FALAFEL RECIPE

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 by Carla 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

HEALTHY FALAFEL RECIPE & SOME LATE NIGHT GOLF!

I used to make falafels with my brother Matty and friend Ryan for dinner all the time when we traveled to Australia. It was cheap, healthy and everyone loved it. This recipe is extra great because I took out the frying of the falafel balls. They are baked in the oven and served in a whole wheat pita with fresh lettuce, diced tomatoes and homemade tzatziki.

Whole-wheat pitas

One 15-oz. can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups hydrated chickpeas, drained

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. lemon or lime juice

1/8 tsp. paprika, or more to taste

black pepper, to taste

Two 2-second sprays olive oil nonstick spray

Hydrated Chickpeas - Just add water the night before

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place all ingredients for falafel (except for the pitas, baking powder, and nonstick spray) in a food processor, and give them a good chop. Transfer into a bowl, add the baking powder and stir together.

Spray a baking sheet thoroughly with a 2-second spray of olive oil nonstick spray.

One at a time, take spoonfuls of mixture in your hands and form 15 balls, each about the size of a ping pong ball, and gently place them on the baking sheet. Spray the top of each ball with olive oil nonstick spray, for a total of about a 2-second spray.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from the oven, and carefully turn each ball over, gently reshaping if the bottoms have flattened. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Allow to cool and set for at least 5 minutes.

Cut the whole pitas into halves, toast or warm all pita halves slightly, fill with spinach or lettuce, 3 falafel balls, diced tomato, and top with tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!