No-Fry Falafel

Back when I was veggo, falafel were one of my favourite things ever. So delicious and full of flavour, and reasonably virtuous. I've tweaked my technique to make them even better for you, and my kids LOVE these. My son would eat a whole batch if I left him alone with them. 

Ingredients: 

Two tins organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed. 

3 tablespoons spelt flour/rice flour/corn crumbs

3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped. 

1/2 an onion, roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional - my kids don't seem to mind the kick it gives them). 

A couple of teaspoons good quality Olive Oil, and a few wedges of lemon or lime to serve. 

Preheat oven to 160'c.

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pulse until it's coming together semi dough like, but don't over process it. Add a little extra flour if necessary or a little water if it's too dry. 

Use a teaspoon to scoop our a small amount, roll into a ball between wet palms and then place on a baking tray lined with paper. Bake for around forty minutes then remove from heat. They'll be a little cracked on top - that's fine. Drizzle with olive oil. Either serve immediately with lemon or lime, or leave to cool to room temp then you can refrigerate for a couple of days. 

Dinosaur eggs (amped up bliss balls)

Ingredients

100g pitted prunes
100g dried dates
100g brazil nuts
100g LSA
3 tablespoons black sesame paste (tahini will susbtitute)
1 tablespoon raw cocoa powder
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil (or a mild olive oil)
Organic dessicated coconut (about 1/3 cup)

Combine all the ingredients except the dessicated coconut in a food processor until mostly smooth, though leave some nice chunky bits. Obviously bear the age of the eaters in mind... I made these suitable for my 10 month old daughter, so none of the lumps were large enough to represent a choking hazard. Don't have a food processor? Use a portar and pestle, or finely chop the fruit, and place the nuts in a plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over them until they're smashed down,

Scoop the mixture onto a plate and, with damp hands, roll into bite size balls. Cover in dessicated coconut and place straight into a tuppperware. Once they have all been rolled, place in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up.