falafel a middle eastern dish is high in protein and popular with vegetarians. it’s usually made from chick peas shaped into a ball and served in a pita pocket or on folded flat bread. my family members are fans too and we love getting falafel pita sandwiches at the farmer’s market in town. we are such falafel fans that i want to be able to make them at home too. they are actually easy to make ahead of time and can be used as a fun lunch entree for grown-ups and kids alike. falafel are usually deep fried but you can lighten them up by either cooking them in a nonstick frying pan with a controlled amount of canola or olive oil. or you can lightly coat the outside of the falafel balls with canola or olive oil cooking spray and bake them until nicely browned. here’s a recipe for the baked version. ingredients 1/3 cup dry bulgur wheat 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 large egg higher omega-3 if available 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1/2 cup finely ground italian-style or plain breadcrumbs canola or olive oil cooking spray preparation 1. place bulgur in a small bowl and pour in boiling water to cover it by 2 inches. let soak for about 15 minutes. 2. in the bowl of a food processor combine 3/4 cup of the cooked bulgur (remove the bulgur from the bowl with a slotted spoon) with garbanzo beans green onions whole wheat flour egg parsley garlic cumin and red pepper flakes if desired. pulse scraping the sides of the bowl after about 5 seconds until the mixture is thick enough to form into balls. 3. place breadcrumbs in a small bowl. use a tablespoon measure to scoop a level tablespoon of falafel dough and drop it into the breadcrumbs; roll it around in the breadcrumbs to lightly coat. place the coated falafel on a sheet of waxed paper on the counter. repeat with the remaining falafel dough. cover the falafels loosely and let them stand for 1 hour. (you can skip this waiting period if you don’t have the time). 4. preheat oven to 450-degrees. while still on the waxed paper coat the tops of the falafels generously with cooking spray. lay the falafels cooking-spray-side down on a cookie sheet. spray the tops of the falafels generously with more cooking spray. 5. bake until golden brown about 22 minutes. while they are baking you can whip up a batch of tahini dressing. yield: makes about 5 servings. nutritional analysis per serving: 182 calories 9 g protein 31 g carbohydrate 3 g fat . 4 g saturated fat . 4 g monounsaturated fat . 4 g polyunsaturated fat 42 mg cholesterol 6 g fiber 464 mg sodium. calories from fat: 14 percent. omega-3 fatty acids =. 1 gram omega-6 fatty acids =. 3 gram. tahini dressing ingredients 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste or butter) room temperature and stirred to smooth 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional) 2 teaspoons honey preparation 1. place all the dressing ingredients in a blender or small food processor bowl or small mixing bowl. 2. beat or pulse until well blended (it should look whipped). 3. place dressing in a bowl and serve or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. yield: makes 1/2 cup. nutritional analysis per tablespoon: 50 calories 2 g protein 3 g carbohydrate 3. 5 g fat . 5 g saturated fat 1. 5 g monounsaturated fat 1. 5 g polyunsaturated fat 0 mg cholesterol . 4 g fiber 38 mg sodium. calories from fat: 63 percent. omega-3 fatty acids = 0 gram omega-6 fatty acids = 1. 5 grams.
is falafel good for me?