Yummy Eats: Baked Falafel

I am obsessed with Mediterranean cuisine. Mediterranean dishes are always such a vibrant mix of colors and contrasting textures. So. Flipping. Good.

There's a restaurant here in Denver called Garbanzo's (as in the bean) that I fell head over heels for. Imagine if Chipotle had a sexy Mediterranean cousin who fed your freshly made falafel while you're waiting in line to place your order - that's Garbanzo's. I looked into franchising opportunities last year so that I could have unfettered access to said falafel, but apparently they're rather choosy about falafel ownership. Unfortunately, there is no Garbanzo's close to me (don't worry, I've already written the company requesting they place their next location within 1 mile of my house), but being my resourceful self, I decided to have my own falafel party.

Since Pintrest is the source of all light and happiness in the world today, I trolled the pin board for a good baked (I don't own a deep fryer) falafel recipe. I stumbled upon the blog Can You Stay for Dinner and found a post from someone as passionate about these delicious morsels as I am. The recipe was fairly easy and they turned out so well! I paired the dish with some hummus and chips and it resulted in the perfect meal. If you're looking for a break from monotony (read: chicken), I definitely recommend this little gem.

Photo credit: Can You Stay for Dinner

Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce

serves 2

Falafel

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

Lemon Tahini Sauce

2 tablespoons tahini paste

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Remaining Ingredients:

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. 

Educate yourself on the topic in this post:

•  Can You Stay for Dinner recipe: http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2011/04/03/baked-falafel-with-lemon-tahini-sauce/