The O-town Scene

February 17, 2011

The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY

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Chickpea Hush Puppies Makes 52 small balls Indian cuisine offers an endless source of vegetarian snack recipes. This one is based on masala vada: patties or dumplings infused with spices and the fresh green of chili pepper, cilantro and sometimes mint, usually served with a savory coconut chutney. But this variation tastes great with just about any yogurt sauce; or a mixture of yogurt and the barbecue sauce of your choice. MAKE AHEAD: The hush puppies can be fried up to 4 days in advance, cooled and refrigerated. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Adapted from a recipe by K.N. Vinod, chef at Indique Heights in Chevy Chase, Md. INGREDIENTS 1 pound dried channa dal (split dried chickpeas) Water 5 cups vegetable oil, for frying 2 medium jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded if desired and coarsely chopped 2-inch piece peeled ginger root, finely grated (3 to 4 tablespoons) 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 2 to 4 ounces curry leaves Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro Leaves from 1 large bunch mint (optional) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon salt With wet hands to prevent sticking, form the mixture into about 52 balls that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Carefully drop 7 or 8 at a time into the hot oil; cook for about 3 minutes, until they are evenly golden brown, turning the bobbing balls as needed. NUTRITION Per hush puppy: 40 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar _ The Washington Post staring at a blank Gone Running Fast food advice from an 8-year-old I sat at dinner tonight and asked the “roundtable” (my husband and son) what I should write about this week. They both started willingly with the brainstorming. “How about Valentine’s Day?” “Well this won’t be published until after everyone has eaten all the good chocolates out of the Whitman’s Sampler.” “The Polar Bear Jump is this weekend!” “Um ... I’m not doing it.” I just wasn’t really sold on the ideas being tossed around the table. Then my son said, “What about nutrition and fast food?” Well, as I mentioned in one of my previous articles, I’m not a dietician so I don’t really feel I could speak as an authority on this. I sat in front of the computer for a while page. I was frustrated, and my son asked me what I was doing. I snapped (not proud, mind you), “I probably won’t even be able to write an ar- ticle tonight because I’m running out of time.” A while later my 8-year-old son came up to me and handed me a piece of paper. He had written an article so I wouldn’t have to worry. Gosh, I love this kid. Below is my son Robbie’s article with minor corrections. Even though he’s only 8, he is already a healthy eater. Beaming with pride. “You may think that fast food is fine. Re- ally, fast food is not a very good thing to eat. There could be way too many calories in a fast food meal. Your kids are see- ing television ads for fast food, and if you make a habit of fast food you might get overweight. A simple homemade sand- wich is much better for your health. The recommended amount of fast food is once or twice a month. Fast food restaurants, such as KFC, McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, you should not go to too often. So watch what you’re eating and find out the calories and fat and all the nutrition facts before you eat that fast food.” Well, as I mentioned, I sure can’t speak as an authority on nutrition matters, but Rob- bie gives some sound advice. It’s not only healthier to avoid fast food, but economical too. While that “value menu” seems attractive, and you can buy a sandwich, fries and a cup of sugar, aka soda, for less than $5, you can spend the same amount on sand- wich fixings for several days and avoid the trip to the cardiologist down the road. Hope to see you out for a run or walk soon. I’ll pretend I don’t see you if I pass by you at the drive-thru. _ Danielle Tonner Danielle Tonner is a professional in higher education in addition to being a wife, mother and runner. Get updates from the O-Town Scene Facebook page. Feb. 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 13 STEPS Place the dal in a mixing bowl; cover with water by an inch. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight. Most of the water should be absorbed. Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to a temperature of 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels, then place a wire cooling rack on top. Meanwhile, drain the dal and spread on a baking sheet. Use paper towels to pat the dal thoroughly dry. Working in batches, process in a food processor to the consistency of a coarse paste. Return to the (now dry) mixing bowl. Combine the jalapeno peppers, ginger, onion, curry leaves (to taste), cilantro and mint, if using, in the food processor; pulse to finely chop all the ingredients. Transfer to the bowl of dal paste, then add the fennel seeds, garlic powder, ground turmeric and salt; mix to thoroughly incorporate.

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