healthy appetite
Green LentiL FaLaFeL with Sriracha-tahini Sauce The United Nations has declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. Now you’re probably asking yourself, what the heck are pulses? A subgroup of legumes, pulses are the dried edible seeds of legumes, including beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. These crops are most popular in developing countries, where pulses make up 75 percent of the average diet – compared to 25 percent in industrialized countries – but they’re becoming increasingly recognized as part of a healthy diet all over the world. I love pulses for three main reasons. The first is their sustainability. Pulse crops are one of the most sustainable crops on Earth, with extremely low carbon and water footprints – especially in comparison to popular animal proteins like beef, which has a 43- to 260-times-higher water footprint than pulses, depending on the crop. Pulses are shelf-stable, inexpensive and are often sold in bulk to cut back on packaging.
The second reason is their powerhouse nutritional value. Pulses are the best source of plant-powered protein, period. They’re loaded with fiber and are rich in B vitamins, minerals and amino acids, plus they have zero cholesterol and a low fat content. Pulses are part of a healthy, balanced diet and have been shown to play an important role in preventing illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. The third reason I love pulses is for their versatility in plant-based cooking. They can be used in both savory and sweet applications, appearing in everything from cakes and cookies to pastas, breads and burgers. This recipe is a take on traditional falafel but made with lentils instead of chickpeas as the star of the dish, which brings a subtle earthiness. Dip them in a simple three-ingredient Sriracha-tahini sauce for an extra pop of flavor. They’re the perfect appetizer, pita-stuffer or salad-topper and take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Sherrie Castellano is a certified health coach, food writer and photographer based in St. Louis. She writes and photographs the seasonally inspired vegetarian and gluten-free food blog, With Food + Love. Sherrie’s work has been featured on the pages of Driftless Magazine, Vegetarian Times, Food52 and Urban Outfitters, among others. You can find her hanging with her aviation enthusiast husband sipping Earl Grey tea, green juice, and/or bourbon.
SToRY, REcIPE AND PhoTogRAPhY BY ShERRIE cASTELLANo
Green Lentil Falafel with Sriracha-Tahini Sauce Serves | 4 | Green LentiL FaLaFeL
1 1 1 1 1 ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ 1
cup cooked green lentils tbsp olive oil, plus more for baking medium onion, small dice clove garlic, minced cup chopped kale cup fresh parsley tsp sea salt tsp freshly ground black pepper cup bread crumbs extra-large egg
Sriracha-tahini Sauce
3 tbsp milk 2 tbsp Sriracha 2 tbsp tahini
| Preparation – Green Lentil Falafel | Preheat oven to 400°F. In the bowl of a food processor, combine cooked lentils, olive oil, onion, garlic, kale, parsley, salt and pepper and pulse, about 3 seconds. Add bread crumbs and egg and pulse until combined, 5 seconds. Be careful not to overpulse – mixture should be well-combined but not too mushy. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll mixture into 12 evenly sized balls, slightly larger than golf balls, and place on prepared sheet. Drizzle each ball with a little olive oil and bake until crispy on outside and brown on bottom, 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
| Preparation – Sriracha-Tahini Sauce | In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Serve alongside warm green lentil falafel.