Guilt free Middle Eastern treat!

   Deep frying is not in my dictionary! If it is still in yours you should absolutely watch the new HBO documentary called "The weight of the Nation", which is terrifying, eyeopening, and educating. Trying to watch what you eat doesn't mean that you have to forget about all your favorite foods (like deep fried falafel), it just means that you have to find a way to improve the dish and make it more "skinny jeans" friendly. So that's exactly what I did with my beloved falafel, I switched the deep fryer for the oven and rather than serving them with a heavy dipping sauce I made a fat free yogurt based tzatziki sauce. Check it out for yourself, here is the recipe:

Falefel:

*  2 cans garbanzo beans (drained and washed)
*  1 onion (chopped)
*  2 cloves garlic
*  1 egg
*  1 cup chopped parsley
*  1 tsp ground cumin
*  1 tsp coriander powder
*  1/2 tsp baking soda
*  2 tbsp all-purpose flour
*  1 tsp salt

   Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. I like to leave mine just a little bit chunky to give a falafel some texture. Form the patties (about 1.5 inch diameter), place on a baking sheet, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

Tzatziki sauce:

*  1 cup fat-free plain yoghurt
*  2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
*  1 cucumber (shredded)
*  1 tsp garlic powder
*  1 tbsp lemon juice
*  salt

   There is not much too it, just combine everything, season with salt and lemon juice to your own taste and enjoy the dish!

   Such a versatile dish, you can have it as a lunch, dinner or a snack, delicious either warm or cold (I prefer it cold). It might not be completely guilt free (garbanzo beans are not calorie free), but much better then the fried option. Isn't it what it's all about, making better choices without losing the flavor?

Enjoy.
Magda.