really really awesome..how could u take such a wonerful fotos..iam jealous of it...Iam a vegan.so iam not able to try this chicken recipe.though i'll try ur other recipes.u have an excellent space dear!!Lovely,thanks for dropping by my blog..I felt very happy..Plz be around...

Anonymous said...

The cucumber spaghetti is so pretty! Lovely way to present it.

Anjum said...

wow...lovely pic of the kabab...love the recipe

Cynthia said...

You know that you are a food artist right?

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

You are so clever and so talented. You make everything look top shelf!

Malar Gandhi said...

Oh my gosh...what a spread, Awesome clicks as usual, recipes sound unique and interesting...

Yasmeen said...

Truly a spectacular meal.please trail back to my blog for a
token of gratitude:)

Anonymous said...

Your presentation is so spot on. always, and it always looks fabulous! I agree you always have the best ideas, and I have not had couscous is so long = (

Unknown said...

happy valentine's day!!! :)

Anonymous said...

These dishes are so similar to our (Turkish) cuisine. I love your creativity and presentation of these dishes are great! Especially the cucumbers...

Priyanka Agrawal said...

oh my! u got some oodles of talent!! blew my mind on the garnishing part too!
i happen to be hosting a garnishing event. check out my blog in case u r interested.
if u don't mind, i'd like to link to ur blog. feel free to link to mine as well :)

Anonymous said...

I've got a large jar of tahini and use it for hummus mostly - thanks for suggesting another use for it. Your dinner looks so delicious!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

veggie belly said...

gorgeous! I love how you plated the couscous!

kimvee said...

I love falafel! I definitely want to make this, these pictures look so delicious! :)

Donna-FFW said...

Falafel, how brilliant are you. It looks so fabulous!! Your ideas are so the best!! Presentation is gorgeous!!

Lucy..♥ said...

Wonderful presentations!!! and.... everything looks so good! ;-)

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Nazarina my young friend. What absolutely lovely looking dishes. The artist in you continues to bloom, how wonderful. Simple ingredients made to look fabulous. I truly admire your creativity. :)

Deepthi Shankar said...

that looks delicious

Nic said...

I could spend hours on your blog Nazarina, wonderful foodie ideas and recipes!