New Recipe: Baby Vegetable Falafels

I have a falafal recipe (it's in my cookbook) I always keep in my freezer. I just take it out and eat it with some avocado and tomato, or break it up and put it on a salad. Super easy to make ahead, delish and healthy.

Doesn't this look awesome??

I wanted to make something like that for Lennon, so I'd have it ready in the freezer for a quick healthy meal. I kept out all the spices so it was a more neutral flavour as I like to use lots of cumin and cayenne in the adult version. The first time I made them I had some sweet potato so I threw that in as well, and just used whatever veggies I had in the fridge, so you can be creative with them. I used broccoli and kale. I also used ground almonds as a binder instead of gluten free breadcrumbs, for added protein. (regular breadcrumbs are fine too if you are ok with wheat)  Quick, easy, portable and Lennon loves them! I made her some avocado hummus to go along with the patties, froze a few containers of that as well, so I grab a patty or two and a container of hummus and there's lunch!

Vegetable Falafel Recipe:
1/2-1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sweet potato (take or leave) ** use whole can of chickpeas if you don't use the sweet potato
1 cup organic broccoli, steamed and  chopped finely
1 cup organic kale, steamed and chopped finely
1 organic egg
handful of ground almonds or breadcrumbs
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. If using the sweet potato, steam it and mash it up. Steam the veggies for a few minutes til soft. Throw the veggies and chickpeas in the food processor and pulse until they are broken down, you don't want it pureed, small chunks are good. You can blend smoother if you prefer. Remove the mix from the food processor and mix together with the sweet potato if using. Once blended well, beat the egg and add into the mix, stir around until mixed well, add olive oil and breadcrumbs/almonds to get a stickier batter. Line a bakiong sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil and spread around the paper. Then make little patties with your mix, roll into balls and once on the baking sheet, press down into patties. Bake for roughly 20 min. I usually put them in for 15 min, check em, and change racks when I put them back in for  a few more min. Let them cool before you store in an airtight container. These don't only have to be for baby, you can def just put in some spices and make em for the grown ups too! see this link for my cookbook for the grown up recipe : http://www.blurb.ca/b/4785802-healthy-eating-never-tasted-so-good

Lennon enjoying the vegetable falafel version

Another version of these is a spinach falafel, basically just spinach or whatever greens you want and the chickpeas

Spinach Falafel Recipe:
1 Can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 organic egg
2.5 cups greens
handful of breadcrumbs or ground almonds
olive oil

pretty much the same deal as the vegetable ones....Preheat oven to 400. Throw the greens and chickpeas in the food processor and pulse until they are broken down, you don't want it pureed, small chunks are good. You can blend smoother if you prefer. Remove the mix from the food processor and mix together with the egg and a bit of olive oil, stir around until mixed well, and  add breadcrumbs/almonds to bind. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil and spread around the paper. Then make little patties with your mix, roll into balls and once on the baking sheet, press down into patties. Bake for roughly 20 min. I usually put them in for 15 min, check em, and change racks when I put them back in for  a few more min. Let them cool before you store in an airtight container.