Feeling Like Some Falafel

I love Egyptian food. Hummus, shwarma, tabbouleh, eggplant, tzatziki, pita bread, falafel....yum! There is a great Egyptian food restaurant here in Funky Town, King Tut. I especially love falafel and they have the best! I could eat it everyday. So, I tried making it. The recipe I used was not a traditional falafel recipe but it was still pretty good and the cucumber yogurt that went with it was great! The yogurt makes a lot, but if you want a little snack later, just dip some pita wedges in it. Next time, I am going all out and giving a traditional falafel recipe a try. But, this was tons of fun to make!




Falafel Pitas with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing:

• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, split
• 1 cup arugula

*Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended (mixture will be wet).

*Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chickpea mixture per patty into pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

*Line each pita half with 1/4 cup arugula, add 1 patty to each pita half, and spoon 2 tablespoons Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing into each pita half.

Cucumber Yogurt Dressing:

• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

*Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Cheers!