I have another guest post for you guys today from my friend Lauren Hefez. Lauren is a fellow group exercise instructor here in Boston and also has a fabulous YouTube channel. We have shot a few videos together that you may have watched. She is sharing one of her favorite recipes featuring falafel.  If you like the recipe say hi to Lauren over on her blog or Instagram! 

Hi Sarah Fit community! I am so excited to be sharing one of my favorite recipes with you, falafel! This recipe is so easy, and tastes beyond delicious.

Ways to eat falafel:

• plain

• dip it in Tahini (homemade recipe down below).

• add it to salads

• put it in a wrap with plenty of veggies

   

How do you eat your falafel?

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Raw garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) these beans will be soaked in water for at least an hour – overnight is great. DO NOT USE CANNED BEANS. It will not work for this recipe.

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander (if you do not have coriander do not worry- just skip it)

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 1/2 small onion or 1/4 of a medium diced

• 2-3 tbs EVOO

   

  

Directions:

• preheat oven to 375 (I like to put the pan in the oven so it is hot when you put the falafel on it)

• soak beans for at least an hour – or overnight in water

• drain beans and rinse

• dice onions and garlic

• put everything in food processor: beans, oil, onions and garlic, dry spices cilantro and parsley

• mix for about 1-2 minutes or until it is well mixed

• Take the pan out let it cool off just a little. Add a generous amount of EVOO to the pan. Make little balls with the falafel mixture. Mixture will be softer than you expect it to be. Do not worry if it is a little runny.

• Bake the balls for 15 minutes – turn them over with spatula and bake for another 10-12 minutes. You want a little browning on top.

   

  

If you want to have a fun dip for your falafel balls try this:

Tahini Dressing

This dressing is very versatile and it can be used as a salad dressing or you can dump it  right into a pita wrap filled with falafel and veggies. Or you can dunk your falafel right into the dressing like I do!

• juice from 1 large lemon

• 2 tbs of tahini

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cumin

• a little water to get it mixing and some EVOO (pour maybe 2 TBS of EVOO and as much water as you think to make it the consistency you want. About 1/4 cup)

• sometimes garlic powder is good!

• BLEND

I rarely ever measure the dressing and I kind of just go for it. Play around with this dressing recipe or look up another one that you like.

I can’t wait to hear how your Falafel comes out. Let me know down below in the comments. Thank you Sarah for including me in your guest blog posts, and I can’t wait to meet Little Fit!