January 2010
Jan 28th
Episodes » Episode 16: Falafel!
I remember the first time I ever made falafel. I was at Jewish summer camp, 8 or 9 years old, I remember forming the ball and then, like magic, some cute male counselor fried it up right in front of me. I rememer writing a letter to my mom about it; I think it went something like, "AND I MADE MY VERY OWN FALAFEL," except all I really did was form and eat it. If someone told me then that I'd one day take millions (200) viewers on a virtual journey through the entire Falafel making process...I expect 9 year old me would have been very proud, and also really confused.
Anyway, I love making falafel, it involves two things I cherish: my food processor and deep frying. Deep frying anything is sort of a marvelous feet. You start with something mushy and sticky, and you end up with something crunchy and tasty. One could say that a piece of food dipped in the frier for the first time is like a Caterpillar spinning it's first cocoon. Once completed there's something poetic about both things.
HAHAHA
Tags: Falafel, falafel recipe, recession recipe, cheap middle eastern recipe, easy middle eastern recipe, cheap and easy falafel recipe, vegetarian recipe, vegan recipe, easy vegetarian recipe, easy vegan recipe, cheap vegetarian recipe, cheap vegan recipe, yummy vegan recipe
INGREDIENTS
-1 14 oz. can chickpeas, pat as dry as possible
-1 small onion, roughly chopped
-2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
-1 tsp salt plus more to taste if necessary
-3 cloves garlic, chopped
-1/2 cup flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 Tbsp cumin
-1/2 Tbsp corriander
-juice of 1 lemon (1 Tbsp)
-1 16 oz. bottle of vegetable oil for frying
Jan 21st
Episodes » Episode 15: Corn Bean Salad!Hello, E. Biters! I'm happy to present today's episode, Corn Bean Salad, in VEGAN-VISION! That's right, this is the first *second Vegan recipe to appear on Economybites.tv, and we are feeling very proud! We've crossed over into...something.
So the recipe: it's so ridiculously easy, you may not need me to blog. Oh, and for full for disclosure, this is not my recipe. I stole it from my friend, Lauren, who is a culinary MASTER! Hi, Lauren!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Since I learned to make this salad, I've seen variations of it everywhere. Picnics, potlucks, you name it, all of over the place. It's like when you buy a Jeep and then you see Jeeps all over the road. Hasn't that happened to everybody?
Tags: corn, sweet corn, black beans, corn bean salad, easy salad recipe, easy vegan recipe, easy vegetarian recipe, cheap vegan recipe, cheap vegetarian recipe, easy and cheap vegetarian recipe
INGREDIENTS
-2 14 oz. cans of black beans
-2 14 oz. cans of sweet corn
-1 red onion, diced
-1 package of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 bunch of cilantro
-2 limes
-salt and pepper
Tags: sweet corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, cilantro, corn bean salad, vegan recipe, salad, cheap recipe, cheap vegan recipe, easy vegan recipe, cheap vegetarian recipe, easy cheap vegetarian recipeJan 20th
Blog » Mr. Chomp Goes For A SwimEbites would not be what it is without our tasty & home-made super awesome soundtrack, by Seth G Samuel, cooked last summer and eaten since. We've just got a new variation on our Ebites theme, and we're posting it here so you can appreciate it in all its glory:
Tags: Seth G Samuel, Cooking Show, Economy Bites, Fun Time, Teeth
Jan 14th
Episodes » Episode 14: Pesto Bows with Spinach and SausageHello friends, family and strangers. Welcome back to Economy Bites! Or, if you are new, welcome for the first time! We are so happy to have you here with us today! Please, have a seat, get comfy, grab a soda or some kombucha and take a few minutes to watch episode 14: Pesto Bows with Spinach and Sausage. Aren't you salivating just reading that title? Say it with me: pesto, spinach, sausage, pasta! Yum squared! Yum to the 4th!
