Not Your Run of the Mill Falafel

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A Healthy Alternative: Sunflower Seed Falafels:

I love a Middle Eastern food spread with chewy homemade pita bread and lots of salads with palate cleansing ingredients like lemon and parsley. The cuisine makes for a terrific buffet because it relies heavily on vegetables and legumes so you can make lots of healthy salads and dips.
I was quite intrigued when I came across this recipe using sunflower seeds rather than chickpeas and baking rather than frying. These were extremely easy and took a fraction of the time to make traditional falafels. They have an interesting texture because they are crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside and they were really tasty. My husband thought they wouldn't work in pita because they would break apart, but I think, who cares once it's inside the pita? You could put them in a salad with tomatoes and sprouts, or you could serve them as appetizers with a spicy dip.They don't replace the traditional falafel for me, but they were a really nice twist on a classic food.

Sunflower Seed Falafels

1 1/2 Cups Raw Sunflower Seeds, Soaked Overnight (or at least 8 hours)
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives, or 1 Scallion
2 Tablespoons Tahini
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 - 2 Cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Salt
Pinch Black Pepper
Paprika

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat.

2. Pull out your food processor or blender, and toss in everything but the paprika. Pulse, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything incorporated, until the mixture is the consistency of a rough pate, or chunky peanut butter.

3. Using a small cookie scoop, or two spoons, portion out 1 rounded tablespoon of the sunflower paste per falafel onto your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle just a tiny pinch of paprika on top of each raw falafel, and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

I know what I am eating this weekend!

UPDATE:This makes a unique and tasty alternative to chickpea falafel. Easy to make. Ended up soaking roasted seeds since I didn't have raw - still came out very tasty. Used shallots instead of chives - great taste.