Something Different!

Chris and I are always looking for new things to add to our weeknight rotation, you know the foods you go to when you don't know what else to have for dinner. In our house our go to's are some kind of Mexican wrap, like a fajita or taco, spaghetti, flat bread pizza, turkey burgers, chicken souvlaki, etc... so last Sunday we thought we'd try to bring something we’d never had before into rotation. On Sunday morning we laid in bed watching Eat St. which is a fabulous show about food trucks throughout North America, which in my opinion is the best invention since The Magic Bullet (the food blender, DUH). One of the food trucks that they went and visited was Liba Falafel on the streets of San Francisco. This truck featured delicious looking vegetarian food with a bunch of sauce options to add to them. Neither of us had tried Falafel but just that week my girlfriend Laura had shared with me a recipe for these and a yummy dressing she had out last time we were at her house for dinner. So off the grocery store we went to buy the ingredients. In my opinion these were good, but not a new favorite, however it was a texture thing for me, and Chris really liked them. We ate them in pita pocket with lettuce, tomato, onion and feta cheese and made a quick salad to go with it. Next time I make them I am going to make the balls way smaller, coat them in Panko and fry them up to give them a crunch on the outside. If you are looking for something different to try and are wanting a good vegetarian option then these are for you! Thanks to Laura for sharing the recipe and letting me share it with my followers. The Lemon Tahini dressing is AMAZING, and goes good on any kind of salad.  

Happy eating! 

Falafel  - Yields about 22 balls

2 1/2 C cooked chickpeas (if you buy the can drain and rinse them)

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 egg 

1/4 C tahini 

3/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground cumin 

1/4 tsp tumeric powder 

2 tbsp parsley chopped 

2 tbsp green onions chopped 

Preheat oven to 375 F 

In food processor (or magic bullet) combine chickpeas, garlic, egg, tahini, salt, cumin and turmeric, and puree until smooth.

Transfer mix into bowl and add in parsley and green onion, mixing well.

Roll into 1 1/2" balls and place onto lightly oiled cookie sheet. 

Bake for about 10 minutes. 

Lemon Tahini Dressing

2/3 C 1% milk or unsweetened soy milk

5 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Place everything in magic bullet and blend until smooth.

Random thought: If you do not have a magic bullet, I highly recommend purchasing one, they are awesome for making salad dressings, crushing nuts and for smoothies in the morning.