Vegan Falafels

I made this falafel recipe back in August for a spanish organic food brand that I usually collaborate for and since these falafels were a hit in my house I wanted to share them with all my followers; of course my intention was to publish this post long ago but as always my schedule suddenly went from busy to completely cluttered.

As I said before I'll try to keep all my savory recipes as easy as possible so everybody, wether you are an experienced cook or not, feels like giving them a try.

The main ingredient of falafels are chickpeas but I wanted to increase the amount of protein by adding quinoa, it gives an interesting texture and a slight crunch. Plus, did you know quinoa is a complete protein source and contains all nine essential amino acids? Tiny but mighty! It's also gluten-free and so is this falafel recipe (vegan-friendly too!). This little ancient 'grain' is a staple ingredient in my pantry, and unless you've been living under a rock for the past fifteen years or so, you should know it should be in your pantry too!

Now that Halloween is well over it's safe to say I should focus on Christmas recipes but I'm on the hunt for new holiday props, both for my food photography and home decor. Don't know about you but I find it quite hard to find nice xmas decor that doesn't look too cheesy or kitsch for my taste?! I love the nordic/scandinavian style because it's minimalist and nicely rustic, the neutral palette and natural elements really resonate with me. Wish I could have more time to go to the forest and find me some beautiful tree branches, pine cones, wild berries, etc. Are you guys already in the Christmas spirit? Even though it can be quite a stressful holiday for me (so many festive recipes for the blog and collabs plus allll the cooking and gift shopping for the family) I kind of like it more and more each year.

Receta en español en la web de Ecocesta.

Vegan Falafels
(yield: 24 falafels approx.)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas.
1/2 cup quinoa.
1 chia "egg".
1 teaspoon dried parsley.
1 teaspoon cumin.
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
1/2 teaspoon onion powder.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper, to taste.

* To make the chia "egg":
1 tablespoon chia seeds.
3 tablespoons water.

Directions

Cook quinoa following the package's instructions and let it drain.

Prepare the chia "egg" by grinding the chia seeds, stir them well in the water and let the mixture set for about 10 minutes, until it reaches a thick and gel-like texture.

Preheat oven to 200 ºC (392 ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cooked chickpeas, quinoa, parsley, cumin, garlic and onion inside the bowl of your food processor, pulse until chickpeas are almost broken down but not completely pureed. Add in olive oil, chia egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Process again until a dough forms, it shouldn't have a paste-like consistency, as long as you can roll the dough into balls.

Scoop out rounded tablespoons for each falafel and roll into balls. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten them with your hands.

Bake falafels for 20 minutes, carefully flipping them halfway through baking.

Serve them with your favorite yogurt sauce. I usually make one with unsweetened soy yogurt, garlic powder, sea salt and a small pinch of black pepper.