Falafel (kind of)

1 cup DRIED chickpeas
Water
3 green onions or 1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves
1 egg
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Oil for frying
Sesame seeds

Soak chick peas in about 5 cups of water overnight.

Drain. Place all ingredients in food processor, except sesame seeds. Process until almost smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes and refrigerate until cold. Form into balls or disks. Roll in sesame seeds and fry in hot oil until brown. Turn and fry on the other side. Drain on paper towels.

Source

Grilled eggplants with spicy chickpeas and walnut sauce

4 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2cm piece ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp each ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g/7oz tomatoes, chopped
Juice ½ lemon
2 aubergines, sliced lengthways

FOR THE WALNUT SAUCE
200g tub Greek-style yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
25g/1oz walnuts, chopped
Handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until lightly browned for about ten minutes. Add the chilli, ginger and spices and mix well. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes and 5 tbsp water, bring to the boil, then simmer for ten minutes. Add a little salt and pepper and the lemon juice.

Arrange the aubergines over a grill pan. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until golden. Flip them over, brush again with oil, season and grill again until tender and golden.

Mix the yogurt with the garlic, most of the walnuts and coriander and a little salt and pepper. Arrange the aubergine slices over a warm platter and spoon over the chickpea mix. Drizzle with the walnut sauce and scatter with the remaining walnuts and coriander.

Source

Beef tagine

600g (1lb 5oz) stewing beef
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
A small bunch of fresh coriander
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of chickpeas, drained
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
800ml (11/3pt) vegetable stock
1 small squash (approximately 800g/1lb 12oz), deseeded and cut into 5cm (2in) chunks
100g (3½oz) prunes, stoned and roughly torn
2tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

For the spice rub
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 level tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
1 level tbsp ground cumin
1 level tbsp ground cinnamon
1 level tbsp ground ginger
1 level tbsp sweet paprika

Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Put the beef into a large bowl, massage it with the spice rub, then cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for a couple of hours - ideally overnight.

When you're ready to cook, heat a generous lug of olive oil in a tagine or casserole-type pan and fry the meat over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add your chopped onion and coriander stalks and fry for another 5 minutes.

Tip in the chickpeas and tomatoes, then pour in 400ml (14fl oz) of stock and stir. Bring to the boil, then put the lid on the pan or cover with foil and reduce to a simmer for 1½ hours.

At this point add the squash, the prunes and the rest of the stock. Give everything a gentle stir, then pop the lid back on the pan and continue cooking for another 1½ hours. Keep an eye on it and add a splash of water if it looks too dry.

Once the time is up, take the lid off and check the consistency. If it seems a bit runny, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more with the lid off. The beef should be tender and flaking apart now, so have a taste and season with a pinch or two of salt.

Scatter the coriander leaves over the tagine along with the toasted almonds, then take it straight to the table with a big bowl of couscous and dive in.

Source

Couscous salad

Couscous
Quinoa (optional)
Spring onions or Spanish onions
Kalamata olives
Red capsicum
Feta cheese
Chick peas
Red chili (optional)
Mint
Olive oil
Cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

For the quantities... well, as you like really. As a guide, I use about 1 can chickpeas, one large capsicum, one block feta, a couple of spring onions, and a handful of mint per 2 cups couscous.

Method
Prepare the couscous and quinoa according to instructions, chop up the onions, capsicum, olives, cheese, chili and mint, mix everything, add oil and vinegar to taste. Don't be shy with the vinegar - I'm always surprised at how much I need to add to get the taste right.

I've also made it without any oil - this is good too. We find it salty enough with the olives and feta, but you might like a bit more.

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What do the food critics say? YUM!
What does the cook say? My standard salad for BBQs, I even sometimes serve it as a complete meal. OK, I quite often serve it as a complete meal.

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Source: copied from something we had in Canada years ago, at the cafe in which the wife of T's fairy-godfather-to-be worked.