Spiced Apricot Chickpea Patties

As I said in the last post, JJ and I went to Mandaloun last weekend, my favorite Lebanese restaurant. We first learned about Mandaloun when they signed up to host a Bite Club event when I was the host. We had such an amazing meal there, when Mandaloun offered a Groupon a few weeks later, I jumped right on it. When we ordered, I went with the Vegetarian Mezze because I knew it was delicious, but JJ opted for something new. He chose the Chicken Schwarma, which was much different than most versions. The chicken was cooked in a cumin and cinnamon laced sauce with pieces of plump apricot. I tasted a bit of the sauce and apricot drenched pita, and it was so delicious. I love cinnamon in savory dishes, but rarely use it myself. 

Later in the week, I couldn't get the flavors out of my head, so I decided to make it into a vegetarian dish. I thought about just subbing chickpeas for the chicken, but instead made a patty that could be stuffed in a pita and served with the tabbouli. The patties are a simple mixture, full of flavor and spice. The apricots get so plump and juicy, and the greek yogurt adds a nice tang. 

Spiced Apricot Chickpea Patties

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 c. diced dried apricots

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 scallions, sliced thin

1 egg white

1/4-1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

For serving:

Greek yogurt

Pita 

Tabbouli

Add chickpeas to a large mixing bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas until about half are pasty and half are broken into pieces.

Add apricots, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, salt, pepper and scallions.

In a small dish, whip egg white to a froth, add to chickpea mixture.

Using a spatula, begin folding ingredients together, adding breadcrumbs as necessary to hold mixture together.

Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Add a thin layer of olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Score chickpea mixture into fourths, form 4 patties and drop into the skillet. 

Cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes, until browned.

Serve with pitas, yogurt and tabbouli.

My 3rd Blogiversary & Tabbouli, Mandaloun Style

Today is a very momentous occasion on Veggie by Season, it's my third Blogiversary! Looking back over the past three years, beginning a blog has been absolutely one of the best decisions of my life. I have met so many other bloggers and enjoyed reading theirs through the tight-knit community, I have challenged myself to cook with new ingredients, techniques, and cuisines, and I have really tapped into my creative mind constructing recipes as well as writing about them. 

Looking back over the last year, my proudest blogging accomplishment was the POM Party victory. Being chosen in the top 10 among over 100 talented bloggers was really a special moment for me. Also, the Bakesale for Molly was another great moment during the last year. I was completely floored by the generosity of both the bakers and the bidders, and the way word spread among the blogging community and beyond. (As an aside, we were able to cover all of Molly's medical expenses, and I purchased 6 months of medication for her to take to her foster home, where she continues to reside awaiting adoption.)

Now in the past, I have celebrated my blogiversary in different ways. The first Blogiversary I made meatloaf cupcakes with whipped potato frosting, and last year I recapped my favorite recipes from the year. This year, I'm going in a little different direction. As I've said, blogging has led me to try many new ingredients, and even re-try things I thought I didn't like (cucumbers, turnips, lima beans, pears) and... parsley! I've always been completely opposed to parsley, and would substitute any other herb in it's place. Then, about a year ago, I tried tabbouli and I loved it. How could it be, I hated parsley?! More recently, I went to a Lebanese restaurant and ordered the Vegetarian Mezze platter, which featured tabbouli. Only this tabbouli was different - no blugur! It was completely parsley based, and I absolutely loved it.

I thought about it some more, and realized that when the parsley is minced into a fine piece, its flavors really come out, and it smells like lemon. I made this tabbouli based on my memory of the style of Mandaloun's, and it was very, very similar. Though I think I prefer just a bit of bulgur mixed in, this tabbouli is also something special. 

Thank you so much to everyone for your readership through the years. I never thought a blog would bring me so much joy and connect me with so many wonderful people. 

Tabbouli, Mandaloun Style

(no bulgur, authentic Lebanese)

3 bunches of parsley, stemmed

1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, stemmed

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber

3 garlic cloves

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp. Red Wine vinegar

1/4 c. EVOO

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Wash parsley and mint in a large colander, shake and dry well.

In batches, place mint and parsley leaves in a food processor, pulse and process until leaves are in small, minced pieces.

Place in a large plastic storage container and repeat until all herbs are minced.

Quarter tomatoes, add to herbs.

Mince cucumber, add to herbs.

Using a microplane, grate garlic into vegetable mixture.

Zest the lemon into vegetable mixture, then slice in half and squeeze juice into mixture.

Add vinegar, EVOO, salt and pepper.

