Spicy Baked Falafel

Spicy Baked Falafel

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Things are getting waaay too sweet around here. Red Velvet Cakes, Oreo Popcorn & this weekend I’m going to be making some Sugar Cookie Bars for a special little girl’s birthday party (recipe to come). Yikes! Obviously this isn’t a true representation of how I eat at all! It’s not my fault these special occasions keep presenting themselves! So in an attempt to give you a better reflection of how we REALLY eat around these parts, allow me to so graciously introduce the Spicy Baked Falafel!

Now any well-seasoned vegetarian/vegan is well accustomed to the falafel. For those of you who aren’t familiar, here’s the scoop. Falafels, in a nutshell, are Mediterranean/Middle Eastern patties made out of chickpeas & spices. They’re usually deep fried & served on top of pitas (in the same fashion as a gyro). They’re used as a meat substitute in Arabic cultures & are a common street food. In fact my first falafel experience happened on the streets of New York City! To this day that falafel remains to be the BEST falafel I’ve ever eaten. It was perfectly crisp & topped with a delicious spicy red sauce that I’ve yet to re-create or find it served alongside since (the allure of the city could’ve skewed my falafel tasting experience, it’s up for debate).

Falafels are my go to at Greek restaurants. They’re full of soluble fiber, iron, & protein. The only downside is they’re fried. Not these babies! I can’t even begin to explain my gratitude for finding this recipe. It’s simple, healthy, & still delivers a restaurant quality product! Sure they’re not as crisp as the traditional fried versions. But when you’re smothering it in cool tzatziki sauce, who notices trivial details like that anyway? I made these falafels spicy with the addition of red pepper flakes & jalapeno. Brilliant I tell you. Just to take things over the top (& in homage to my NYC falafel) I drizzled the falafels in siracha. A little Asian fusion never hurt anyone.

Now you can have your falafel & eat it too.

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

Spicy Baked Falafel

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 c. Dried Chickpeas, and soaked for at least one hour and up to overnight (No cooking required!)
1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped
2 Jalapenos, chopped and seeds scraped out
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 c. Fresh Parsley
1/2 c. Fresh Cilantro
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Whole Wheat Flatbread (for open face sandwich) or Whole Wheat Pita
Toppings:
Tomatoes, Onion, Raw Red Pepper Strips, Baby Spinach, Feta Cheese, Siracha, Tzatziki Sauce (homemade or store bought)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Using a cast iron skillet, coat with olive oil.
In a food processor add olive oil, chickpeas, onion, herbs, spices, jalapeno, & red pepper flakes.
Blend until mixture is smooth.
Scoop out mixture with hands and form small patties, roughly 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Place each patty on cast iron skillet. I had around 8 or 9 patties.
Bake for 13 minutes, and flip patty over. Bake on opposite side for another 13 minutes.
Falafels will be golden brown when done.
For Pita: make a bed with baby spinach, tomato slices, red pepper strips & onion slices. Add 2 or 3 falafels down the center. Drizzle with siracha, dollop with tzatziki sauce, & sprinkle feta cheese on top.
Enjoy!

Notes

For homemade tzatziki: combine greek yogurt, garlic, a whole chopped cucumber, & dill. I served mine with lemon wedges.

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