Homemade Falafel Recipe

The weather has been so pleasant in the Bay Area this weekend that I thought it would be nice to have something fun and refreshing for dinner. We haven't had falafel sandwiches in a while, and since there are so many vegetarians in my house, it was a perfect choice. Other than the falafel themselves, all that was required to prepare a full dinner was a little yogurt (Tzatziki) sauce, diced tomato salad and some pita bread.

To make the falafel I used a combination of fresh fava beans, canned chickpeas, pistachios, fresh bread and a few spices. We prepared a large number, stored a few in the freezer and deep-fried the rest. The key to light falafel is to coarsely chop the ingredients as opposed to blending the chickpeas too smoothly.

I served the meal family style with mini pita bread pockets. Everyone got to put their own sandwich together, which was half the fun. It was absolutely delicious and the preparation was almost effortless.

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Fresh Garbanzo Beans (Chana)

Whether they're called chana, garbanzos or chickpeas, most people are probably familiar with the dried version of this versatile legume. Fresh chana beans however, may be new to many, but are delicious in their own right and deserve to be used more. They taste very different from the canned or dried version; they have a mild sweetness with a light, buttery, tender texture. If you're looking for a snack, fresh garbanzos are a great a source of fiber, protein and iron.



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Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

During our last trip to Philadelphia, Lulu and I realized how narrow the vegetarian options were in restaurants. Lulu had falafel during the entire time of our stay there.

He hasn't touched it since we got back and I thought it was time to re-introduce him to falafel. I served them in a Mediterranean-style salad along with lemon tahini vinaigrette, candied walnuts and thinly sliced kumquat preserves from last winter's harvest.

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Summer Vegetables and Hummus Pizza

Hummus pizza breaks the traditional rules by using a garbanzo bean spread instead of the standard tomato sauce. I added some Mediterranean ingredients to keep the flavor fresh, such as asparagus, garlic, roasted red bell peppers and artichoke hearts.

It's the perfect recipe for a light summer meal; the few shavings of parmesan cheese is the only sinful ingredient in an otherwise very healthy pizza.

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