Place a sealed lid on and shake the mixture to mix well.

Taste, adjust seasonings.

Refrigerate over night or for several hours, taste again before serving to adjust seasonings.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Cous Cous

Another recipe that caught my eye in the last issue of Cooking Light was this Chickpea dish. I love spicy dishes, and chickpeas are a staple in my pantry, along with cous cous, so this meal was cheap and easy to make on a weeknight. I forgot to buy escarole or another leafy green at the market, so instead I used a bag of frozen chopped spinach. Though I'm sure the escarole is great, I really enjoyed it with the spinach. The apricots added a sweet bite, and the North African spices were in perfect harmony. The recipe calls for 1 tbsp. of Garam Masala, which I thought might be too much, but in the end I thought it could have used a bit more! This dish was a sure winner for us, and will be added to the rotation for quick, wintry weeknight meals.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas
adapted from Cooking Light November 2010

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 dozen dried apricots, chopped

1 tbsp. garam masala

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 c. vegetable stock

Zest of a lemon peeled in thick ribbons

Juice of 1 lemon

2 c. chickpeas

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

6 c. chopped leafy dark greens or 2 c. defrosted and drained chopped spinach

Cilanto, roughly chopped

Mint leaves, torn

Prepared cous cous

Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add EVOO.

Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir for a minute, until fragrant, do not burn.

Add onions, apricots, garam masala, salt, pepper and cinnamon stick.

Stir and cook for another minute, until onions are lightly browned.

Add stock, lemon zest ribbons, chickpeas and tomatoes, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in greens, wilt if fresh, bring to temperature.

Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick.

Spoon into a bowl over cous cous, squirt with lemon juice, top with mint and cilantro leaves.

Congrats to Holiday Baking Pack Winner: Rachel, who likes Libby's Pumpkin Roll best. Email me at veggiebyseason at gmail.com so I can get it off to you! 
Thanks to everyone who entered, I've got another fun giveaway coming soon. 

Hummu-Ghanoush

I'm a big fan of hummus and veggies. I have them as part of my lunch every day. However, since apparently eggplant grow phenomenally well in Florida, I've had quite the surplus. Instead, I've been making baba ghanoush each week, which I like, but it doesn't have the same nutritional stats, specifically the protein.

So as I do every weekend, I roasted up a few of the ripe eggplant and planned to make a batch for the week. However, as I was making the warm butternut and chickpea salad with tahini, I thought why not just add chickpeas and combine the two. Then I use up my eggplant while getting the protein from the chickpeas.

The eggplant flavor was definitely more present than the chickpeas, but this was delicious! If you're not a huge fan of baba ghanoush, this version might help ease you into it. And if you've got a garden full of eggplant like I do, this is a great way to use them! I bring my hummus or baba ghanoush to work each week and share it with my coworker, and he very much enjoyed saying "hummu-ghanoush" every day all week. That wasn't annoying...

Hummu-Ghanoush

2 eggplant, roasted and skinned (about 3 c.)

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp. to 1/4 c. well-stirred tahini 

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, smashed (or 1 tsp. granulated if you don't like raw)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 - 2 tbsp. EVOO

Kosher salt and pepper

Paprkia, for garnish

Place eggplant on a baking sheet, pierce with a fork a few times.

Roast for 1 hour, or until eggplant are deflated and shrivel a bit.

Cool for 10 minutes.

Peel off skin (or insides might just slip right out) and place into a blender or food processor.

Pulse to a chunky puree.

Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp. tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.

Pulse 10 times to mix, then run to puree mixture.

If necessary, add 1-2 tbsp. EVOO to thin the mixture.

Stop, taste and adjust seasonings, add additional salt, pepper, cumin and tahini, if necessary. 

Spoon into a dish, sprinkle with paprika and serve.

I prefer this warm, but my coworker likes it cold. It's really up to you! 

Bulghur with Caramelized Onions

I love having a great selection of grains and dried legumes on hand, but there are some that seem to sit in the pantry much longer than others. There are two specific grains that I am constantly looking up recipes for: bulghur and wheatberries. I have had some luck with great grain salads using them, but it just seems like quinoa, barley and lentils are much more common.

There are multitudes of studies that show a plant-based diet is ideal for staying healthy, but this doesn't mean you must be a vegetarian. Obviously it's my life choice, and it would be great if everyone was in my opinion, but I don't get on my soapbox about it. However, I do encourage the plant-based diet, eating local and organic, as you can see by reading this blog. 

