As a follow-up to her feature this morning on Clean Eating, Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple is sharing a creative and very healthy recipe for Falafel. She has many more recipes on her site so make sure you check it out!
You can use the recipe below and watch the video above to recreate this in your own kitchen.
Valpone says:
“Here’s a tasty gluten-free and vegan recipe for baked falafel that is surely unlike anything you’ve ever had before. I’ve created an incredible dish that incorporates both sweet n’ savory in every bite from fresh parsley and almond butter to flax seeds and lime zest, these falafel will surely have your taste buds dancin’ and yearning for more.
And why not dip them into my delicious Kale Cashew Pesto, another gluten-free vegan dish that pairs perfectly with these falafel balls. Whether you’re serving them as an appetizer with toothpicks or as an entrée atop steamed greens, this dish shows you how easy and delicious it can be to eat ‘Clean’ unprocessed pure foods with incredible flavor, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in each bite.
So, what are you waiting for? Get those toothpicks ready and bite in! I assure you, they won’t disappoint.”
Vegan Falafel with Kale Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
1 (16 oz. can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
1 ½ tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Earth Balance™ Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 tbsp Earth Balance® Natural Almond Butter
2 tbsp almond flour
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat to toast cumin seeds. Toast until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.
3. In a food processor combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, lime zest and juice, cumin, sea salt, white pepper and chili powder; pulse process until coarsely chopped. Add Earth Balance® Natural Almond Butter, Earth Balance Unsweetened™ Soy Milk, almond flour, flax seeds and sesame seeds. Using your hands, mold into golf-sized balls.
5. Place falafel balls on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and serve warm with Kale Cashew Pesto (below).
Kale Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups kale, steamed and roughly chopped
¼ cup scallions, chopped
½ cup cashews, toasted
2 cloves garlic, roasted
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Earth Balance™ Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 tsp chili powder
Directions
1. Place kale and scallions in food processor and pulse until chopped. Add cashews and garlic, pulse again to combine.
2. Slowly add sea salt, lemon juice, Earth Balance™ Unsweetened Soy Milk and chili powder.
3. Continue pulsing until smooth.
4. Serve with warm baked falafel. Enjoy!
