Meatless Monday: Falafel and Tzatziki Dip

I have to admit, I’m actually a little excited that it is Monday.  I like the thrill of tackling my to-do list, getting organized, and being productive.  In terms of the blog, it means I can post a meatless meal without having to explain myself.   I have to say, I am so much more comfortable posting undeniably nutritious vegetarian and vegan recipes because it is something that I feel so strongly about.

Every once in awhile, I come across some new information from a book, online research, or a documentary, and it just reignites the flame for me.  This weekend we watched the documentary “Food Matters.”  While it is not the most captivating and well-delivered documentary I’ve seen, it is very powerful information that everyone needs to know.

This movie begins with one of my favorite quotes, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” from Hippocrates, the “father of medicine.”  Unfortunately our society has turned its back on this very fundamental and powerful concept that food is medicine.  Most medical doctors today have very little, if any, training in nutrition.  Instead of looking to the powerful healing properties of the foods included a patient’s diet, doctors are more focused on prescribing “a pill for every ill” which oftentimes ends up doing more harm than good.  Every year 225,000 people die from improperly used medications.  Another 2.2 million end up in the hospital from adverse reactions to prescribed medications.  With over $289 billion in annual sales in the U.S., it makes sense that doctors are over-prescribing these medications because prescription drugs are big business for pharmaceutical companies.

In 2009, the U.S. spent $2.5 trillion dollars on healthcare, the highest of any country.  At this amount, I would expect to have access to some of the best medicine in the world.  But we don’t.  We spend more than every other country with only mediocre outcomes.  Each year approximately 575,000 people in the U.S. are still dying from cancer and almost 600,000 will die from heart disease.

Fortunately, most chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes can be prevented through simple lifestyle choices including daily exercise, not smoking, eating a proper diet of whole foods (including organic fruits and vegetables and an appropriate calorie level), reducing stress, reducing exposure to environmental toxins (such as BPA), and limiting alcohol consumption.

Furthermore, there are a number of other health conditions, such as depression, high blood pressure, and digestive issues to name a few, that can be effectively treated through proper nutrition and/or vitamin supplements.

Yes, you most definitely have the power to prevent and reverse disease starting with a key decision you make three times a day.  You can choose to fuel every single cell in your body with delicious and nutritious whole foods or you can sabotage your health with processed junk and fast food.  Just like the title of the movie implies, food matters.

If you commit to making these critical food choices, I promise to deliver as many delicious recipes that I can!  Starting with this Falafel and Tzatziki dip.

These falafel are great because they can be made ahead, frozen, re-heated, used multiple ways, and are kid-friendly vehicles for a yummy dipping sauce.

Start with garbanzo beans, chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, and kosher or sea salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse briefly.

Add in ground oat flour and baking powder and pulse a few more times to combine.  It is important not to over-process.  You want it processed enough to stick together, but still have a little texture.

Shape this into flattened patties and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to complete the falafel, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a pan coated with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Sear each side of the falafel patties for about a minute, or until golden brown.

Place the patties back on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve them alongside this Tzatziki Sauce, which you will want to make ahead of time to allow the flavors to combine.

To complete the meal, I like to serve the falafel and tzatziki alongside a huge Greek salad.  Everyone else  likes to tuck them into a lightly toasted pita with some lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and red onion.

Falafel with Tzatziki Dipping Sauce

Falafel Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 T. oat flour (finely ground oats or sub wheat flour)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat pan

Falafel Directions

Place drained beans, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and ground cumin into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade.  Pulse briefly to combine (see picture above).  Add baking powder and flour and pulse briefly to combine, being careful not to over process.  The mixture should stick together, but still have some texture (see picture above).

Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture and form into ball or flatten into discs.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook falafel, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a skillet with extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add falafel and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.  Place falafel onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Note: Depending on your goal, the more oil you add to the pan when searing, the more traditional crunchy exterior you will get.  If you prefer a lighter, healthier falafel, minimize the amount of oil that is used.

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 small clove of garlic, finely minced

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 cucumber, seed area removed, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tzatziki Sauce Directions

To avoid a watery sauce, you will want to remove excess moisture from cucumbers by placing chopped cucumbers in a colander and sprinkling with 1/4 tsp salt.  Let sit for approximately 15-30 minutes and squeeze dry with a paper towel.  Add remaining ingredients to a mini food processor and blend for a smooth sauce.  Or simply combine ingredients in a bowl for a more authentic chunky style sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to 24 hours before serving for flavors to develop.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. I find that because of the salt added to drain moisture from the cucumbers, additional salt isn’t usually necessary.

Note:  This will provide enough sauce for one meal for 4 people.  Double the recipe for additional sauce.

For a vegan Tzatziki Sauce recipe, check out this one at Peas and Thank You.

Greek Salad Dressing

Recipes from Allrecipes

Makes enough for 10-12 individual salads

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 1/4 tsp dried basil

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

2/3 cup red wine vinegar (if you don’t like a real tangy dressing, you can mix equal parts of vinegar and oil using 1/2 cup of each)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a glass jar (I use a mason jar) and shake well.  For an authentic style Greek salad, toss a few tablespoons of dressing with romaine, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, and Feta cheese.

Note:  After consulting with a professionally trained chef, I have learned that technically this dressing does not need to be refrigerated.  To be cautious, though, we refrigerate ours.  Doing so will cause the oil to solidify.  I take it out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter when I begin making dinner to give the olive oil time to dissolve and then shake it well before serving.