Super Vegan Mediterranean Plate w/ Crispy Falafel, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Gluten-Free Tabbouleh, and Garlic Dill Tahini
Difficulty: 3/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-5
The Challenge: Vegan Mediterranean Plate
I love falafel. Its pretty amazing. Its also a great vegan food you can get a lot of places, which makes it even better! I have been making falafel for years, but I have been trying to really make it healthier. Falafel is typicall fried or cooked with a lot of oil, which can make it less ideal for healthy eating. Believe it or not, most of my recipes are actually quite healthy ... and quite tasty.
So, I wanted to make falafel but why stop there. Let's make a whole vegan plate of mediterranean food - falafel, hummus, pita, tabbouleh, and tahini sauce! Yum!
Falafel is made from a combination of chickpeas, spices, flour, and typically onions/shallots. It is then fried in oil and used in pita sandwiches or on add salad. It is crispy and warm and oh so good. Today, we are making a traditional falafel with some minor tweaks to the recipe.
No good Mediterranean plate could exist without hummus and some crudite. I wanted to do a really nice roasted red pepper hummus with fresh roasted red pepper and make it less spicy than normal food I make. Roast the red peppers for 25 minutes with spices, blend with tahini and chickpeas, and voila ... a delicious dip.
Finally, we had to have some tabbouleh. Here I thought it important to do a gluten-free version using buckwheat (a seed so not even a grain) with fresh parsley, grape tomatoes, cucumber, lemon...commence mouth-watering.
The best part of a smorgasboard like this is that its so fun to share and cook for a group. I think this is a great centerpiece of an appetizer round for friends at a dinner party or nice for that late night wine night with the lady friend (guy friend ... whomever friend).
Let's get into it.
Falafel
- 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tbl cilantro, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tbl walnuts, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbl oat flour
- 2 tbl tapioca flour
- 2 tbl safflower oil
Tabbouleh
- 1/4 cup buckwheat + 1/2 cup water
- 1.5 tbl olive oil
- 2 cups parsley, diced
- 1/2 cup mint, diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced (I use grape toms)
- 1/2 medium cucumber, diced
- 2 tbl fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Red Pepper Hummus
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced in half
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 2 tbl tahini
- 1 tbl olive oil
- 2 tbl lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
Garlic Dill Sauce
- 3 tbl tahini
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Other
- Fresh pita
- Crudite (carrots, broccoli, snap peas)
- Olives
Equipment You'll Need:
Cutting Board . Medium Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Large Frying Pan . Small Pot . Colander . Mixing Bowls . Food Processor . Whisk . Serving Bowl
Before You Cook:
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Wash and cut ingredients
- Cook 1/4 cup buckwheat with 1/2 cup water (bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook 10-15 minutes)
1. Cut red pepper in half, sprinkle with olive oil, and spices until chickpeas in ingredient list. Place in oven for 25 minutes.
2. While red pepper is cooking, place all falafel ingredients (san oil) into processor or blender and blend until decently smooth. 10-15 seconds.
3. With falafel mixture, scoop out with hands into balls about golf size. We'll flatten them in the stove top. Heat 2 tbl of oil over medium heat in a large pan and put into pan. Cook on one side 2-3 minutes, flatten, cook 3-4 minutes, rotate back to other side for 1 minute.
4. While the pepper roasts and falafel cooks, I mix together my tabbouleh ingredients.
5. After red pepper is done, place into food processor with rest of hummus ingredients and blend till smooth.
6. Finally, whisk together the dill sauce with all ingredients.
7. Form your plate with pita, crudite, and any other foods you want. Enjoy!