One of my favorite cookbook series is the Moosewood Collection and other books by Mollie Katzen, a Moosewood contributor. The books vary from light and healthy to worldly recipes to classics and new classics. They are innovative and encourage consumption of seasonal vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein. I highly recommend these books to anyone, vegetarian or not because I'm sure everyone can find something satiating. 

After deciding to construct a meal around the bulghur, I consulted with my Moosewood collection and found this recipe. It was a bit Middle Eastern in flavor, so I paired it with the Baba Ghanoush and the following Fattoush for a complete meal. I absolutely love caramelized onions, but I rarely find the time and patience to slowly cook them. Luckily, it was a Sunday afternoon and I was watching football, so every few minutes I popped over to the stove to give them a stir. 

I followed the recipe as written, but added some chickpeas to give it protein. I also substituted cranberries for the raisins/currants because I had them in the pantry. I found this dish to be a little on the sweet side, and had to use a decent amount of salt and white pepper to balance the flavors. Next time I would use vegetable stock rather than water for a savory flavor.

Tips and Trades:

-Bulghur is cracked wheat, similar in texture to cous cous. If you're unable to find bulghur, use a whole wheat cous cous.

-This would be a wonderful stuffing for a winter squash, such as acorn, butternut or a small sugar pumpkin.

-I used one very large red onion for this dish, but you can use any onion - yellow, white, vidalia, shallot or red onion. Whatever you can find cheapest and organic is best!

Bulghur with Caramelized Onions and Chickpeas

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

2 tbsp. EVOO

3 c. thinly sliced onoins

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. medium-grain bulghur

1/4 c. dried unsweetened cranberries

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/3 c. vegetable stock

Salt

White Pepper

Heat a deep skillet over medium-low heat.

Add EVOO, onions and thyme, toss with a pinch of salt.

Stir the onions and slowly caramelize (I stirred every 5 minutes or so for 30 minutes).

Bring the stock to a boil in a small pot.

Add the bulghur, cranberries and cinnamon to the onions, stir together.

Add the boiling stock to the bulghur, stir, cover and turn heat off.

Let the bulghur rest for 15 minutes, until the stock is absorbed.

Use a fork to stir, taste and season with additional salt and pepper.

Serve with some chopped parsley or other fresh herbs.

Baba Ghanoush

 I have always been enamored by vegetable gardens. Tiny seeds, planted in dirt, a little sun, a little water, and bountiful produce. I believe that because I saw the vegetables grow in the garden when I was young, I was more likely to try them. Watching my dad tend to the garden, weeding it, watering it, and my mom out there roto-tilling in compost during the spring, made me appreciate all that goes into producing one little eggplant. It's not easy work, but it is so rewarding when you harvest. 

When I moved to Florida and bought a house, I had big garden plans. So far I've had hits and misses as I learn about the Florida climate, soil, weather, and insects. I started my eggplant from seed in January, planted them outside in March, and they're just now producing. Nine months... my eggplant are my babies. I have about 20 more on the vines, and every weekend more buds appear, so it looks like well into December I'll be picking them! 

I've found that if I let them stay on the vines too long, they start to get pocks, which are light brown, eventually spreading and turning white. Anyone know what causes this? Every Sunday after my run, I do some weeding, planting, pruning, watering, and then a photo shoot for my garden blog (basically just photos to show growth progression). I decided to pick the three largest eggplant because they would probably start spotting if I didn't. 

When faced with three eggplant, I find myself with two options: Eggplant Parmesan or Baba Ghanoush. Since we planned to spend the afternoon watching the Red Zone channel and following our fantasy football teams, I decided a quick dip would be better than an afternoon in the kitchen tending to eggplant. 

I've seen many recipe variations depending on the country of origin for baba ghanoush, so I tasted and added ingredients as I made it. While grilling the eggplant is preferred, I was about to make granola and decided to roast it and kill two birds with one stone. 

Nothing makes me happier than spending the morning in my garden, harvesting vegetables during the day, and eating the veggies in a delicious dish at night. 

Tips and Trades:

-My eggplant are an Heirloom variety, but any eggplant variety will work! 

-Tahini is ground sesame seeds. While a jar can cost around $10, it should last quite a while. If you do purchase some to make baba ghanoush or hummus, try this recipe - you won't regret it! 

Baba Ghanoush

3 eggplant, roasted or grilled and peeled, about 4 c. pulp

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 c. tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Parsley, for garnish

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, run until smooth. 

If necessary, add EVOO or tahini to thin.

