Easy Falafel Recipe

• If I'm trying to figure out what to make for dinner and can't think of anything, I look to see what I have a lot of, or what needs to get used(before it goes bad!). Then I look up this item in my favorite cookbooks index, or do an online search. Next I find a recipe that I have most(rarely all) of the ingredients for and then I adapt it to my tastes and go for it! Sometimes this means converting a recipe from a meat one to vegetarian or just making one without the dairy or eggs. I can't stand it when recipes are vegetarian, which you would think would make it healthy, and then all of the food is put into a microwave! Or (just as bad) sometimes the ingredients include instant name brand food(i.e. 1 box of betty crocker au gratin potatoes, or add 1 box chex cereal etc..). I like to cook from scratch whenever I can. Cheating for me is cooking with vegetable bouillon cubes. The kind I use are vegan and contain no salt, which I can quickly make a tasty soup from adding whatever else I have in my fridge! Or, on a busy day when I have no energy left for cooking I'll buy a frozen cheese pizza and then put my own toppings on it, fresh veggies! Ok also sometimes we buy box mac and cheese(the good brands all natural no preservatives, white cheddar) and then add frozen organic peas or corn. Everyone has these busy days where you can only do what you have the energy for...
• Anyways, I had a pack of tofu sitting in my fridge for a couple of weeks and figured I should use it up before it goes bad. I have this Giant Book of Tofu Cooking cookbook that I don't think I've ever used before (I have a lot of cookbooks) and opened it up to a tofu-falafel recipe that I had most of the ingredients for, I've made falafel before, but never with tofu!
• It was easy and tasted great. Javi made a simple tahini sauce to go on it(he did this while I fried up the falafel), and we had some feta cheese(totally optional),a tomato, some spinach and whole wheat tortillas so we made wraps but could of just as easily made burgers(on bread) or served the falafel on rice or other grain. Just use what you have!
  
• Recipe:
• 16 oz firm tofu, mashed
• 4 cups chickpeas(garbanzo beans)(2 cans drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup tamari(or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 cups bread crumbs(I used mostly some leftover croutons, pre-made which I rarely ever buy but had leftover from holiday meal, and a few bread butts I tore into crumbs)
• 1/2 cup flour(I used wheat but any would work)
• veggie oil for frying
• fresh greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, sprouts or whatever you have that you normally would top burgers with, chop all

Tahini Sauce(optional, but really good!)

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp tamari(or soy sauce)

In a blender or food processor mix the chickpeas, water and garlic until creamy

• Pour mixture into large mixing bowl
• Mix in tofu, tamari, salt, pepper, onion and bread crumbs until all ingredients are moist
• Form into 1/12 inch balls, or flattened patties, or burger size then cover in flour
• In a large frying pan heat oil and fry flipping until golden brown

Put all ingredients for tahini sauce in food processor or blender, blend until smooth

• Put your falafel on your bread of choice(or grains) spread with tahini sauce, feta cheese(or other cheese, or no cheese!) layer with greens, tomato or other veggies and eat!!
• I noticed too late that this recipe makes 8-10 servings(I was cooking for 3) so we ate it a few days in a row, just frying up the falafel as needed and then keeping the rest of the mix in the fridge.
• Some afterthoughts: 10 year old Lili loved it(even though she had said she didn't think she liked falafel before she tried it)-kid friendly! I want to now try this easy vegan recipe with other beans instead of the chick-peas to make bean veggie burgers, they held together really well and could of easily been cooked on a grill!
  

Quinoa Freedom Cheese, our dog!

• Three years ago, as of next July 4th, this cute little dog walked into our yard, in the country! We reported that we found her and the authorities said someone had called the day before and said they found her and would keep her until the owner showed up. Strange because Javi had seen a car pull up in front of our house and open and close their car door. The people who said they found her lived miles away from us so there is no way she walked to our house from there.
• The city people said they would come pick her up, if we wanted, and take her 'to the pound!'
  
