Lemon Green Falafels

   The cool thing about these falafels, besides being packed with healthy greens, is that they can be served in a variety of different ways. One of my favorites is as a bite size appetizer for a party or light lunch. They can also be served over a bed of greens in a salad, or I've even shaped them like a link before I fried them and rolled them in a rice wrap with stuff like shaved carrots, my sweet cucumbers, sprouts and a spicy aioli. With hummus to dip my "falafel spring-rolls" in. So. Good. No matter how you eat them, I am quite confident you will like them.

By: Elizabeth Beals

Lemon Green Falafels

Ingredients:

4 cups of dark leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach, kale) stemmed, deveined and ruffly chopped 

1 can 15.5 ounce chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tahini

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh parsley, stemmed and ruffly chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 tablespoons of oat flour

1/4 cup grape-seed oil

Tools or special equipment: 

large bowl food processor

medium mixing bowl

large frying pan

wax paper

Preparation and procedures: 

1. Place all ingredients Except: oat flour, grape-seed oil, in food processor.
2. Blend the mixture until all combined into a wet, sticky, dough-like mixture.
3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the oat flour one tablespoon at a time. You want to thicken the batter just a bit, making it easier to handle and form into a small patty shape.
4. Wet your hands to help the mixture not stick to them and start to forming your patty. About 2 tablespoons of mix per falafel, then place on wax paper. Re-wet your hands if needed. 
5. Heat oil in a large frying pan, over median low heat. (Be aware that grape seed oil has a low burn temp, and may smoke if the pan gets too hot.) Keep the pan moving when frying the falafel so it won't stick to the pan.
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, checking to make sure they aren’t browning too quickly. If so, lower the heat. Flip once until golden brown and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown color is reached. 
7. Place finished patties on a paper towel, serve when hot.  

I eat my falafels with hummus and shaved carrots on top, served with sweet cucumbers and a spicy aioli drizzled over it all.

 Sweet Cucumbers

Ingredients:

1 cucumber with the skin peeled off

3/4 cup beet sugar

1 cup rice wine vinegar 

Tools or special equipment: 

mandolin 

medium mixing bowl

Preparation and procedures: 

1. Mix sugar and rice wine in the bowl

2. Use the mandolin to slice the cucumbers almost razed thin

3. Soak the cucumber slices in the sugar mixture for at least an hour

   Spicy Aioli

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegan mayo

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

sriracha to taste

pinch of salt

Preparation and procedures:

1. Mix everything together

Keep in glass jar.