A Taste of the Middle East

I love healthy, delicious food that's easy to make and doesn't take a lot of ingredients. In my travels I've tasted many delicious foods, learned some great recipes, and I've made up quite a few of my own recipes - or at least added my own twists - that turned out surprisingly tasty. I've always thought I should start a food blog, as much for myself as others, so I'm writing my first recipe down today!

I realize the Middle East is an interesting first choice for a blog post but Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food is definitely one of my favorite kinds of food. I can barely claim I've been to the Middle East but I did spend a day there during a layover on my way to Australia last year and I did eat maybe the best falafel I have ever had there. I spent a good portion of that day walking around the city with a Polish lady I had met on the bus coming from the airport. One of my goals was to get falafel from a local restaurant because I new they had to be good. It turned out to be a lot harder than I expected because nearly everything in the city was closed for New Years (even though it was the 2nd) but we were eventually successful and enjoyed a delicious meal at a small restaurant right on the main street.

Abu Dhabi

I didn't even know what falafel were until my German and Austrian housemates introduced me to them while we were living as horse trekking guides in New Zealand in 2013/2014 (in fact, they introduced me to a lot of amazing recipes and ideas that will be on this blog in the future - Thanks Julia and Clemens!), but they are now possibly my favorite dish of all time and I could probably literally eat them everyday. If you don't know what they are, falafel, which probably originated from Egypt, are sort of like vegan meatballs and they are actually surprisingly easy to make and healthy! They are best served with hummus, tzaziki, fresh greens, cucumbers, and homemade pitas. :)

What you will need:

A food processor (or a good potato masher)

For the falafel:

2 cups chopped white onion

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 16 oz can chickpeas

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 tsp salt

dash of cayenne pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Grapeseed oil for sauteing

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until ingredients are fully blended but not mushy. It should be a rough mixture that can easily be shaped into balls without falling apart but it shouldn't be pasty.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Shape falafel into balls and place in oil. Cook until falafel are golden brown and appear crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn them. Serve immediately!

For the hummus:

1 16 oz can of chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until creamy. You can add more or a little water if it appears too dry or is difficult to process.

Vegan tzaziki:

1/4 cup hummus

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 tsp fresh or freeze-dried dill

water to achieve desired consistency

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and serve!

Falafel are also great on salad!

Serve falafel with in pita pockets (I will add a recipe for these later) with spinach or salad greens, hummus, tzatziki, and sliced cucumbers. If you like it a little spicier you can also add red chili paste. 

P.S. Sorry for the poor quality and quantity of photos; I will post more and better pictures soon!