Meatless Fridays: Falafel

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

So here is the deal.  I don't really like fish.  Ok, I like fish, but only the expensive stuff and when you are feeding 11 people expensive fish is not on the menu.  So generally when it comes to meatless Fridays we eat vegetarian.  This would also be am excellent meal for any Middle Eastern or Greek saint!  Especially, Saint George, etc.

One of our new favorites is falafel.  My husband actually likes it so much he requested it for a special family meal!

Falafel

This recipe is half what I make, so it will serve about 6 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
• 1/2 cup flour

Cook onions and red pepper in olive oil.  Remove from heat.  In bowl mix garbanzo beans, eggs, onion and red peppers.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add to food processor and pulse till you smooth.

Spoon about a large spoonful of falafel mixture into about a half inch of hot olive oil in a skillet.  This is kind of sticky so you may have to use your spoon to smooth them out into patty form.  Flip after you notice the edges turning brown.

When cooked serve with tzatziki sauce, spinach (or lettuce), chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, and feta cheese on pita bread.

I usually mix my cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta together.  It is a yummy mix for all kinds of things!

 

Here is my recipe for Tzatziki Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, finely grated and squeezed of juice
• 1 cup of Greek style yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning

Mix together!  That easy and quite yummy!  Taste it first to see if you want to add more or less seasoning.

Enjoy!