Taste and adjust seasonings (more salt might be necessary)

Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. 

Tabbouleh for the Parsley Hater

If you read my blog often, you'll see just about every vegetable and herb in the world appear from time to time. There are a few you'll rarely, if ever see. Celery and Parsley. Hate them. Ok, hate is a strong word. I hate celery. I just don't like parsley. I don't really understand it. To me, it doesn't have much flavor, so why use something with little flavor when you could use basil.... or cilantro... or mint! And yes, this comes from the girl who could tear up giant iceberg lettuce wedges. But I digress.

So parsley. I've been learning to like it more. I suppose it's like any ingredient, when you use it well, it makes a dish. Tabbouleh is a parsley salad, with the other ingredients simply filling in the holes. So I found that making tabbouleh with bunches and bunches of parsley and a tiny bit of bulgur was too much for me. I can take it to 50/50 parsley to 'other stuff,' but I don't know if I'll make it beyond that. I need the other stuff, which isn't necessarily traditional either.

I will say that if you've got mint growing in your garden like weeds, this is the dish for you. I used 2 bunches of parsley and 1 bunch of mint and it was the perfect balance for me. But as all cooking goes, use your judgement and taste! So here's my bastardization of Traditional, Lebanese Tabbouleh!

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur/cracked wheat

1 cup boiling water

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 c., I like it lemony)

1/4 c. EVOO

1 yellow bell pepper, minced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 English cucumber, small dice

4 cups loosely packed parsley (about 2 bunches)

2 cups loosely packed mint

Salt and pepper

Pinch of paprika

*I would also 1/2 c. finely sliced scallions, but my sister couldn't eat raw onion, so I omitted them

Add bulgur and boiling water to a mixing bowl, cover and let bulgur soak for 30 minutes.

Add lemon zest, juice and EVOO, toss to combine.

Place in the refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.

In a food processor, pulse parsley and mint until it is a fine mince (or do this by hand).

Remove the bulgur from refrigerator, add bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs and paprika.

Toss to combine, taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve chilled.

Sweet Potato Falafel with Tzatziki

Last week as I was browsing through my google reader, I saw Kelly's post for Sweet Potato Falafel. They looked fantastic! I was imagining a blend of chick peas and sweet potato, so I starred it and put it on the menu. Then I went back and pulled up the recipe, and saw that it was quite different from my imagination. See, I have a tendency to read a recipe and then create the process and ingredients in my brain without actually reading it. Sometimes this is detrimental because I'll end up without an important ingredient. But then sometimes it works out ok because I end up creating what I thought the recipe would be, and it's delicious.

In this situation, I ended up creating what I thought the recipe was going to be rather than what Kelly wrote. Though I do want to go back and try it the original way, I really liked my adaptation. These were slightly sweet, but had the familiar taste of a falafel. They were healthy (baked rather than fried) and I enjoyed them 'meatball' style over couscous and roasted vegetables instead of wrapped in a pita. I can't ever have enough tzatziki, I think JJ and I were fighting over the reminants. Overall, this was an absolutely delicious and really healthy dinner!

Sweet Potato Falafel

adapted from Kelly, who adapted it from the Happy Herbivore

Falafel:

1 large sweet potato

1 cup chick peas

1 tbsp. tahini

1 tsp. fresh minced parsley

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup. breadcrumbs (wish i had panko, but just had regular Italian style)

Tzatziki:

6 oz. plain greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. minced dill

1/2 cup minced cucumber

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. tahini

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane

Whole wheat cous cous, prepared

Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts

Pierce sweet potato, wrap in a paper towel.

Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, until softened.

(On a weeknight, I didn't have the time to bake the sweet potato, but that would be the preferred method)

Let potato cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, add chick peas, mash with a fork.

Add sweet potato, tahini, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic.

Mix well, leaving some little chunks of chick pea and sweet potato.

Roll into walnut sized balls, roll in breadcrumbs, place on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp on the outside.

In a small dish, use a fork to whisk together all tzatziki ingredients, refrigerate until use.

Plate cous cous, vegetables, top with falafel and tzatziki and extra parsley.

Roasted Moroccan Spiced Vegetables with Sundried Tomato Cous Cous

As I said in my last post, my sister recently went to Morocco and picked up some spices for me! She had been studying abroad in Geneva for the year, and while on break in Spain, she took a ferry to Morocco. She wanted to say she'd been to Africa!
In addition to the Moroccan mixed spices she got cumin and saffron for me. Everyone knows how expensive saffron is, so when Becky got a gram for me in Morocco and my friend Jen sent me a gram from her trip to the Caribbean, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!
I finally unpacked my spices and have been really excited to start using them (Becks also got me some Herbs de Provence - she took a special side trip to France to get it for me! What a sister!)