Here is intern Emily with her general thoughts:
INGREDIENTS
-1 lb Farfalle
-12 oz. loose leaf spinach (about 2 cups)
-2 green onions, diced
-6 cloves garlic, diced small
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1/4 cup chicken stock
-3/4 to 1 lb. Italian sausage - spicy or sweet
-juice of 1/2 a lemon
Pesto
-2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed tight, no stems
-1/3 cup pine nuts
-3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 cup olive oil
-3/4 cup freshly grated Parmessan cheese
-juice of 1/2 a lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
***The Wandering Foodie - check his blog for his take on our meal together
Let me start with this: it's Thursday morning, January 14th, and I'm still, more than 12 hours after my meal with Hagan Blout of The Wandering Foodie, completely stuffed!
The Wandering Foodie's project is called 93 Plates - he's eating at a different NYC restaurant, with a different Food Blogger 3 meals a day for 31 days. I know - best job ever, right? Daniel and I were lucky enough to make his list of blogger-diners and we joined him for meal #39: dinner at DuMont in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
A personal quirk: I think the service at a restaurant is nearly as important as the food. I have a hard time enjoying even the best meal if the waiters/hosts/hostesses are rude. To that end, the people of DuMont were fabulous, really accommodating and friendly. Of course we got special treatment, but something tells me that the Dumont staff is always this way, blogger or no blogger.
On to the most important thing, the food: I can't say enough about the classic, tasty dishes at DuMont. The first course was chestnut soup, which was creamy and hearty. I use chestnuts in my Thanksgiving stuffing, and so that's what I tasted in the soup: homey, comforting Thanksgiving. Nothing better!
The soup was followed by really great scallops - nice and firm with a crispy crust - with Mitake Mushrooms and broccoli, grilled shrimp salad with fried cauliflower, crunchy chorizo and lobster vinaigrette, and pork belly with pineapple and cilantro. The shrimp was a bit on the salty side, but the pork belly was spot on - really moist and fatty. Also - pork belly and cilantro? Great combination! Who knew?
The third course was wild striped bass with herbed chowder; braised lamb shank with couscous, pomegranate seeds and eggplant caviar; and the most delicious dish we had all night: NY Strip Steak with barley risotto, Swiss chard and dried cranberries. I can't say enough about this steak - it was AMAZING. It was cooked perfectly rare, set in a bowl of this scrumptious barley risotto that was meaty and rich. Paired with the dried cranberries - the dish was fantastic. One of the best steaks I've ever had.
We also had 3 desserts - the one most worth noting was a hazelnut chocolate brownie with malt vanilla ice cream. Can you see why I'm still stuffed? Ridiculously delicious meal!
Tags: The Wandering Foodie, Dumont restaurant, Dumont Brooklyn, New York Strip, Scallops, Chestnut soup, pork belly with pineapple and cilantro, pork belly, striped bass, lamb shank, brownies, coconut panna cotta, apple crumbleJan 7th
Episodes » Episode 13: Allie's Tortilla SoupHellloooo, Economy Bites fans! Here we are, dead of January. It's cold, it's horrible and I mostly want to hide under my kitchen table with Omelette the cat. Only two things bring me solace during this time of year: the many dedicated fans of Economy Bites, and Tortilla soup. No offense intended to the CatPet or the BoyPet.
Tags: tortilla soup, chicken recipe, chicken tortilla soup recipe, easy texmex recipe, cheap texmex recipe, texmex recipe, easy cheap texmex recipe, soup recipe, cheap soup recipe, easy soup recipe** Note: recipe has been increased since filming. Also - the spice amounts are approximate. Spice to your desired taste.
INGREDIENTS:
-3/4 cup white or yellow onion, diced small
-1 jalepeno, diced and seeded
-3 garlic cloves, diced small
-1 1/2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with chilis
-6 cups chicken broth
-1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
-1/2 Tbsp chili powder
-1/2 Tbsp onion powder
-1 tsp cayenne Pepper
-1/2 tsp Paprika
-pinch of salt, pepper, white pepper and crushed red pepper
-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
-10 corn tortillas
Optional (but encouraged) cilantro, cheddar cheese, lime juice and avocados for garnish.
Jan 3rd
Blog » Happy New Year 2010!Happy new year from the economy bites team! We'll be back with episode 13 this week, meanwhile, here's a bit of new years cheer:
Tags: Happy New Years, Microwave