Your Daily Dish: Baked Falafel Veggie Burger

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Way back when, hauling limestone sure built up an appetite. Yup, falafel is THE original veggie burger, a classic meatless meal traced back to ancient Egyptian times. Don ’t worry – no heavy lifting required today – grab a McFried falafel, or, better yet, go back to your oasis and bake up your own hearty taste straight off King Tut’s table.

Ingredients

Falafel Vegetable Burgers

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
3 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
1 cup canned sliced mushrooms, rinsed and drained well
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 slices white bread, crust removed and put in food processor to make coarse crumbs

Creamy Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

8 pita pockets
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

3) In a food processor, combine cooked onions, carrots, chickpeas, mushrooms, lime juice, parsley, cumin, tahini, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a large bowl and add breadcrumbs, mixing until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

4) Form 8 burgers from the mixture and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

5) For the sauce, in a medium bowl, vigorously whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, salt and pepper. Stir in chopped mint and parsley.

6) To serve, tuck veggie burger in a pita pocket along with a few tablespoons of sauce and about 1/4 cup shredded lettuce.

Serves 8

Bite me Bit: “…and then I would take the other hand with the falafel thing and I’d just put it on your ***** but you’d have to do it really light, just kind of a tease business…” – Bill O’Reilly,

Pair your falafel burgers with this classic Middle Eastern Tabbouleh Salad, a combination of bulgur, chickpeas, tomatoes, feta, cucumber, parsley and mint.

 

 

Whether it’s cruising the aisles at the Dollar Store or experimenting at the stove, we believe that every day can be a holiday.

 

 

 

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