Baked Falafel

Falafel is one of my all time favorite foods!  When my sister returned home from her travels in Greece and Turkey, she would spend hours at the stove making traditional deep fried falafel that was incredibly delicious!  Nowadays, I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, I don't want fat laden fried foods, and I do want my falafel to be delicious and memorable!  Baked Falafel is the answer!  This dish is every bit as tasty as the fried version but it is lighter, won't slow you down with burdensome energy zapping digestion, and it's a breeze to whip up!  Enjoy Baked Falafel with my Sprouted Hummus, Tzatziki, and Tabouli Salad for a complete falafel platter!

Why fry falafel when you know it can be so much better!  Loaded with fresh flavor like liver detoxifying parsley, immune boosting garlic, anti-inflammatory cumin spice and digestion aiding black pepper make this dish as healthy as it is satisfying!

Ingredients:

2 cups Basic Cooked Chickpeas or 1 19oz can of chickpeas rinsed and drained

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp cilantro

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until processed to a medium-fine coarseness.  You want it blended but a few bits of pieces are ok.  If you don't have a blender, put chickpeas into a plastic bags and mash with a wooden spoon.
3.  Place mixture into a medium bowl and scoop out small balls of dough and roll into a ball.  My dough made 12 balls.  You can form patties if you prefer.
4.  Place on oiled (coconut oil works best) cookie sheet or pan.  Bake for 20 minutes for balls or 15 minutes each side for patties or until golden brown.   Enjoy!!

✌ YUM