Going green

Do you ever get bored with your meals? As if you feel like you eat the same things every week and you are just more than ready for a change? Me too. Me especially, in fact. It just seems like I get bored so very easily, and so I am constantly on the hunt to find ways to make my food more exciting.

So at the same time, I am also trying to find ways to get more bang for my buck when it comes to our food. Looking for ways to save money without compromising the nutritional status of our meals is so important! And so things like bulk-sized cans of chickpeas, dried grains and herbs, and growing as much of our own food as possible have become a normal thing for us. (I actually love it!)

But back to the point I was making before I got lost on that tangent… boredom with meals.

In my quest to find creative, new and exciting things to cook, I have come across this recipe. Honestly, it looks wonderful. It contains ingredients that are not only budget-friendly (like chickpeas and the many herbs and spices that I grow in my own garden), but also super tasty and healthy! Did you know that many culinary herbs have anti-viral properties? If you want to survive a global pandemic, do what my boyfriend and I did… eat delicious food!

Sorry for going off on another tangent there…

This recipe is wholesome, hearty, nutritious and enormously satisfying. Serve with homemade tzatziki sauce and na’an bread. I like adding pickled veggies and some greens too! Most importantly, enjoy with your family or the people you love.

Bon appetit!

Magical Green Falafel:

· 1 cup dried chickpeas

· 1 tsp. baking soda

· ½ onion, chopped

· ⅓ cup fresh parsley

· ⅓ cup fresh mint

· ¼ cup fresh dill

· ½ tsp. salt

· 1 tsp. ground cumin

· 1 clove garlic (or ½ tsp. garlic powder)

· ⅛ tsp. cinnamon

· ⅛ tsp. anise

· ⅛ tsp. cardamom

· ⅛ tsp. ginger

· Pinch of nutmeg

· ¼ tsp. baking soda

· ¼ cup chickpea or rice flour

· 4 cups oil, for frying

To serve:

· Homemade hummus

1) In a large bowl of water, add the baking soda and dried chickpeas. Cover with water and let soak overnight

2) The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add them to a food processor with all the other ingredients (fresh herbs, salt, spices, garlic powder, oregano, baking soda, rice flour). Pulse until all of the ingredients are finely chopped and form a coarse meal. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until the texture resembles a finer meal, like couscous. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed

3) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Use a spoon to scoop up some of the mixture and roll it to form small balls using your hands. Place them on a plate lined with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour

4) Fry: Fill a large skillet with vegetable oil, you want a depth of about 1 inch. Heat over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. When the oil is hot, fry the falafels for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown

5) Once the falafels are ready, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel to remove the excess oil

6) Serve immediately and enjoy with hummus, tabbouleh, or tahini sauce. You can also add them to pita bread with hummus, salad, and red onions.

Notes

· Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.

· For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.

· Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches