Falafel is a chickpea based fritter that is traditionally fried. I tried that and burned them every time so I now bake them to perfection!

We strive to eat a couple of meatless dinners each week. These can be served alone, in flat bread, over greens, as an appetizer, you name it! They’re a crowd-pleaser and easy to batch-bake and freeze – saving even more time!

You can serve them with a Greek yogurt based sauce like Tzatziki, but we love my  Homemade Mayo (recipe follows).

Falafel

• 2 cups chickpeas/garbanzo beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 c onion
• 1/4 c parsley, chopped
• 1 T garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t corriander
• 1 t salt, dash of black pepper
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c flour of choice (wheat or oat or gluten free)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a food processor with the “S” blade, combine beans, onion, parsley and garlic. Add olive oil to get it moving. Pulse or process until desired consistency – we like them smooth, but some prefer some chunks of beans, you choose. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

I use a 2 T scoop to portion onto the pan but you can use a spoon. Space about 2″ apart for even browning. Wet fingers and gently press to flatten to 1/2-3/4 ” thickness.  Bake about 10 min until brown, then flip and bake about 8-10 min to brown the other side. Serve warm with tzatziki or homemade mayo. These also freeze up to 2 months.

MAYO!!!

I have always hated mayonnaise. I thought it was just a big blob of fat filled with junk I didn’t want to eat. With the start of the Paleo and Whole 30 trends I noticed more and more people making their own homemade mayonnaise. I was intrigued and a good friend talked me into trying it and gave me a great recipe!

As with anything homemade, the quality of the ingredients is key. So I used avocado oil, fresh lemon juice and free range eggs….and it blew my mind! My husband’s, too! He didn’t hate mayo the way I did, but knew it as the sweeter “dressing” variety and was still not a fan. He loves my homemade mayo and asks for it as a regular staple in our refrigerator. Our kids love it on fresh tomatoes, in coleslaw, chicken and tuna salad, deviled eggs – and of course to top the Falafel.

Mayo

• 1 fresh egg
• 1/2 t dry mustard powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 c light oil (I use avocado)

In a high speed blender put the egg, mustard powder, salt and lemon juice. Slowly blend to combine and warm the ingredients slightly. SLOWLY, and I mean s.l.o.w.l.y stream in the oil while the blender is running. Gradually increase the speed as the mixture emulsifies and becomes white and creamy, until all the oil has been added. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.