Anita Bean
Serves: 2 (makes 12 falafels)
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
400g (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ onion, very finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chopped mint or parsley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp gram flour (chick pea or lentil flour) mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
1 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato salsa:
2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Veg Portions / Serving: 2
Recipe from The Vegetarian Athlete’s Cookbook by Anita Bean
Falafel are perfect for al fresco eating – picnics, barbecues – as well as lunch on the move. Chickpeas are packed with protein, fibre, iron, manganese and magnesium. They also contain fructo-oligosaccharides, which increase the friendly bacteria of the gut that improve digestion. These falafel are baked instead of fried, so they don’t absorb extra oil.
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F/ Gas mark 6. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Put the chickpeas in a blender or food processor and process for a few seconds. Add the onion, coriander, mint or parsley, garlic, spices, gram flour paste and olive oil. Process for a few seconds until combined and a fairly smooth, stiff puree.
Form the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut. You should be able to make about 12. Coat lightly with a little gram flour. Place on the oiled baking sheet and cook in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes until golden, turning once.
Meanwhile, make the salsa. Finely chop the tomatoes and mix with the onion and coriander. Season to taste. Chill.
Serve the cooked falafel with the salsa, salad and wholewheat pitta breads.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Let kids really own making the falafels: they can add ingredients to the blender and push the buttons to pulse and mix everything together. Get the mixture out of the blender for them and show them how to shape the falafels so they can make them themselves. Chop the salsa ingredients and let them mix them together.
Find more ideas, safety tips, videos and even a free chart in our Kids in the Kitchen section here.
Activities
Why not try making a tomato veg crown, tomato facemask or tomato – cutout ‘n’ colour page?
Or if your kid loves puzzles and games, try totally blitzed, evil inside, or squash ’em.
Find loads more free tomato-themed crafts here and games here.
Sensory
Explore the look of tomatoes by getting a couple of types of tomatoes, either in different colours or different sizes and shapes. See what they remind you of and how they compare to each other. Don’t be afraid to get silly with descriptions!
Watch our video from Ruth Platt for a visual guide to exploring peppers with your senses here. Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
See if your child can come up with a fun name for the meal and perhaps even a funny story, too. If you’ve also included them a little in the preparation, they can even put their name in the title and serve it as “their” dish!
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
Anita Bean
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