No-Fail Falafel

By Ashley | Entree

Sep 19

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I generally have no problem saying “No” to fried foods. I mean, sure. I love a certain level of grease just as much as the next person, but I have found that nut butter and coconut oil based treats usually satisfy my craving for fat. And avocados. Always avocados. Ohhhh, and Spaghetti Aglio, because you can’t beat pasta smothered in superb olive oil and sooo much garlic.

Anyway, I can easily avoid fried food. That is, until a walk into a falafel joint. And I’m like, HERE, take everything I’m worth, just give me ALL the falafel. Please and thank you.

In many instances, when I fall in love with a certain restaurant food, I quickly make my own version at home. But for some reason, I had never attempted falafel. The hardworking folks (or Gods, rather!) at Mediterranean restaurants have perfected it, so why would I try to compete with the best?

But, then I found some dried chickpeas that were so lonely. I abandoned them long ago. Because unless garbanzos are masterfully pureed into dessert or the aforementioned fried fritters that make my dreams come true, I won’t eat them! Luckily, I had recently learned that the traditional and fool-proof method for falafel involves soaking dried beans for 24 hours, no cooking required, before pureeing them into my magical little nuggets! I also learned that baking and pan-frying creates incredible delish results, when done right. My answer to avoiding fried food?! I can do this, I decided. Pour water over beans. Wait a day. Rinse. Blend. Scoop. Bake. And so on. Minimal effort here.  So falafel is actually the lazy gal’s best friend, after all! And as you will notice in the recipe below, it is pretty adaptable depending on your taste preferences and what ingredients you have on hand. Enjoy fellow falafel-loving friends!

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 No-Fail Falafel

¾ c dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours, then rinsed well

½ large zucchini, diced

½ medium onion, diced

3-4 cloves roasted garlic

1-1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch chili flakes

Optional: a couple tsp red curry paste or tomato paste, handful parsley or cilantro

3 tbsp flax seed, or enough to bind and thicken the mixture

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Method

Cook onion over med-low heat in 2 tsp oil until soft. Add zucchini and cook until soft. If you’re garlic isn’t already roasted add it will the zucchini. Once zucchini is soft, transfer mixture to a bowl to cool slightly. Grind chickpeas, salt, chili flakes, and optional ingredients, if using, in a food processor until broken down. Add cooked veggies and puree, scraping the sides a few times, until a uniform mixture forms. It will not be smooth because they chickpeas aren’t cooked. This is ideal so that the falafels aren’t too wet. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the flax. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Scoop the falafel onto a parchment lined sheet pan, and flatten to ½ inch. Brush or spray with avocado or walnut oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until firm. Enjoy warm. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or frozen (wrapped well) for 1 month.

Serve in a pita or tortilla with tomato, cucumber, hummus, avocado, fresh herbs, tahini, or any other favorite toppings. Alternately, serve over greens with your favorite veggies/hummus, and drizzle with tahini and fresh lemon juice.

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