Friday is here! Happy Friday loves. I mentioned on instagram last night that it was a crazy week and I am so ready for it to be over with! It is a busy time of year for everyone, but its also my favorite time of year. Warmer weather has arrived for the most part, which automatically puts me in a better mood and warmer weather means weekends spent at the beach or lakehouse! There is nothing like summertime in Chicago, though! Any Chicago people will know 😉 Being at the beach with tall skyscrapers behind you and crowds of happy, active, or usually tipsy friends next to you, ha. There is no better feeling. Now if/when I move to Cali, my feelings may change haha but as for now, I love chitown in the summer. Here are a couple pictures Marty and I took last summer after a long lake run on a hot Saturday morning. I think we need to do another lake run this weekend! And maybe take some better pictures this time..
For any falafel lovers out there, I have a yummy recipe for you! I have only had falafel a couple times before making it myself and it was always delicious but probably fried in tons of oil and not as healthy as it could be. So I came up with a healthier low fat vegan falafel version. I had a request to make this low fat, high carb as well for any vegans following that type of lifestyle. I am trying to cut back on oils myself, but you could use coconut or olive oil instead of the olive oil spray, if you would like. I am sure that would taste even better too!
P.S. Exciting news! I have been featured on Urban Naturale after participating in their Plant-Based Potluck Party! Yay! Check it outhereor click on the image below.
Enjoy your weekend!!
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Low Fat, High Carb Vegan Falafel Recipe
Total Time:25
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 cup oats/oat flour
1 can chickpeas
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
2 pinches pink sea salt (to taste)
couple dashes cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 of a red onion, roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
olive oil spray
Instructions
Add oat flour to food processor. If you do not have oat flour, blend oats until they reach a flour-like consistency.
Add chickpeas, minced garlic, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, sea salt and cayenne to food processor. Blend until well mixed and chickpeas are mostly a smooth consistency. Spoon mixture into large bowl with a spatula.
Add carrots, red onion and parsley to food processor until finely shredded, not too long though or it may become soupy. Add mixture to the large bowl and mix both mixtures together.
Heat pan on medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray.
Form falafel mixture into about 9 or 10 patties, whatever shape you want!
Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. You may have to spray the falafel with a little olive oil spray, if you want.
I added my falafels into a purple cabbage lettuce wrap with some veggies and hummus. Yum!
Enjoy!
Notes
Because I have a small food processor, I have found it easiest to blend the oat flour with the chickpeas, herbs and spices. Add that mixture to a large bowl. Then blend up the veggies in food processor and add to the large bowl. Then mix the two mixtures together. If you have a large food processor, I am sure you could add all ingredients at once!
I am definitely going to make these this weekend. Can you also tell me what kind of sauce to make with this? The sauce you have in the photo looks delicious. Thank you.
Reply
Christel
I adore this recipe, so delicious and easy to whip up. Its one of my go-tos these days. Thanks so much.
Reply
Stephanie
Looks incredible!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Reply
Shannon Leparski
Thanks Stephanie!! I’ll be sure to check out the Tasty Tuesday board!
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Deborah Davis
Hi Shannon, This mouthwatering falafel sandwich is so awesome that I can’t wait to make this for lunch tomorrow. I have always enjoyed falafel and now your low-fat version using red cabbage instead of pita bread makes it even more appealing. Thank you so much for sharing this healthy and delectable recipe at the Plant-Based Potluck Party Blog Hop! I appreciate it!
Reply
Bonnie
OMG that looks so good! My boyfriend is israeli and loves falafel! I’ll have to make this for him sometime. Also, I’ve never been to Chicago because I refuse to go there when it’s colder than Philadelphia (read: most of the year). It seems absolutely wonderful in the summertime though! I wish Philly had a beach but I wouldn’t stick a finger into our rivers haha. I really need to make it out there!
