Skip to main content

Falafel Pita

Ok, another delicious recipe that Wardie loves!  I also love it because it's healthy, cheap and easy--the trifecta:)  I found it in an old issue of Parenting magazine and tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (found in the aisle with the dried beans)
1/2 onion, chopped (it calls for a whole one, but I think that's too much)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin (I added a bit more of this--it's the crucial flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can be a bit spicy for little ones, not necessary)
Flour

Olive oil
Pita pockets (I use wheat ones, which were delicious!)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Lettuce leaves, torn
Plain Greek Yogurt
Mint, chopped

Get some water boiling in a large pot.  Add a little salt and then the chickpeas.  The recipe says to cook these for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened, but I think you need to do this way longer.  I recommend about 20 minutes or so.  You don't want the centers too hard, and they were the first time I made them which made the texture sort of weird.  Once they're done, drain them and let them cool a bit.  Or, cheat and run cold water over them like I do.

Get out your huge food processor that you probably have to drag out from the basement or some hidden cupboard and clean out because you use it twice a year.  Toss in the chickpeas, onion, garlic and parsley.  You want this pretty well pureed.

Then, pour the whole thing in a bowl and mix in the baking powder, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes.  I also read that adding a bit of flour would help the whole thing stick together.  I have no idea how much--I'd guess a tablespoon or two would be good.  The recipe says to then refrigerate the mixture for an hour.  I don't do this.  Maybe I should.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium.  Take the mixture and form patties by hand and once the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan.  Fry them for a few minutes and turn them over and do the same thing.  Like a hamburger, minus the meat.

And, finally, take your pita pocket and add a patty, lettuce, tomatoes, greek yogurt and a little mint and enjoy!!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In waiting

I can wait. I'm really good at waiting. For example, each year that my husband and I exchange Christmas gifts, we manage to wait until around December 15th (give or take) to exchange gifts. And every morning, I wait until the last possible second to roll out of bed when I have to be up. And I've waited to get in a decent, consistent workout routine for years . Bad examples? Fine. I can't wait.  I'm notoriously bad at being patient and letting moments 'be' without thinking about what's coming next or what I should be doing. Sit and watch tv?  Sure, while I sew or copy recipes or plan a grocery list.  Enjoy breakfast?  Sure, after emptying the dishwasher, scrubbing the highchair and wiping down the counters.  A nice road trip?  Sure, I'll pack my books, magazines, 7000 piece puzzle (ok, maybe not).  But, you get the point. Anyway, waiting is not something I'm good at, and this Advent season, I've finally gotten the message that h...

letting go

I just didn't think it would be this hard. I thought I'd have years to prepare for these moments...graduations, going to college, moving away, getting married. I never realized these sorts of moments would come so quickly. I was watching Wardie at the playground recently and he was trying to talk and play with some bigger kids. The kids were totally ignoring him. They weren't being mean, they just had their own agendas, their own plans. And he wasn't in them. And my mama heart hurt for him. I mean, come ON!? Why weren't those kids noticing him? He was just trying to play! And, why didn't they think he was the cutest child on the planet? And, didn't their parents teach them manners and how to be kind to younger and smaller kids!? I mean, look at this face... How could someone not  want to hang out with that kid!? But, I resisted the temptation to jump in and reassure him. And, after trying again and getting the same response from the bigg...

Real Heartache

The first cut is the deepest. Isn't that how the song goes? I saw it tonight, and it shocked me into a new mama reality. Ward and I were talking about his school and how his friend, Gabrielle, is moving away next week--her dad got a new position in Alabama and they will be leaving right away. And even though he knew it was coming, he was suddenly overly concerned. "But we can go see her, right?" (Well, honey, I doubt we'll go to Alabama, but if we do, I promise we will see if we can get together with her). "But we can fly there, right mom?  It's not that far!" (Well, dear, I know it sounds easy, but it isn't that simple.  We have no reason to go to Alabama and mommy and daddy both have to work and we can't just pay for plane tickets to go on a vacation." "But why can't we build a house in Alabama right by hers!?  It's warm there and I like to be warm!" (Well, sweetheart, we live here and we love t...