Quinoa Falafel

There are tiny yellow crocuses sprouting up in our front garden dirt patch, the boys and I took a hike and visited the beach this week, and at 6 pm our kitchen is full of real sunlight. This my friends is a far cry from last week. There is still a dark cloud over our house, in the form of a very sick dog, but I can only imagine how great it’ll be when there is no snow in the 10-day forecast and 50 degrees is the norm. I feel like The Little Engine That Could chugging up the mountain…I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

I seem to make a version of falafel every couple of weeks. We like to either eat it in pita pockets stuffed with hummus, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and sprouts or on top of greens tossed with tahini dressing. Either way, a spritz of fresh lemon on top is the key.

QUINOA FALAFEL

1/2 a yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
big handful of fresh parsley (or baby spinach)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or less if serving to children)
4 tablespoons cooked quinoa
1 lemon
olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Rub a baking sheet with olive oil.

2. In a food processor, first pulse the onion and garlic until finely chopped then add in everything else, including half of the lemon juiced. Pulse again until a slightly chunky paste forms.

3. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop patties of the mixture out and arrange them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with more olive oil.

4. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, flip then bake another 20 minutes or until crisp and brown. Serve with fresh lemon wedges, yogurt, or hummus for dipping.

Happy weekend and happy spring!