I haven't made falafel since then so I was anxious to make it again for this blog! This time I went even further with homemade hummus and tzatziki that I can make with all of the cucumbers in my garden!
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus
-1 head of Garlic
-2 red bell peppers
-1 can of garbanzo beans (about 1 1/2 cup)
-1 1/2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste)
-1 lemon squeezed
-1 teaspoon of cumin
-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
-salt to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. For the garlic- unwrap the outer layer of skin, slice a bit of the top of as a whole, wrap in foil and roast for 30 minutes. When cool, it should be easy to take out the roasted cloves. For the peppers- cut in half, drizzle with oil and kosher salt and roast with the garlic. Leave it in for 10 extra minutes on a low broil. When cool, peel the skin off.
3. Simply toss all of the ingredients in a food processor until you get a smooth texture.
Tzatziki
-2 cups of plain yogurt
-2 peeled and roughly chopped cucumbers
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-1/2 lemon juiced
-salt and pepper to taste
1. Let the chopped cucumber sit in a bowl with a a couple pinches of salt to draw out moisture for about 30 minutes.
2. Simply add all ingredients to a food processor.
Falafel
-2 cups of garbanzo beans
-2 handfuls of parsley
-1/2 onion
-6 garlic cloves
-1 tablespoon of cumin
-1 tablespoon of coriander
-1 teaspoon of baking power
-a couple tablespoons of flour to add depending on if its not dry enough
-Vegetable oil
1. Toss all ingredients in a food processor. MAKE SURE to not over process the mixture; it should be more crumbly looking than smooth.
2. Heat about 2-3 inches of oil to 350-375 degrees in a cast iron skillet or deep fryer. Meanwhile, put the falafel mixture in the fridge.
3. When the oil is heated, create falafel balls and fry until a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes.
ENJOY!
