Super Simple Salsa

In a last chance attempt to bottle up summer, I’ve been making ALLLLL the salsa. This recipe is quick, simple, and is guaranteed to have your husband’s coworkers leaving notes asking “WHO MADE THIS AMAZING SALSA??” So grab yourself a couple of tomatoes and get to it before summer is completely gone!

SUPER SIMPLE SALSA 

• 4 medium tomatoes

• 1 tablepoon olive oil

• 1 jalepeno, sliced lengthwise and deseeded

• 1/2 a medium onion

• 1 clove of garlic

• juice of 1 lime

• 1/4 cup cilantro

• salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and brush with olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes or until tomatoes seem cooked through. Remove from the oven. Place the tomatoes and remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until you achieve your desired consistently.  

Walnut Summer Squash Pesto

Summer is so close to being over. In just a few short days everyone will swap out their fresh tomatoes and berries for pumpkin and apple everything. Don’t get me wrong, I am just as obsessed with Fall and all the seasonal baking that comes along with it, but before we jump into that, let’s continue to savor the last little bits that summer has to offer. I can’t think of a better way to hold onto summer than by whipping up a batch of this walnut summer squash pesto. It comes together in less than 5 minutes and is so versatile. Throw it on pasta, spear it on a sandwich, cover your favorite salad, or even use it as a veggie dip — the possibilities are endless.

Walnut Squash Pesto

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1 cup basil

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1 cup chopped summer squash

• sea salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. It’s that simple! Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Super Simple Tomato Sauce

When I was a kid, although not a picky eater, I remember thinking tomatoes were kind of gross. I wasn't adamantly against them, if they were on a burger, I would just eat them, but I wasn't all that crazy about them. Now, as an adult, I crave tomato season from the moment it ends until its return the next summer. This year I've been making anything and everything I can with these gems. My favorite though, this super simple tomato sauce recipe. It's insanely easy and will make you forget about any grocery store jar you've ever picked up. 

Super Simple Tomato Sauce 

• 7 medium tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, diced finely

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat and place the whole tomatoes on the hot skillet. Cook the tomatoes on the skillet, rotating every few minutes to ensure all sides are equally charred, until the skins start to break open on the tomatoes. Remove the tomatoes from the heat and remove the stems. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and then add in the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and use a masher (or a wooden spoon) to mash to them. Stir, then add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight jar and place in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. 

Baked Falafel Bowls

A little over three years ago I was faced with falafel for the first time. Josiah and I were on our honeymoon and although I would consider myself an adventurous eater, was very hesitant of the Mediterranean cart that he had chosen for lunch. I had zero experience with falafel and minimal experience with any Mediterranean food. I once had a packaged gyro that ended up being okay, but other than that I had no experience. That food experience ended up being great, but admittingly not great enough to make me jump on the falafel bandwagon at that time. My biggest hangup was the warm hummus they served on it. Am I the only one that finds this insanely off putting? I still do! 

Fast forward another year. While we were living in Denver we found a meditanean shack (which is probably a super accurate description of it) and although it somewhat satisfied our mediteranean cravings, we weren't blown away. 

Fast forward again to last March. I was working in Lincoln Park when I stumbled upon Chicago Halal, a food truck turned brick and morter that has the falafel that changed my life. No exaggeration. We've quickly become regulars there. Like, first name basis with Steve and his crew. (HI STEVE!) It's our go-to cheap lunch or dinner when friends are in town or we're not feeling like cooking. I always order the same thing: the salad with half falafel and half gyro meat and ALL THE TAHINI! And yes, I emphasize the tahini like that every single time. I usually end up with about three containers and use all of them and would use more if they gave it to me. This is where my love affair with falafel happened. I can get a gigantic salad for $7 and I generally get two meals out of it, which is such a bargain! However, as much as I would love to run down to Lincoln Park every time I have a craving, it's a bit of a trek so I wanted to create a version I could make right at home. 

This recipe stemmed from no less than #689 attempts so the ability to deliver it to you brings me so much happiness. I love eating the falafel in a bowl form because it allows me to maximize my veggie consumption. It also adds some interest  Something worth mentioning, the dried chickpeas are NOT optional. You can produce good falafel with canned chickpeas, but if you want GREAT falafel (which I mean, come on guys, that's what we're after!) you will need to soak your beans for 24 hours.  

Baked Falafel

Makes 12

• 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours in the refrigerator
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley 
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro 
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Big pinch of sea salt 

• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for brushing before placing in the oven

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a small baking sheet and then set aside set aside. Drain the water from the chickpeas then add them to the base of a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process mixture until paste-like, scraping down the sides as needed. Be sure not to over-puree. There should be some chunks still remaining in the mixture.  Scoop the mixture out in 2 tablespoon increments. Drop the falafel mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and roll into round balls. Brush with the oil then bake at 400˚F for 22-24 minutes. Let the falafel cool before moving to an air tight container. The falafel can be refrigerated for us to a week.

To assemble the falafel bowls place the falafel on top of a bowl of your favorite spring mix and add in various toppings including shredded carrots, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion slices, pickles, lemon wedge, herbs, hummus, and this tahini recipe.