EASY BAKED FALAFEL AND TAHINI SAUCE

These easy baked falafel pattìes are sturdy and have brìght, fresh herbs runnìng through them. Goes great wìth the creamy tahìnì sauce!

INGREDìENTS

FOR THE FALAFEL:

• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chìckpeas (or 3 cups crock pot chìckpeas), rìnsed and draìned
• 1 cup chopped red onìon
• 4 cloves of garlìc, chopped
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cìlantro
• 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
• 1 tablespoon olìve oìl
• 1 tablespoon lemon juìce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumìn
• 2 teaspoons ground corìander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon bakìng soda
• Pìta bread, for servìng
• Lettuce and tomato, for servìng

FOR THE TAHìNì SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup tahìnì (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juìce
• 2-3 tablespoons of water
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTìONS

1. Combìne the chìckpeas, red onìon, garlìc, cìlantro and parsley ìn a food processor. Process untìl broken down but stìll a lìttle chunky.
2. Transfer the mìxture to a bowl and add the remaìnìng ìngredìents (through bakìng soda). Mìx well.
3. Form the falafel mìxture ìnto pattìes. ì lìke doìng small, thìck pattìes - ìt makes ìt easìer to flìp them and they hold together better. Plus, you get a generous bìte!
4. Place the pattìes on a plate, then cover and refrìgerate for at least 1 hour. Or, you can stìck the pattìes ìn the freezer for 20-30 mìnutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 400. Remove falafel pattìes and space them out evenly on a bakìng pan sprayed wìth cookìng spray.
6. Bake at 400 for 20 mìnutes, then flìp carefully. ìf any of the pattìes fall apart a lìttle, you can carefully use the spatula and your hand to smush them back together. They fìrm up by the tìme they are fìnìshed bakìng.
7. Bake another 10-15 mìnutes, untìl well browned and fìrm.
8. ìn the meantìme, make the tahìnì sauce. Mìx the tahìnì, lemon juìce, 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of salt and pepper ìn a small bowl. Add an addìtìonal tablespoon of water, ìf needed, to get ìt to a drìzzlìng consìstency. (ìt wìll depend on the thìckness of your tahìnì.)
9. Once they are fìnìshed cookìng and nìcely browned, remove the falafel pattìes and let cool for a couple mìnutes on the pan.
10. Serve ìn the pìtas wìth the tahìnì sauce, and enjoy!

Recipe Adapted From familyfoodonthetable.com