Meatless Monday and Falafel with Tzatziki

I am trying to remember the first time I ate Falafel, and my mind keeps going back to a pretty unsavory experience in a little hole in the wall in the South End. There was a delicious meal, and then a waitress shooing out a mouse with a broom, lots of shrieking and a couple of swats...Lucky for me, the taste was so unusual to my uninitiated palate, and the company such that we had a hearty laugh afterwards, that I choose to remember the flavor and not the ambience!

The origin of the Middle Eastern treat can lead to heated discussions, but for my purposes, I know it's a biblical food that is a good source of protein for someone who doesn't eat meat.

Falafel15 oz. canned chickpeas- rinsed and drained {Many recipes call for dried peas, which you can certainly prepare and use. It's on my agenda to up my dried bean knowledge and use.}
2 T chopped onion
3T Tahini
1 large egg
1 T grated lemon zest
1t lemon juice
1t ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. Fresh ground pepper
2 t. Ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
2 T parsley
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder

Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
2 cups Favorite Greek low fat yogurt {I use Stonyfield}
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cucumber grated - I like to use either the small Persian kind or English cucumbers, as you can leave it whole, get the goodness of the dark skin and not worry about the seeds.
3T chopped coriander or mint
2T lemon juice
1T lemon zest
1T ground cumin

Falafel

Pulse ingredients chickpeas thru parsley in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth, but still chunky. Transfer to bowl, and stir in flour, salt and baking powder.

Shape 1/4 cup chickpea mixture into a fairly flat patty, and let rest on a platter. I like to make them flat because then you can use less oil in the pan to get them crisp. Repeat with remaining chickpea mixture. (Falafel patties can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.)

Pour enough olive oil into large skillet to have 1/4 inch in bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan, making sure patties don’t touch. Cook 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel-lined platter to drain. Repeat with remaining patties

Yogurt Sauce

Combine all ingredients in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with warm Falafel. Garnish with fresh chopped cucumbers and tomatoes and a sprinkle with either mint or coriander {whichever you used in the sauce}.

You can make this as a sandwich stuffed into pita, on top of a salad, or on top of flatbread. I happened to have some whole wheat Nan, and it might be a new favorite vehicle for this

Happy Meatless Monday!