Finally falafel!

I wanted to be creative for dinner this past Friday night. Hubby was at work, and I was pretty bored. I'm trying to enjoy the quiet because come September with classes and clients, life will become more hectic. It's all good though. Back to my point...I've become a deliciously huge fan of falafel! What's falafel, you say? Oh, you poor soul.

Falafel is fried chickpea goodness. Crispy outside, creamy inside, YUM! Chickpeas, cilantro, cumin, parsley, onion, garlic...the list goes on! I was first introduced when I nannied in Reston, and a place called Cafesano was within walking distance. I never went with the babies initially, but it always sounded super good. Hubby and I, living 15 minutes away, tried it one evening and I was hooked on
falafel!

So let's get to it. My creativity got to me, and I decided to try these at home. We are chickpea whores to say the least. Hubby makes hummus all the time, so I had all the ingredients except a lemon and pita for the falafel's vessel. After a quick trip to the wonderful Trader Joe's, I was ready to go!

So basically, you mix everything together. The chickpeas and all that jazz, the ingredients for the lemon yogurt sauce, and all that jazz. This is so easy that I was embarrassed I hadn't tried it before now. All these years of missing out; I'll never forgive myself. As I was making them, the cumin and the cilantro (note: NOT my favorite ingredients to work with or eat) got me thinking Hubby was gonna love these! He's a big fan of both, so I was really excited for him to get home from work. I knew he was going to be really happy and yeppos, he sure was!                

So once the chickpea mixture is all set and cooled, you can form them into little discs, footballs, really whatever your heart desires. Preferably, you'll have a cast-iron skillet to fry in shallow canola oil. Make sure to be patient and be sure the pan is hot ( a little above medium) so when the little patties are placed in the pan, you get that bubbling right away! I'm usually very inpatient, so mine sit for a few seconds and then start bubbling, so it really is better to wait. You can tell it's hot enough with a thermometer or throw a tad of flour into the oil, and if it sizzles, it's ready!

 I'm going backwards, but while the chickpea mixture was cooling, I made the lemon yogurt sauce. I would highly recommend making this sauce (it's included in the recipe) because it adds a rich brightness to an earthy tasting dish. All this included was plain, non-fat yogurt (use what you like, but definitely make sure it's plain!), lemon zest, its juice, cilantro, parsley, cumin, with salt, and pepper as needed. I accidentally used all the cilantro in the chickpea mixture, so I didn't have any left for the sauce. Also nixed the cumin, because, well- I just didn't feel it was necessary :-P I cooled the sauce until dinner was ready.

I baked the pita pockets for 10-15 minutes at 350 just to get them warm and slightly toasty. I sliced them in half, and loaded up the arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes, and falafels. Top all that with the yogurt sauce, and you've got yourself dinner tonight! The cool, tangy sauce on the hot falafel was mouth watering. Truly, Hubby's and my tastebuds were singing! If you want something ethnic, please do try some falafel. I guarantee you'll be left wanting more!

Falafel with lemon yogurt sauce courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus extra for frying (coat the bottom of the pan)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chick peas, drained
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• Pitas, for sandwich
• Toppings: shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, sliced cucumbers

Directions

In medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and sweat onion and peppers 2 to 3 minutes then garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse together chick peas, red chili flakes, ground cumin, the egg, salt and black pepper to form a coarse consistency. Then add flour, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until mixture starts pulling from the sides of the food processor.

Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the onion mixture. Chill falafel until ready to cook.

Roll falafel dough into 1-inch rounds. Then form rounds into an oblong quenelle shape, like a football.

In a thick-bottomed skillet heat 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Cook falafel balls a few at a time, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to turn them so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Open the pita bread to make pockets. Place 3 to 4 falafels inside. Stuff with lettuce tomato and cucumbers and drizzle sauce generously on the inside. Serve immediately.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt, as needed

Mix the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley and cumin together in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Chill until ready to use.