Friggin' Awesome Falafels w/ Tzaziki

So, I experimented with this recipe this past winter in Bloomington after making hummos and other Mediterranean creations at home. I basically put all of my favorite veggies and a can of organic beans together in a blender and spiced it up until I felt the mixture was perfect to taste. Then, I figured I would try to bake the mixture into small falafel-esque shapes and see what happened. The flour and oat coating worked really well and they have a nice crispy crust after being baked. Definitely a healthier choice over frying them like traditional Greek falafels. Here are the ingredients I used and basic instructions to make these killer falafels:

(Yields about 7-8 falafels)

1 C Organic garbanzo beans
1 pkg non-GMO firm tofu, drained
1 tbsp Raw Tahini (sesame paste)
2 medium carrots
1/4 large zucchini
1/4 red onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
1tbsp nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 C fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Coating:

1/2 C 50% raw oats, 50% whole grain flour


Tzaziki Sauce:

1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp greek yogurt (not pictured)
1/4 medium cucumber
1 clove garlic
Splash of ACV (apple cider vinegar)
1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions: Blend together falafel ingredients in blender or food processor, stirring occasionally to make sure there are no large chunks. Next, take tablespoon sized balls of mixture and roll in 50/50 oat/flour mix. Place each falafel on baking sheet until entire mixture is used and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes. While baking, combine tzaziki sauce ingredients in food processor and set in fridge until falafels are done to let flavors sink in. After baking is complete, remove from oven and let them cool for 10-15 mins before serving. These guys are also super delish after reheating them for a snack the next day!






Enjoy!




Note: Due to the summer season and my lack of enthusiasm to explain each ingredient's health benefits, I will probably only mention the most important ones from now on. It will give me more time to focus on the recipes and not slow down on the extra info!