Meatless Monday recipe for October 3, 2014

I sometimes enjoy eating falafel.   But I must admit that I do not like the mess that comes with deep frying.  So when I saw this recipe for baked falafel I knew I had to try it.  The results of how this dish came out have earned it a spot in our menu rotation. 
Sorry, I do not have a photo. 

I believe the original source of this recipe was a web site:  www.chowvegan.com.  The website will not come up so I do not know if it is network issues or that the website has gone the great ethernet graveyard in the cloud. 

Here is the recipe.  My serving method is at the end under notes.



Baked Falafel
Makes about 21 balls

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).
Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Notes:
I am not a real big fan of some middle eastern food items so I came up with an alternative serving that suits my taste buds and improved the nutritional content.
For lack of better words, I make a "taco" with the falafel.  I use fat free whole wheat roti as the flatbread, add the baked falafel and top it with a slaw made from julienne cut jicama, cilantro and lime with a little salt and pepper.  When I make this dish I also shape the falafel in to "finger" shapes before baking them.  This facilitates eating wrapped it up in a "taco".  
 I think the next time I make this, I will also make some salsa from fresh red Fresno peppers for it.  This would make for a spicier and more colorful "taco".   If you can not find roti or do not wish to make your own, whole wheat flour tortillas can be substituted.

I hope you enjoy.
Until next time:
Bon Appetit Y'all
Chef Leslie Bartosh