Baked Sweet Potato & Sesame Falafels

Vegan, GF, Fiber-Rich, Nutrient-Packed

Baked Sweet Potato & Sesame Falafels

Makes 14-18

For the puree:

2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

For the falafels:

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Handful of fresh herbs (really any! Rosemary, thyme, basil etc)

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons tahini

Salt and pepper

1 can of chickpeas

1 large, or 2 medium/small corn (boiled and cut off the cob)

Sesame seeds (full plate) to cover the falafels

Steam the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, or until completely soft. Or, in my case I chop up all the cubes and microwave-steam them in one of these in batches. Blend with ⅔ can of chickpeas and the vinegar, lemon, tahini, herbs, olive oil, and other spices until a goopy, sometimes still-with-small-chunks purée. Add the rest of the chickpeas and the cut corn (and cooked quinoa if you want some extra protein) and mix.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Fill a plate with a mound of sesame seeds and roll the mix into a ball (my favorite sizes are veggie burger patty or meatball-esque) with the sesame seeds before placing them on the baking tray. Continue until all of the mixture is used up. The falafels can bake close together because they do not expand in the oven.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving or placing in an airtight container to freeze. Good in the fridge for a few days but I tend to freeze some fresh, because they defrost well and save for ages in the freezer.

Inspired by a recipe from Deliciously Ella with Friends, I've taken out or added ingredients based on my diet and palate as well as trying to cut down on the overall time in preparing the recipe with the same full flavor. 

*** Coming Soon ***

What does this recipe do for my health? Notes on recipe-specific nutrient benefits and the gut-brain connection