I’ve been on a huge Mediterranean kick since being vegan for a month. These falafel are super easy to make – the only time consuming part is letting the beans soak. Since all the other prep (besides a little onion chopping) takes place in the food processor – the falafel come together very quickly.  The flavors are great – enjoy!  Oh, and I’m not sure canned beans would be a good substitution here, but hey, why not try?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried peeled fava beans, soaked overnight (if you cannot find peeled you will want to peel them after they are soft and have been soaking several hours.  this is a real pain though, so try to avoid if you can)
• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 3 tablespoons water

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Drain and rinse the favas and chickpeas and put them in a food processor. Add the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, baking powder, salt, cumin and crushed red pepper. Pulse, scraping down the side of the bowl, to form a coarse paste. Add the water and process until the mixture is gritty but fine and brilliant green. Scrape the paste into a bowl.
3. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the falafel mixture onto a baking sheet.  Spray well with cooking spray or olive oil.
4. Bake until nicely browned and cooked thru, about 20 minutes.  Turn over once or more.
5. Serve hot, with tahini sauce, fresh veggies (cucumber, tomato, etc), and flat bread or pitas!

Note: these can be a tad bit dry.  Feel free to up the water or add a touch of oil to the mixture.
Inspiration recipe can be found at http://www.theepicentre.com/Recipes/mfalafel.html