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Green Pea Falafels

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  • Author: Chantal | Fresh is Real
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Snack, Appetizer, Lunch, Dinner
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Allergen-Friendly, Plant-Based, Gluten-Free

Description

These little easy-to-make oven-baked falafel bites will fill your snacking, party appetizer, and quick meal needs. Falafels like these are not the traditional kind, but they are nutritious and loaded with healthy ingredients. Enjoy them crispy, fresh out of the oven, or cooled at room temperature.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup cooked white rice*
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup fresh greens** (large handful: spinach, kale, chard)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (about 1 tbsp chopped)
  • 12 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup organic hemp hearts
  • 1/4 cup sunflower flour***
  • 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth**** (if required)
  • Olive oil for baking

Instructions

  1. Make sure to have one cup of cooked white rice before you start.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, and drizzle a little olive oil.
  4. To make the falafels, you will add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender, except for the water or broth****.
  5. Use your blender tamper to push down on ingredients to make sure they are equally chopped.
  6. Don’t over blend, leaving some texture is perfect. You just want to make sure all your greens are chopped up and mixed.
  7. Transfer mix to a bowl or scoop out 1-inch balls directly from the blender, place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and gently flatten into small patties.
  8. Repeat until all the mix is used up.
  9. Bake for 12 minutes then flip each falafel and bake for another 13 minutes (25 minutes total).
  10. Baking times can vary so leave yours a little longer if you want them crispier.
  11. Enjoy them right out of the oven with a simple mayonnaise or creamy sauce.
  12. Store any baked leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

You can also pan fry these falafels but when testing both methods baking them in the oven created crispier falafels.

* Fresh steamed organic white rice (Basmati or Jasmine) works well.
** You can combine different greens. I like pre-washed organic baby spinach and kale.
*** Use a coffee grinder to transform raw organic sunflower seeds into flour.
**** Only use the liquid listed if your mixture is too thick to blend.