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Shalom Y’all,
MMMMM! I have been craving falafel since we left Israel!! We ate it every day during our stay there and I love, love, love it! I have SO been hankerin’ for some falafel y’all. (That’s Southern-Jewish-speak!) 🙂
However, since I don’t deep-fry anything, I decided to either griddle cook or oven bake my falafels. Today I decided on the griddle and next time, I’ll try the oven bake method. Cooking falafels on the griddle smoked up the whole house! Even with the vent fan on and the kitchen door open to the outside. LOL!~
Anyway, the taste was GREAT!!! I may do it outside next time, with the griddle on the gas grill.
I also made a batch of hummus, which is SO easy and we eat it all the time. There are as many recipes and variations of hummus as there are stars in the sky. Well, not exactly, but almost.
Anyway, here is what I did today and my hubby Tim was thrilled! He said the tastes were fantastic!
BTW, in Israel, they say “HOO-Moos”, not “HUM-mus.”
SIMPLE HUMMUS (HOO-moos)
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2 organic lemons
1/2 cup water
2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans organic garbanzo beans (or 4 cups cooked from dried)
1 cup sesame tahini
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Place all the ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Variations: Some people add cumin or hot sauce for a spicy taste.
Traditional recipes call for extra virgin olive oil instead of the water.
It was served in Israel drizzled with olive oil and cooked whole garbanzo beans as a garnish.
FALAFEL SANDWICHES
Falafel
1/2 cup organic onion, chopped
1/2 cup organic parsley, fresh, chopped
2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans organic garbanzo beans (or 4 cups cooked from dried)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour (today I used organic Kamut flour since I had it handy)
Sauce:
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of an organic lemon
1/4 cup water
Sandwiches:
10 whole wheat pitas
organic salad greens, tomatoes, pickles – whatever!
(In Israel we had all sorts of salad greens and pickled turnips)
In a food processor, pulse the onions and parsley until coarsely chopped. Add garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and baking soda. Process until mixed well, but do not over-process. The mixture should be smooth, but not runny. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
Stir in the flour and mix well. Cover and let sit, at room temperature, for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight.
Preheat a cast iron griddle. Spread olive oil evenly over griddle. With an ice cream scooper, scoop the falafel mixture and between your hands, pat into thin patties. about 3-4 inches in diameter. (If mixture is too sticky, try adding another TB flour) Place each patty onto the hot griddle and cook until golden brown, flipping once or twice, about 2 -3 minutes per side. (In Israel, these were deep-fried round balls, the size of meatballs!)
At this point, you can transfer the browned patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400° degree oven for about 10-12 minutes, or, as I did, finish cooking on the griddle, another 5-7 minutes or so. They should puff up slightly.
For the sauce, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, and water until it is a thin sauce. (Some people like it thicker, so only add as much water as you like to get your desired texture)
To make falafel sandwiches, cut each pita in half and open the pocket. Place greens inside each pita half, add 1/2 to 1 falafel patty (depending on the size) and drizzle with tahini sauce. If you like your sauce thicker, spread it inside the pita before adding the greens and falafel patty. (If making falafel into round balls, place 3 balls per pita half.)
Makes about 10 patties.
About Vickilynn Parnes
