Everything Homemade

Since going vegan, I've found bit by bit that I am a big fan of doing things myself whenever possible. (This mostly applies to the kitchen but has been known to manifest itself in other ways as well.)  For over a year, I've been baking my own bread by using my parent's old bread machine, and I prefer making the Yellow Rose Recipes version of sour cream instead of buying the Tofutti version.  Now that I've got my own ice cream maker, I've been experimenting with different recipes with that as well. However, this little installment is not about ice cream but rather falafel.

I am a huge fan of falafel.  As someone who has spent quite a bit of time in Europe, this dish became my quick vegan go-to whenever I was out and needed something to eat fast.  I couldn't tell you how many variations of stuff that I had last summer in Germany.  I think that my favorite was the late night snack while visiting a friend in Köln because of discovering that the garlic sauce there was vegan.

Regardless, the process can be a little labor intensive if making these at home, but I get a great deal of satisfaction when I am finished.  Usually I just buy a whole grain wrap to serve my falafel on, but last week I decided to take it up a notch. I had my first experience making my own pita bread.  I used this recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan's vegan blog, and it worked well for the most part. I've misplaced my rolling pin somewhere between home and university, so I had to make due with using a long and narrow glass.  I must have stretched them out too much because they didn't manage to puff up in the oven like they were supposed to do. (I had even bought a pizza stone specifically for this purpose.)  The pitas were still good, and I just cheated aznd cut them to make my own pockets.  Combined with the falafel and tahini sauce, I had a wonderful dinner even if it took a while to prepare.