baked falafel

Ever since Geoff and I tried out a new Middle Eastern restaurant (the ridiculously named O’Falafel in Sugarhouse) we’ve been in the mood for falafel, hummus, tahini, and the like. I’m kind of surprised by how easy it is to make it at home! This recipe was quick and easy, and really delicious. It made for a healthy quick dinner! I got all labor-intensive and decided to make my own flatbread (using this recipe) with mixed results. The flatbread was ugly, but generally tasty. It was hard to mix, though, and I wasn’t super impressed by it. I’m going to try the recipe again and see if I can make it work. Everything else, though, was totally great. The falafel patties were crunchy and well-seasoned, and it was delicious wrapped up with tomatoes, lettuce, lemon tahini sauce, and feta. Geoff was bummed that we didn’t have any tzatziki to top them with, so I threw on a little ranch dressing for good measure. Definitely one to add to the rotation!

Falafel
Can You Stay for Dinner

15oz can chickpeas
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons tahini paste
zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 pita breads (5” diameter)
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green leaf lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all falafel ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Scoop the bean mixture into a bowl and shape into 8 equal sized patties. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush each with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl. Divide the hot falafel among the two warmed pita breads and top with chopped lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta, and the lemon-tahini sauce.