I was first introduced to falafels in elementary school on a family trip to Hawaii. To be honest, I didn't think they were that special. Maybe I was too young and my taste buds hadn't grown up yet? It doesn't really matter because now, falafels are one of my favorite meals! They are really filling, but still light and healthy. If you've never had a falafel before, they are basically just spiced chickpea balls. They can be baked or fried, but I decided to bake mine for ease and to keep them light. The falafel balls can be served in a pita with chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, lettuce, tzatziki sauce and tahini sauce. I included both a recipe for the balls and for a tahini lemon sauce! These recipes are insanely easy to make. The ingredient list looks a little long, but most of that is just spices! The variety of spices give the falafels a really nice flavor, so definitely don't skip them!

Ingredients:

2-15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ cup almond flour

1 egg (sub flax egg for vegan)

¼ cup fresh parsley

⅛ cup fresh cilantro

2 tsp garlic powder

¾ tsp cardamom

1 tsp cumin

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Toppings: lemon tahini sauce (recipe below), tzatziki sauce, chopped lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until slightly smooth.

3. Using your hands, roll the dough into balls about 1.5-2 inches round.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the balls and bake for another 15 minutes.

5. Serve in a pita or on a salad with lemon tahini sauce, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.

Lemon Tahini Sauce¾ cup tahini¼ cup lemon juice½ cup water¼ cup nutritional yeast1 tbsp olive oil2 garlic clovesCombine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.