My other half is a vegetarian. It’s a challenge, but we work around it. Luckily, I was vegetarian for 6 and a half years too, so I have plenty of recipes to keep us both happy!
A favourite in our household is this quick and easy falafel recipe. Wrapped up in soft flour tortillas with fresh salad and grilled halloumi cheese, this dish makes a great lunch any time of the year.
Ingredients
(Makes 12 – Serves 2-4)
240g Chickpeas (That’s one drained 400g can)
1 Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Heaped tablespoon of Gram Flour (or plain four if you can’t get hold of it)
2 Tspn Ground Cumin Seeds
1 Tspn Ground Coriander
1 Tspn Ground Ginger
1 Tspn Smoked Paprika
1 Tspn Dried Parsley
1 Tspn Dried Coriander Leaf
Half a Tspn of Cayenne Pepper (optional – If you want a kick!)
250g block of Halloumi
4-6 Flour Tortillas
Salad to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drain the Chickpeas and pat them dry with a towel. Chop them up to a moderately coarse texture, either with a knife or in a food processor.
Mix in the Onion, Garlic, Gram Flour, Herbs and Spices into the chickpeas. Make sure you mix it all thoroughly to get an even texture and flavour.
A couple of teaspoons at a time, add cold water to the mix, stirring thoroughly, adding only enough water to bring the mix together to a slightly sticky consistency.
With lightly floured hands, roll the mix into 12 equal sized balls. About the size of a ping pong ball is about right. Lay them out onto a baking sheet, and pop them into the oven for around 15-20 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway through if needed.
Whilst they are in the oven, slice up the halloumi into 10 or so slices, and grill them in a dry frying pan or skillet over a medium heat, no oil. Once golden brown underneath, flip them over and grill the other side.
Serve up the falafel and halloumi with the tortillas and salad. Feel free to add mayo, yoghurt or hummus to compliment.
