Easy Cheesy Falafels

Cheesy falafels may not sound so interesting, and they might not be something I’d have tried making on my own, had I not fallen in love with falafels in a Turkish restaurant in Takasaki, Japan.  During my three months in this lovely city I became a frequent visitor at this restaurant with my work colleagues and friends.

I tried out a few dishes on the menu, but falafels were the first thing I tried upon the recommendation of others at my table, and it was my favourite dish there.  My falafels aren’t the same, but I do think back to the good times I had in Japan every time I eat them.

These falafels aren’t fried, I bake them in the oven so that they are healthier.  It also means there’s time to multi-task while they’re baking.  A little time to tidy up the kitchen, read a book with my children, or have a cup of tea and get a moment’s relaxation.

Cheesy falafels ingredients

•  2X420g          Tins of chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1TBSP           Plain flour
• 60g                 Cheddar, grated
• 1.5TBSP       Dried mixed herbs (fresh would be great, but I use what I have on hand)
• 1                      Egg

How to make Cheesy falafels

1)            Preheat your oven to 180C. 2)            Line a baking sheet with wax paper. 3)            Place all ingredients into a food processor or use a hand mixer and blend until smooth. 4)            Use a spoon to scoop out small mounds of the mixture onto the covered baking sheet. 5)            Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. 6)            Transfer the falafels with a spatula onto a rack to cool. 7)            Store refrigerated in an airtight container or freeze in labelled freezer bags. Our family does like a little zip to our meals so we enjoy shaking in a little Tabasco sauce into our mixture to give it a little more flavour.  The last time I made these I used a tablespoon of tomato paste.  It added a nice flavour, but accounts for the orangey-ness of my photos! These falafels can be frozen with a layer of wax paper/grease proof paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.  They make a healthy snack for the kids with a little cup of salsa on the side. Of course, you can turn these into a filling meal for home or at school or work.  In fact, my husband’s face lights up when he finds we’ve made him a packed lunch of falafels in pita bread for the next day! To serve these as a meal, we like to toast up some whole wheat pita bread and slice it in half for filling.  We add falafels, sliced cucumber, sliced tomatoes, and a little grated or sliced cheese.  It may not be authentic, but we use either salsa or a salad dressing to dress these little falafel pita pockets up Caesar, garlic & herb, or whatever we happen to have open works for us and helps give a little change to the meal so it isn’t always just the same. This is a fantastic meal to have your children help to prepare, even toddlers can help to cut the cucumbers with a butter knife, and preschoolers can learn to use a sharp knife under supervision.  They’ll be so proud of their contribution to the meal, and this will help them to try something new and healthy.  A real win-win situation! If you’re looking for more healthy lunch ideas, try one of these:

• DIY Lunchbox
• Ribbon pasta with veggies
• Zucchini Pancakes

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