Sometimes, there’s a dish…I won’t say a hero, ’cause, what’s a hero? But sometimes, there’s a dish. And I’m talking about this dish here. Sometimes, there’s a dish, well, it’s the dish for it’s time and place. It fits right in there, and that’s this baked falafel in my kitchen this week. And even if I’m lazy, and I most certainly am that. Quite possibly the laziest in my county, which probably places me in the running for the laziest worldwide. But sometimes, there’s a dish, sometimes, there’s a dish. Aw. I lost my train of thought here. But…aw, hell. I’ve done introduced it enough.
Sorry about that…apparently I had to channel The Big Lebowski for a minute there to get myself writing. I think I’m still recovering from traveling this past weekend.
Long weekends are exhausting. Yes, they’re fun, and exciting, and full of adventures (even if they’re just “watching your four year old nephew that doesn’t know how to swim jump into the pool without a life vest” kind of adventures), but they make the next week almost impossible to be an adult during. I haven’t gone grocery shopping or come close to making a meal for myself unless you count pouring hot water over some oatmeal this morning. It’s days like this where I regret not having a secret stockpile of crockpot meals waiting in the freezer (though I might get to that this weekend if I can get my act together).
Thankfully, for weeks like this one, there are dinners like this baked falafel that only take a couple of dishes to make while also giving you plenty of time to do the majority of your dishes before dinner is even ready! Admittedly, I made a few mistakes on this recipe while I was cooking it, but I’m still really happy with how the falafel turned out! They’re crunchy on the outside, but they still have the falafel-y deliciousness on the inside. These also hold up great and reheat really well making them perfect to bring into work for lunch!
Here’s what you’ll need for the falafel (adapted from Mark Bittman’s Baked Falafel):
1¾ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion, quartered
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a food processor combine the garlic, onion, and parsley pulse to combine.
Add the chickpeas, spices, baking soda, and lemon juice. Pulse until everything is minced.
Add the tahini and continue to pulse until the mixture is completely combined.
Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spread a thin layer of olive oil across the parchment. Using a large cookie dough scoop, scoop the falafel onto the sheet tray. Using your hand flatten the ball of falafel into a patty.
Brush the tops of the falafel with the remaining olive oil.
Bake until golden on both sides, about 20-25 minutes. Flip the patties halfway through cooking so that they will brown on both sides.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 1-3 minutes before serving.
Here’s what you’ll need for the tzatziki:
12 oz whole fat greek yogurt
1/2 english cucumber
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Grate the cucumber over the large holes of a box grater. Grate the garlic using a microplane, or mince by hand. Place into a medium bowl.
Add the yogurt and spices to the bowl and combine.
Set aside to let the flavors develop until the falafel is ready to serve!
For the falafel:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a food processor combine the garlic, onion, and parsley pulse to combine. Add the chickpeas, spices, baking soda, and lemon juice. Pulse until everything is minced. Add the tahini and continue to pulse until the mixture is completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spread a thin layer of olive oil across the parchment. Using a large cookie dough scoop, scoop the falafel onto the sheet tray. Using your hand flatten the ball of falafel into a patty and brush the tops of the falafel with the remaining olive oil.
Bake until golden on both sides, about 20-25 minutes. Flip the patties halfway through cooking so that they will brown on both sides. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 1-3 minutes before serving.
For the tzaziki:
Grate the cucumber over the large holes of a box grater. Grate the garlic using a microplane, or mince by hand. Place into a medium bowl.
Add the yogurt and spices to the bowl and combine. Set aside to let the flavors develop until the falafel is ready to serve!