Simple Baked Falafel Bowl
"Falafel? What is that? A dessert?"
For those of you who are very much like my boyfriend Austin, the answer to your question is this…
Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern dish, supposedly originating somewhere in Egypt. It is made from ground chickpeas or fava beans and can be either fried or baked. No matter how it is prepared, it is downright delicious.
When I saw falafel mix at Trader Joe’s, I had to give it a try! I don’t put any labels on my style of eating (I am not vegan, plant-based, paleo, etc.), but I enjoy mixing up my meals with plant-based protein sources.
To celebrate moving into my new apartment, I decided to break in the kitchen with this simple baked falafel bowl. Although cook time is longer than average, preparation time is quite quick. It is an easy dinner to create after work and is packed full of nutrients! This meal has all the goods: healthy carbohydrates and fats, plenty of greens, fiber, and protein. YUM!
Tip for during the workweek: create double batches of your dinner so you can pack the leftovers as your lunch the next day. Below are the ingredients and portions I used to make roughly four servings of this meal.
What You Need
Main Ingredients-
- Trader Joe's falafel mix
- Greens ( I used spring mix + Trader Joe's "cruciferous crunch collection")
- Sweet potatoes (1-2)
- Cherry tomatoes
Toppings-
- Cilantro
- Pine nuts
- Goat cheese
Optional Tzatziki Sauce-
- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- Dill weed (season to taste)
- 1/2 shredded cucumber
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 °F.
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Stir together falafel mix and water (¾ cups of water to 1 cup of mix).
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Allow falafel mix to sit covered for 30 minutes.
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Prepare sweet potatoes- dice and place on a sheet pan; season accordingly (I always add olive oil, salt, and pepper to my oven-roasted potatoes + vegetables).
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Optional: create tzatziki yogurt sauce.
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Grate ½ cucumber.
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Mix yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and dill together to taste.
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Set out toppings (goat cheese, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, pine nuts, get creative!)
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Form falafel into balls and place on an oiled sheet pan.
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Place falafel and sweet potatoes in the oven for about 30 minutes.
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When falafel has browned and sweet potatoes have softened, combine everything into a bowl and enjoy 🙂
It feels so good to prepare meals again! Cooking your own dinner is such a great way to create delicious food from mostly whole food sources. More recipes in the new kitchen are coming soon (fall baking anyone?!).
If you are curious what our new apartment looks like and how we prepared for the move, make sure to enter your name and email in the subscription box below. Next week I will be sharing part one of a video series documenting the moving process. Preparing for moving into an apartment is something I had so many questions about. I can't wait to chat about all of the post-grad moving tips.
Talk to you all soon, enjoy the fall weather!
xx Mich
