Falafels with Tzatziki

Sometimes I get a hankering for falafels and although it’s sometimes easier to go to my local Mediterranean restaurant and pick them up, they are honestly so much better homemade.  Unlike a lot of take-out places, these falafels are crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside with a lot of flavor to carry them on their own without being dried out.  The tzatziki adds a creaminess to bring the whole thing together for a fresh and quick dinner.

If you have a food processor or blender these come together in a snap.  The main ingredient is garbanzo beans so they are very inexpensive to make, and I think are good reheated.  It makes for a much more interesting lunch than a peanut butter sandwich.

Servings: 8
Active Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 hours

Ingredients for Tzatziki:

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded (use other half of cucumber as garnish for falafel)
• 1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Ingredients for Falafels:

• 2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour + more for coating falafel
• 2 tsp. cumin, fresh ground
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Oil for frying (peanut, canola, corn)

• 4 warm pita breads, cut in half
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Diced tomatoes
• Diced cucumbers
• Hot Sauce

Directions for Tzatziki:

1. Grate cucumber and sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt.  Transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl to catch liquid.  Allow to drain for 2 hours.
2. Transfer strained cucumber to a bowl.  Stir in Greek yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours before using to allow flavors to meld.  Can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Directions for Falafels:

1. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, 3 Tbsp. flour, cumin, minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp. cayenne in processor until combined. Add 3/4 cup onion, egg, and pulse until ingredients are finely chopped.
2. Transfer to a bowl.  Roll mixture into 1 inch balls, then roll in a bowl of flour.
3. Pour oil into a heavy skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Once oil is hot add four falafels at a time making sure to not overcrowd.  Turn after about 2 minutes to brown on all sides.
4. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
5. Serve falafels in pitas with tzatziki, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and hot sauce.

Advertisement

 

BBQ Frito Pie

Today my job consists of creating recipes that include my KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Beans.  I originally created these beans as a side dish so I’ve had to be a bit creative to fit them into a center-plate meal.  The goal is to get these into a circular for Walmart so the recipes need to have simple ingredients, be cost-friendly, and easy for the home cook to prepare on a weeknight.  My first idea is a BBQ version of Frito pie.  I’m very impressed with how well this turned out and will be adding this recipe to our weeknight repertoire.  It took me 30 minutes from start to first bite so that’s always a plus for me on a busy weeknight.  It has a sweet BBQ flavor that is kid-friendly plus, hey, you can even sneak a few beans into the mix.  The Frito topping gives this casserole a really nice salty crunch that rounds out the sweetness.  I hope you enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings         Prep Time: 15 minutes         Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (16oz) can KC Masterpiece BBQ Beans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Brown ground beef with onions in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Drain fat and return to skillet.
3. Stir in KC Masterpiece beans, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and mustard over low heat until ingredients are combined.
4. Add beef/bean mixture to a casserole dish.  Top with crushed Frito chips and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.