Falafel!!!

This past weekend I had my parents over for dinner.  This was a bit of a challenge becuase, well, they're not so much picky as they are strangers to a lot of the amazing food out there.  Not to mention they love meat (ick).  So I wanted to give them a quick, satisfying meal that wasn't too foreign or screaming of veganism while still introducing them to something new.  After racking my brain, I decided to cook a Mediterranean feast that consisted of falafel, tabouli style rice, saute'd spinach and a variety of dips to go with toasted pita.

These falafel are super easy and quick to make.  You can put them in the pita with a variety of vegetables, make them a little bigger and substitute for a veggie patty, or serve them plain to be enjoyed in all their deliciousness like I did.  This recipe serves 2-3 people.  I doubled it because I was feeding two hungry boys.

1 15 oz. Can Chickpeas
1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
zest of 1/2 Lemon
1 tbsp. Tahini
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp. Cumin
3/4 tsp. Coriander
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1 tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 c. Breadcrumbs

Pre-heat oven to 400 and lightly brush a baking sheet with oil. Drain and rinse chickpeas to get rid of any excess salt. Combine chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined and chickpeas are mashed, but not too smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until combined.  From here, you can let the falafel sit for an hour and allow the flavors to develop or cook right away.

Use an ice cream scoop to measure, shape falafel into 1" thick disks and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip falafel and bake another 10. Serve with tahini yogurt sauce.

I always love a salad topped with falafel (Thank you for introducing me Fred 62!)