So for dinner tonight, I decided to make a big tray of roasted vegetables with the Moroccan house spice mix (cumin, corriander, cinnamon, anise, cardamom, paprika, turmeric, etc.) with garbanzo beans over some cous cous. The meal was very hearty and filling, and full of delicious vegetables!


I realize that not everyone has the Moroccan Spice Blend, so I will try to write a recipe for it soon when I run out and mix more. I find that it seems to be 4 parts cumin and corriander to 1 part all of the other spices listed above, but again, I'm going to try to mix it up soon!

Roasted Moroccan Spiced Vegetables

with Sundried Tomato Cous Cous

Vegetables:

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 2 c.)

1 large zucchini, diced

1/2 lb. Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. Moroccan spice blend

salt and pepper

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all vegetables and beans to the baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO, spices, salt and pepper.

Toss to coat, roast for 30 minutes.

Serve with cous cous.

Cous Cous:

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

1 c. vegetable stock
2/3 c. whole wheat cous cous
10 sun dried tomatoes, chopped


Add EVOO, onion, garlic, salt and pepper to a small stock pot over medium heat.
Saute' for about 5 minutes, or until soft.
Add stock, bring to a boil, add cous cous and tomatoes, stir.
Turn heat off, cover and let cous cous sit for 5-8 minutes.
Toss with a fork, plate with vegetables.

Becky's photos:

1. The market in Tangier

2. Becky and her classmates at a Casbah (Becks is on the right)

3. The ferry she took from Spain to Tangier

Afghan Vegetarian Plate: Sabzi, Badenjan, and Aushak

(L to R: Sabzi, Aushak, Badenjan)

For the past few weeks since JJ and I went to Samira for dinner, we've been craving it. You can get a description of our dinners right here: Samira Restaurant Review.
I decided to make a vegetarian combo plate of what we both had, sabzi and badenjan from my dish, and vegetarian aushak from his.
The sabzi is a spicy, fresh spinach with lots of spice and flavor. It's very earthy and fresh tasting. I mixed up a spice blend from what I could remember, it seemed pretty authentic.
For the badenjan, I was more focused on the tomato sauce that covered it. The eggplant was peeled in stripes and roasted and covered with the sauce.
When my sister was in Morocco in April, she picked up a Moroccan spice blend for me, it smells like it has some kind of combination of cumin, corriander, cinnamon, ginger, anise, cardamom and paprika, so that is how I wrote the recipe.
For the aushak, I again went with what I could remember. I made a pasta dough and cut it, filled it with sauteed leeks and yogurt, and steamed it. I also served this with the tomato sauce.
This dinner tasted very similar to Samira, though I'd rather go back there and have it because this dinner was a lot of work, and resulted in using 6 pots/pans!

Sabzi

1 lb. fresh baby spinach, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 large white onion, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. corriander

1/2 tsp. dill

salt and pepper

1/4 c. vegetable stock

Heat a saute' pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are slightly browned and softened.

Add spinach, paprika, corriander, dill and stock.

Cook until spinach is wilted and moisture has cooked off, about 5-10 minutes.

Badenjan and Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 eggplant, peeled in stripes and sliced

salt and pepper

1 tbsp. EVOO

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large yellow onion, minced

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. Moroccan spices

1 tsp. cumin (extra from mixture)

salt and pepper

1/4 c. plain yogurt

Chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a small pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes.

Saute' for about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and spices.

Bring to a simmer, taste and adjust seasonings.

Place eggplant in a casserole dish, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper.

Top with 1/3 of the tomato sauce, bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Plate and top with more sauce, yogurt and cilantro.

Aushak

3/4 c. flour
1 egg
1-3 tbsp. water
1 leek, sliced and soaked
1/4 large yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. plain yogurt


In a bowl, mix together flour and egg.
Form into a dough, add water if necessary.
Run through a pasta roller and cut into 3" squares.
In a saute' pan, head 1 tbsp. EVOO over medium heat.
Add leeks, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
Saute' for 10 minutes, or until leeks are soft.
Remove from the heat, pour into a dish, add dill, cumin and yogurt.
Spoon into the center of pasta sheets, pinch sides together.
Steam for 6 minutes.
Serve with tomato sauce and extra yogurt, if preferred.