Monday, November 16, 2015

Falafel

I have decided to begin posting recipes on here rather than my food blog, The Carnitarian Family.  I will still leave my food blog active, but this will make my life much easier only having one blog to post on :)
Falafel has been on my 'to make' list for a loooong time.  I finally made it tonight and it was a hit!  I loved it, Jason loved it, Ashlyn loved it, and Redmond....well.....three outta four ain't bad, right?  That boy hides and runs anytime I say the word 'beans'.
 
This recipe is adapted from The Foodie Physician I changed up the herbs that went in and adjusted the seasonings slightly.  And, my hands must be a lot bigger because I ended up with half as many falafels that her recipe calls for. 
Why does that always happen?
I decided it was going to make it a hands-on dinner.  I grilled up some chicken for Jason using my Chicken Gyro marinade, whipped up some homemade Tzatzaki, made some of my whole wheat pitas and put out thinly sliced onion and cucumbers for garnish.  I also grilled some zucchini for a veggie on the side (we adore grilled zucchini!)
 These were such a hit!  I even had one leftover for lunch the next day.  That's saying a lot cause this girl does not do leftovers.  If I ate it left over, then it had to be good!


I tried both baking and frying these in a bit of olive oil.  Other than the falafel being more toasted and brown on the outside, I didn't feel like frying was any better than baking.  This is a great recipe to experiment with!  Use what herbs you have on hand and adjust the seasonings to your preference.  Have fun and enjoy!
Falafel
Makes approx. 8 patties



Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh chives
1/4 cup fresh dill
2 cans no salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Pulse the garlic, chives and dill in a food processor until finely chopped.  Add the remaining ingredients until it is all combined and the chickpeas are ground, but still have texture.

 
  
2.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil.  Make patties about the size of your palm with the chickpea mixture and place on the baking sheet.  Spray the tops of the falafel lightly with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil).

2.  Bake the falafel for 10 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Serve with pitas, tzatzaki.  Enjoy!

This will definitely be making an appearance in our house again soon!  It's not everyday that Jason will pick the vegetarian portion of dinner over the meat.  These are a great protein source for vegetarians and vegans.  It's also dairy free and could easily be made gluten free as well. 
Bon Appetit!
~ Sara :)

2 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm so excited to see your recipes here! I love that you baked your falafels. I've always fried them and they always fall apart. I'll be making these soon!

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    Replies
    1. Let me know when you make them - I'll head on over!!

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