• We decided to hang on to her until owners showed up and they never did. At first it was hard because I never thought I would have a dog. It's a lot of responsibility and I never considered myself 'a dog person'
• This little dog soon adopted me as her new mom and followed me everywhere I went, including just up and down the hallway at my old house! She likes to burrow(weird for a dog, it seems) and is as I type curled up under my sweater!
• I couldn't help but get attached to her and we gave her the name Quinoa(after my favorite grain)Freedom(since she showed up on July 4th)Cheese(well because we live in WI of course!) and she is now a part of our family and goes everywhere we go, good thing she is small!!!
• Recently I was listening to a podcast about animals and the woman speaking said dogs are angels in fur coats and that they are just here to teach us unconditional love! What a great way to think of our little furry friends!
  

Dixie's Quinoa Recipe

• From 1993-1997 I lived in Golden, CO in a cooperative house called The Owl House. I moved there when I was pregnant with Keara, she was born in Denver. I had many different roommates who went through that house, several really great ones! Really it was, so far, my favorite and most cooperatively functioning household I have ever lived in.
  
• At one point in the Owl House we had 6 adults living there, Keara was a baby and another couple had a daughter who was 6 months older than Keara. Then there was another married couple who had no children yet then(they have 4 now!). Everyone worked 9-5 jobs except me and the other mom, we stayed home with the babies.
  
• My favorite part was the way we shared meals(other than just the great people I lived with!). Every adult picked one cooking night per week and that was your washing dishes day too. Also we each pitched in $20/per week for groceries and that was it. Everyone was vegetarian so it worked great.
  
• Basically for $20 a week we got a gourmet, balanced dinner every night and only had to wash dishes and think about 'what's for dinner?' once a week! We had some guidelines for making it a healthy meal that were so easy I often still go by them today. Since being vegetarian everyone says it is so hard to get enough protein THIS IS NOT TRUE, actually all you need to do is eat dark colored vegetables, whole grains and beans, seeds or nuts throughout the day and the combination of them makes complete protein!! Anyways, we made those our guidelines for our dinners and really it was so easy. For example lets say someone made rice and vegetables for dinner. All they need to do is make sure there is a dark colored veggie(carrots, spinach, yams, beets, kale, squash etc..) in it, brown rice is a whole grain and then for the bean, seed or nut you could at the very least just sprinkle on some seeds or nuts at the end(or add tofu, beans or tempeh etc to the dinner)..
  
• I always keep some sorts of raw nuts and seeds in my refrigerator to sprinkle on at the end if needed. It's amazing how much more complete your food tastes just adding a few seeds at the end!
  
• Try sprinkling on a few sesame seeds or cashews on your salad then serve it with a slice of whole grain bread for complete protein. Also if your salad dressing has nut butter or tahini in it that also would complete your protein. There are many simple ways to do this I wish everyone knew so I wouldn't have to hear ever again 'oh you're vegetarian, how do you ever get enough protein??' I'm so tired of hearing this over and over and over, like eating a steak is the only way or something...(sorry meat eaters but it does get a little annoying explaining my simple and easy diet over and over and over....) oh also I get alot of 'so what you just eat salad then?' this is so funny for a vegetarian to hear because there are so many things to eat out there. Yes I eat salads and it should be my main food(I would be so healthy then) but there is so much more...
• Ok so when I lived in CO I met a girl named Dixie and she introduced me to eating Quinoa(pronounced Keen-wah). This recipe is the first Quinoa dish I've ever eaten and since then I have made this same dish possibly hundreds of times. It is my favorite grain and I have even named my dog after it! I'm posting a picture of my dog also, speaking of Quinoa!!
• This simple recipe is a hit every time and you can easily make it ahead and chill it and bring it to a potluck! Everyone likes it and it is a complete meal, and protein, in itself!
• Let me know if you try it, it's a good one!!