Feb 7

Feb 7 Roasted Red Pepper Falafel

I'm a falafel gal, what can I say? Falafel always reminds me of my semester abroad in London. For some reason, I thought the store-bought falafel there was SO GOOD, I swear I ate falafel 4 nights a week. I'm actually pinching myself now for not buying some while I was over there a few months ago...ugh. Anyway, I love the versatility of falafel. They can be flavored a million ways and are always delicious. You can also turn them into so many different meals. They'd make a great appetizer, main dish on salad or can be stuffed between pita. The options are endless! I really enjoy this recipe because these falafel aren't as dry as some traditional recipes are. The lemon juice and peppers helps keep them moist (sorry). These will be on repeat in our house for sure! Added bonus: they are FIANCE approved and RAVED over. He knows how to win points with me. :) Enjoy xx

Ingredients:

2 cans cooked organic chick peas (drained and rinsed)
1 large red bell pepper or 1-2 small red bell peppers
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (feel free to use a gluten free option!)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can add more if you like it spicy!)
1 teaspoon salt

Prep:

For the Peppers:

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Rinse and dry red peppers and place on a small baking sheet. Give the peppers a generous drizzle of avocado oil (I use avocado oil when cooking at a high heat).
Let the peppers roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until skins are charred. Rotate at the halfway point.
Once the peppers have cooled, gently remove the stem,outer skin membrane (should separate from the red flesh) and inner seeds from the pepper. I find its easiest to do this once the peppers have cooled completely.

For the Falafel:

Set your oven to 415F.
In your food processor add 1 can of chickpeas (make sure the liquid has been drained and they've been rinsed), onion, garlic, lemon juice, peppers and seasoning. Blend until fully incorporated.
Once mixture is fully incorporated, add the other can of chickpeas and breadcrumbs. This should insure there is a bit of texture to the falafel. If you like a smoother consistency, blend thoroughly. Otherwise, keep a few larger pieces of chickpea in the mix.
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, measure out 1 inch (golf ball-sized) balls. Roll with your hands and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Once all of the falafel have been formed, I like to flatten them a bit with my hands.
Bake for 25 minutes, flipping the falafel halfway.
For a slightly crispier finish, reheat in a lightly oiled pan over the stove before serving.