Falafel

The Ninja made falafel Thursday while I was at Target trying to spend my FSA money and buy presents for people like Perpetual Motion Machine’s teachers. Somehow, he makes falafel without burning himself with splattering oil. I guess that’s just because he’s a ninja.

This is a staple in our house because it comes out of a box, we all like it- if only as a vehicle for hot sauce, and it’s a healthy meal for anyone who adds veggies. It’s a little high in salt, because it comes in a box, but there’s good stuff in there too, and in the scheme of things a little extra sodium now and then isn’t going to hurt us.

Basically, follow the directions on the box. You mix some water with the powder, let it sit, and then fry. We never deep fry, just put a healthy layer of oil in a skillet (the higher the walls, the less oil gets splattered) and pan fry. If you use olive oil, stay at a medium-low or it’ll smoke; if you use canola/veggie, go for medium.

Falafel, not in moldy pita

It’s done when it looks done, it’s hard to over cook without truly intending to, and if you undercook it accidentally falafel will never give you salmonella or trichinosis. Remove from the pan onto paper towels, just like you might for bacon, to sop up excess oil. Add chopped onions, cucumber, spinach, tomato, bell pepper, whatever else suits your fancy; I like yogurt and hot sauce, too. Some people prefer tapenade or hummus with falafel. Ideally, it would all fit inside a lovely whole wheat pita. However, when your pita has little spots of mold on it, go for falafel plate over falafel sandwich. Life is all about adapting.