pistachio mint falafel balls

Monday evening I had a lovely lady guest over for a girls evening which was reason enough for me to cook! I’ll admit, sometimes I tend to go slightly overboard when having house guests to cook for as most evenings I generally fend for myself. Preparing healthy and delicious meals for one is fine, but when I get to share them with others, my excitement tends to get the best of me and I turn into a vegan version of Betty Crocker.

This time around, our menu consisted of pistachio mint falafel balls over a salad of mixed greens and kale with avocado and carrots and topped with a lemon, cashew dressing. I also served a side of coconut-chili-lime cauliflower rice (that recipe is in my queue).

Hey y’all mowing down those Fiber One bars…I’ve got a better idea!

ingredients: 

falafel

• 1 cup pistachios (shelled, I also used roasted and salted)
• 1/4 cup almonds (raw)
• 2 cups garbanzo beans
• 8 – 10 fresh springs of mint
• 3/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
• 3 scallions
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin

lemon cashew dressing:

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix all the falafel ingredients in a food processor until ingredients stick together loosely (you’re looking for a rough consistency)
3. Make around 28-20 falafel balls with your hands and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper
4. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the balls every 5 minutes to get an even golden brown color.
5. Blend the lemon cashew dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and smooth. Add more water to get desired consistency.
6. Place falafel balls on top of a salad, our use large lettuce leafs to create a wrap. Top with lemon cashew dressing and your favorite fixin’s!