Baked Falafel Bites

I brought this dish to the last meatless Monday event last Monday, the theme was appetizers and mocktails.  These little falafels sat nicely on a leaf of romain lettuce which made for easy finger food and a dollop of the salsa on top brought some nice color and crunch.

The cardiac rehab program tries to get patients to move toward a no oil, plant based diet for optimal heart health. This recipe contains no oil  and I can say no one missed the oil at all.  Falafel are often fried, these are baked and hold together nicely.

The recipe comes from Angela Liddon’s cookbook  “The Oh She Glows Cookbook.”  I am loving this book!  I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

Oil-Free Baked Falafel Bites

By: Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows)

Makes 22

For The Falafel

  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • ½ cup red onion
  • 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/3 cup packed parsley leaves
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • ¼ cup plus 6 Tablespoons of whole grain bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

For The Tomato-Cucumber Salsa

  • 1 ½ cup grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup red onion
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup diced cucumber
  • sea salt to taste

To Assemble:

Leaves from 1 head of Bibb, Boston or Romaine lettuce

Directions

  1. Make the Falafel: Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the garlic to finely shop it. Add the onion, cilantro, and parsley and process until minced. Add the chickpeas and process until mixture forms a course dough and holds together when pressed between your fingers.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the flaxseed, ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs, cumin and salt until well combined.
  4. Shape the mixture into small patties using about 1 Tablespoon dough for each patty pressing each firmly to hold it’s shape. Repeat until you have used all of the dough.
  5. With a pastry brush, brush a few drops of water onto each patty. One at a time, roll the patties in the remaining 6 Tablespoons of breadcrumbs, pressing down on each side so the bread crumbs stick. Repeat until all of the patties have been coated. Place the patties onto the prepared baking sheets.
  6. Bake the falafel until golden brown, about 30 minutes, flipping each half way through the baking time.
  7. Make the Tomato-Cucumber Salsa. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime juice and process until roughly chopped. Stir in the diced cucumber and salt to taste.
  8. To assemble, arrange the lettuce leaves in a single layer on a serving tray. Place 1 falafel in the center of each lettuce leaf. Top with some of the Tomato-Cucumber Salsa.