This recipe was one I've been wanting to make for a while.
I remember my mom making it on occasion
(that woman could make anything!),
and each marvelous mouthful was devoured with appreciation.
The recipe I feature here is my rendition of one I found
on Cookie + Kate.
She adds cilantro (um, no thanks),
and bakes it in a skillet in the oven.
My version is an easy and quick cook in my momma's cast iron skillet,
a sort of homage to her culinary proficiency,
of which I claim none.
This dish is a great example of how a few clean ingredients
can come together to make some lip-smackin' goodness happen.
The one thing that surprised me was that the chick peas,
or garbanzo beans, as they are also known,
are soaked, but not cooked.
Everything is simply dumped into the food processor
and whizzed until the texture is to your liking.
This may be why the outside turns out so crisp,
while the inside is soft, moist and
divine.
The addition of cinnamon was another curiosity,
and I didn't really detect it in the delight of each magnificent morsel.
Another thing I like about this recipe,
is that it's allergy-friendly.
It is free of corn, dairy, gluten and sugar,
it's vegan,
and
fully satisfying.
What a great make-ahead lunch or snack idea
to use when prepping for a busy week.
Without a doubt,
this will be a welcome addition to the family recipe file.
Easy Falafel
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dried raw chickpeas,
soaked for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup packed fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, quartered
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine soaked and
drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon,
and 1 T of olive oil in a food processor.
Process
until smooth, about 1 minute.
Scoop out about 2
tablespoons of the mixture at a time and shape into small
patties or balls.
Place each falafel on an oiled pan and cook 3-4 minutes per side.
Makes about a dozen.