Reply
Shannon Leparski
Yeah, let me know if you try it! Chicago is just amazing in the summer! The rest of the year though, not so much… haha. I have never been to Philly but have always wanted to visit. Thanks for visiting Bonnie 🙂
Shannon
Reply
Joanne T Ferguson
G’day! This looks delicious and very healthy! Viewed as part of Weekend Recipe Link Up Party #8 Cheers! Joanne
Falafel have to be crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy in the inside. They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be.
Falafel have to be crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy in the inside. They have to have enough fresh herbs and onion. Too much onion and your falafel will have a bad after taste. Too little and they won't be as moist and fluffy as they should be.
Is Falafel Vegan? Since falafel is prepared with chickpeas, herbs, spices and alliums, it is vegan. However, falafel is sometimes served in wraps which may not be vegan, or with yogurt- or dairy-based sauces, so be sure to seek out vegan-friendly accompaniments.
Not unexpectedly, creative Westerners now add such other ingredients as olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Crumbled feta cheese is an excellent addition. Although a perfect picnic or anytime snack when cold, falafel are very much better when warm. The choice of accompanying sauces is enormous.
So yes, deep frying is highly recommended! Please keep in mind that youre dealing with uncooked beans. Give them some time (5-6 min) to cook through to avoid tummy aches. Falafel are best served immediately after cooking while they're still warm and crispy.
Baking soda and powder: Baking soda breaks down and softens the chickpeas as they soak.Baking powder, mixed in just before baking, makes the falafel light and airy. Fresh herbs: The tender leaves of parsley, dill, and cilantro bring fresh, herbal flavor and color.
And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties. Just be sure you don't overwork the falafel batter.
Canned chickpeas do not work for falafel. They're far too wet. If you try to use canned chickpeas instead of dried and soaked chickpeas, you'll end up with sad falafel pancakes. Some recipes try to counteract the wetness by adding flour, which significantly dulls the flavor and makes the texture more doughy.
There are also ample amounts of B-vitamins and minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Four to five pieces of traditionally prepared, deep-fried falafel contains about 540 calories and 26 grams of fat, but there is also a whopping 17 grams of fiber and 19 grams of protein. Overall, not such a bad meal.
Greek Garden Organic olive oil is smooth and well-balanced with a light finish to enhance the flavors of dishes such as hummus, Tzatziki and falafel. Using olive oil is a healthier option for frying, as it creates a thick crust that stops the oil from being absorbed into the food.
It's a good source of fiber, an amazing source of proteins, and chickpea fiber; it helps manage blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate absorption. Too much falafel can never be bad for your health, conditional to the fact that you're not deep-frying it every time.
Tabouli, fattoush salad, and shriazi salad go well with falafel, but nearly any fresh green salad with a light olive oil dressing will work. Don't forget the olives and pickles!
Falafel. The next time you have Falafel, try it with fruity whites with roundness such as Grenache Blanc or Viognier and refreshing whites like Sauvignon Blanc.
If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).
Can I microwave the falafel? You can microwave our products but we don't recommend it as you lose the crunch. If you choose to, we recommend placing 3 falafel on a plate and microwaving on high for 90 seconds. Add 30 seconds for every additional falafel.
Why are chickpea falafels green? Falafel lovers will tell you that authentic falafels should be crispy (deep-fried) and green on the inside. That green color comes from fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley. These green falafels are green through and through and also include those fragrant fresh herbs.
It's tempting to really pack the patties together tightly, but doing so will make them tough and dense. Form the falafel balls gently, and if your mixture isn't holding together, pulse it a bit more in the food processor until it sticks together.
Try to grind canned chickpeas, form them into balls, and deep-fry them, and they completely fall apart in the oil. The common solution for this type of recipe is to add some extra starch in the form of flour.
If the mixture is too wet, the falafel has a tendency to fall apart when being fried so please pat dry the ingredients before using them. If you find the mixture is too wet, simply add little more breadcrumbs. The falafel mixture after prepared can be shaped by hand or with a tool called an alb falafel (falafel mold).
The chickpeas should be tender enough to break apart with your fingers, but still have a bite to them. While the chickpeas soak, you can make tzatziki, chop tomatoes and lettuce, and assemble the other falafel ingredients.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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