Quinoa Falafels with Tahini Sauce

By Alqualonde

The falafels themselves are very low in fat, so the sauce- or any sauce of choice is necessary. You can use fresh cooked garbanzo beans, or canned if you are short on time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup, green onions, sliced, about 3
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons corriander
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• fresh chives, to taste
• salt
• pepper

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from webmd.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 12ish minutes. Set aside to cool for now.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper and chives if you have them. Cover and put in the fridge.

3. In a blender or food processor, pulse carrots and parsley. Add green onion, garbanzos, sesame seeds, lemon juice, eggs, garlic clove, coriander and cumin. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Pulse until roughly combined; add quinoa, and another few pulses. I prefer it chunky. Taste for seasonings. Allow to set in fridge for an hour. It will be fine resting overnight if you really like to plan ahead.

4. Heat a nonstick pan* over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Scoop the mixture out in about 2 Tbsp. size portions, roll and flatten into patties. Sear them in the saucepan for about 3 minutes on each side, with a slight press of the spatula between to thin the patty a bit. Use the remaining oil when the pan becomes dry about the third batch.

5. Eat at room temperature over some matchstick cucumbers, with a drizzle of the yogurt tahini sauce on top. You could put them in mini pitas and they could be a neat vegetable appetizer.

Note: Nonstick pans will allow you to use less oil to keep them from sticking. You need some oil to create a crust, but you are not ‘frying’ them.