We are not traditional holiday meal preparers. We love making something fun and different for the holidays and this year it was falafel with tzatziki sauce and tahini sauce! Garbanzo beans, aka chickpeas, are full of healthy carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Parsley and cilantro contain vitamins K, A and C, as well as anti-oxidants. This makes baked falafel a really good snack for busy cyclists, and its easy enough to double the recipe and freeze the leftovers!
We absolutely loved this baked falafel. In fact, next day leftovers were turned into falafel wraps with tzatziki sauce, super greens, red onion, tomatoes and feta cheese. Use pita bread or whole grain tortillas to wrap it all up together. Our taste buds were in heaven! So we had to share this recipe that we customized to make simple and time efficient.
Ingredients:
2 cans organic garbanzo beans
1 cup fresh parsley, stems removed
1 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
1/2 small red onion, quartered
3 teaspoons minced garlic, more if desired
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt (less if desired)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we like 1/2 teaspoon to make it a little spicy!)
3-4 TBS warm water
Olive Oil for baking sheet
Directions:
Drain the garbanzo beans. Pulse the garbanzo beans in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley and cilantro, onion, garlic, and seasonings to the food processor and process until fully combined and pasty. Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water to thin the mixture if necessary.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil a baking sheet with olive oil until fully covered. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven to heat as the oven preheats.
Scoop out small balls of the falafel mixture, about 2 tablespoons in size. When the oven is preheated, gently place the falafel on the hot baking sheet. Bake until crisp and browned on the outside and cooked through inside, about 35-40 minutes, gently flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
The falafel can be pretty fragile when baking them. You may chill the mixture for about an hour before baking to make them a little more sturdy.
See our recipe for Tzatziki sauce or use your favorite hummus if you like! Eat them plain or dabbed with sauce/hummus, or wrap it all up in a whole grain pita or tortilla and enjoy!
We are Coach Al and Trish. Our goal is to share good nutrition and help support healthy lifestyles while keeping it real and simple because we all have busy lives. Nothing fancy, just real food for real life and cycling encouragement for a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Please leave a comment or ask a question! Happy eating and cycling!
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