Baked Falafel and Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Falafel are easy and delicious, and go well with just about any middle-eastern themed dinner, especially when combined with this simple Cucumber Yogurt Salad.

First off, I want to make it clear that these are not intended to be authentic. I don't think I've ever had authentic falafel. I usually make my falafel from lentils instead of the more traditional chickpeas, though the ones here were made with pinto beans. Pretty much any cooked legume will do.

Lentil Falafel
4 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350*.
In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients except the flour, the mixture should be a thick paste. Stir in the flour, the mixture should be no thicker than cookie dough, but it can be thinner. This is ok.
Heavily grease a cookie sheet, and spoon the falafel mixture onto it the same way you would drop cookies. Alternatively, if you have a pretty thick mix, you can use a small ice cream scoop for more rounded falafel which may take more time to cook.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the falafel are set all the way through and are browned.
Serve warm or cold.

Cucumber Salad
1 or 2 cucumbers, peeled and cubed
yogurt to cover
salt and cumin to taste (more than you think)

Mix together in a bowl. Serve over falafel.

My favorite way to eat falafel is with pita bread, hummus, cucumber yogurt salad, and sprouts. I don't always do that though because I'm lazy.

This time around, Tyler ate his in a spinach tortilla, because he knows no shame.
Love,
Zay

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