Happy Meatless Monday!  As you may or may not know, Planet Forward supports the Meatless Monday campaign – a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  It’s part of an eco-friendly worldwide movement to reduce consumption of animal products in favour of more plant-based meals to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week we bring another vegetarian recipe for you to try.

Falafel are chock full of nutrients as they are a healthy (and fat-free) source of protein and carbohydrates.  Falafel can be served on their own with a salad or on a pita with tahini and hot pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• hot sauce to taste (optional)
• oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Preparation:
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour and combine well.

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.  Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.  Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 gloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:
In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine garlic and tahini. Add kosher salt.

Remove from food processor and add olive oil and lemon juice. If too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water until desired consistency. Mix in parsley.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Don’t forget - to join the movement, sign up online by going to your local Meatless Monday site or you can go here meatlessmonday.com to learn more.   If this Monday passed you by, next week is another chance to go meatless – it’s only one day for an eco-friendly cause.  Join us.  Bon (vegetarian) Appetit!

Thanks to About.com for the easy recipe.

Tags: Climate Change, Eco Friendly, eco-vegetarianism, environmental impact, Falafel, Falafel recipe, Falafels, Global Warming, greenhouse gases, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Meatless Monday, Meatless Mondays, planet forward, reduce consumption, sustainable choices, sustainable lifestyle, Vegetarian, vegetarian Falafel recipe, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian recipes, vegetarian tips

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Related Posts

1. Meatless Monday with Chickpea and Peanut Stew
2. Meatless Mondays With Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
3. Meatless Monday Winter Warm Up - Hearty Lentil Soup
4. Meatless Mondays With Black Bean Burgers
5. Meatless Monday with Vegetarian Shepherds Pie