Baked Falafel With Vegan Tzatziki Sauce:

Falafel: everyone's favorite Middle Eastern street fare. Although it originated in the Middle East, it can now be found in the streets of just about every major city across the globe. This recipe allows you to enjoy it in the comfort of your home. I also included my recipe for vegan tzatziki sauce!

Serve it with veggies and tzatziki in a pita, as a veggie burger, or plain. I guarantee that it will tempt you while you're mixing it up too. If that's the case, just eat it raw by the spoonful. (I'm guilty of this one).

Tzatziki sauce is generally made with yogurt and cucumbers. Because soy yogurt can sometimes be hard to find, I used silken tofu and almond milk instead. You can also substitute 1/2 cup coconut milk for the 1/2 cup almond milk as well. The coconut flavor will compliment the cucumber flavor. If you have soy yogurt, omit the nondairy milk and tofu altogether. If it's sweetened, only add a drop or two of the agave nectar/maple syrup.

I have been wanting to make falafel for quite some time now. I just haven't been able to coordinate the right time and ingredients together in order to actually make it. It's by far one of my favorite foods. I ordered it whenever the opportunity presented itself in Europe (which was a lot). The falafel that I had in Mallorca was amazing. I want to go back!

Ingredients:

Falafel:

1 large can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (reserve a tbsp. of liquid)
1/3 to 1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1/2 to 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
Dash of cayenne pepper

Tzatziki: (makes 1 heaping jar)

1 package silken tofu (soft)
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1 cup cucumber, sliced
2 tsp. agave or 1 tsp. maple syrup (to taste, more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
Dash on parsley
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of black pepper
Garlic Salt

Other Ingredients:

4 pitas
Veggie toppings: I used cucumber and red pepper, but it's generally served with lettuce, onion, and tomato.
Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with olive oil.

2. Process the onions, garlic, and olive oil in food processor until very fine. Add the garbanzo beans, cumin, coriander, parsley, salt, and cayenne pepper. Process, but don't over process. You don't want the beans to completely liquify. Otherwise, they'll fall apart while baking. Just make sure the mixture is a still a little crunchy. Stir in the breadcrumbs (this will help keep the mixture from falling apart).

3. Scoop the mixture out of the food processor and shape it into small patties, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place each patty onto the baking sheet. The mixture should yield 12 to 16 patties. Bake until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. If the patties are not ready after about 15 minutes, place them under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are firmed up and can be removed from the baking pan without falling apart. Let cool for a few minutes before handling.

4. While the falafel mixture is baking, clean your food processor. Once it's cleaned, add the unsweetened almond milk, silken tofu, cucumber, agave nectar/maple syrup, parsley, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add any other seasonings or sweeteners as desired.

5. Serve on pitas with whatever veggies you want and/or hot sauce. ❤❤❤☮