feel food club

falafel

Not You Average (much better) Hummus and Falafel Picnic Bagel

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The name says it all. Definitely not your average bagel. This is something so much better, I promise. Recipe 2 of the picnic series, and it only is getting better, although it is hard to top the beluga lentil salad an curry hummus stuffed pita. Yet, we managed to do so. Slightly sweet and crispy bagel with creamy hummus, fresh greens and radishes, crunchy falafel and soft and salty avocado. Oh my. If I were you, I would be running to the store right now.

Bagels are just amazing by themselves already. We really need to take a moment and thank the inventor of thebagel (who by the way was Austrian!!!) for this amazing creation. Invented by accident, probably the best accident ever, and now a staple around the world. And really, cream cheese and salmon bagels are amazing, no need to doubt that, yet there are so many other combos that just taste unreal in a bagel, which you need to try out – just like this one!

Where to get good bagels?

This is really important, because if the bagel itself does not taste amazing, the entire dish only tastes half as good. So, in Vienna there are 2 places I love to get my bagels from. The first one is Budapäst Bagels – they have been the (much deserved) restaurant of the month in march and definitely have amazing bagels. You can just grab some plain bagels there and fill them at home! The other place that never lets you down is Joseph Brot. They have several shops in Vienna, so you can just choose one that is close to you. The only disadvantage here – they are sold out so quickly always! So you got to get up early for your bagels.

What’s special about this dish?

It is a mix of the traditional bagel and a falafel pita or sandwich and an avo toast. So, really the best of everything combined! Instead of spreading a bagel with cream cheese, we are spreading it with hummus. And filling it with falafel. Yep, it gets quite thick and tastes amazing. Plus, we have some springy goodness with the fresh veggies and sprouts. This bagel combo really is (not exaggerating here) life changing.

Plus, also this recipe is part of the NENI x Une Petite Cuisinière picnic series! Which means, you can use the (super delicious) Neni am Tisch products to make this. In other words, you get some healthy deliciousness in no time.

Is this dish healthy?

We got to be honest, it probably it not the most nutrient dense dish ever. It though, also is not unhealthy. The thing is that most of the time bagels themselves are not highly nutritious. To achieve their slightly sweet flavour, there often is sugar in them and they rarely are made with whole-wheat products. They do provide you with a bunch of carbs though, yet not many complex ones and not much fibre.

Nevertheless the fillings are nutritious. We have a lot of chickpeas in here – in form of hummus and in form of falafel. Chickpeas are high in protein and fibre and therefore a great plant-based food. Plus, we have some greens & radishes, meaning more vitamins and some avocado for healthy fats and deliciousness (what even is a bagel without avocado?).

How to make this dish?

This probably is one of the easiest things you’ve ever made. All you need to do is pop the falafel into the oven (this is no must, popping them into the oven just really lets them crisp up again and makes them taste much better). In the meantime we are toasting the bagel, slicing the radishes and cutting the avo.

When falafel and bagel are done, we spread some of the (best) Hummus onto the lower half of the bagel, add the falafel, the radishes, some cress or sprouts and top it with the avo. Now we got to sprinkle it with some sea salt, close it with the top and take it onto our picnic. A perfect dish for a perfect picnic!

What about meal prep and picnic?

Obviously the bagel won’t be crispy anymore when it has been stored in the fridge or in a container to be taken onto a picnic, nevertheless, it still is as delicious! If you just leave it like that, it will be a bit of a mess to eat though. To avoid that, it is best if you cut it in half and then take some parchment paper, cut a strip off it, wrap it around the bagel-half and then fix it with a string. That way everything holds together and you can eat without everything falling apart.

If you wanted to bagel to be a bit more crispy, you could also toast it beforehand and bake the falafel, then put both into a bag (not air tight!!) and take the avocado, sprouts, radishes and hummus in a separate container and fill the bagel at your picnic spot! This makes it all a bit fresher!

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Not your average (much better) Hummus & Falafel Picnic Bagel

crispy bagel with creamy hummus, crispy falafel and creamy avocado. This is the bagel combo you have been misisng out on all your life, I promise. It is so good that you will want to have it every day and take it on every picnic.

Course Breakfast, brunch, lunch, picnic
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten

What you will need

  • 1 bagel
  • 5 NENI am Tisch Falafel
  • 2-3 tbsp NENI am Tisch Hummus
  • 1/2 avocado
  • a few radishes
  • sprouts/ cress

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the falafel onto a baking tray and bake them for 10-15 minutes to get them crispy again.

  2. Slice the bagel in half and toast it.

  3. In the meantime slice the radishes and avocado and chop the cress.

  4. When the falafel are done, spread the bagel with the hummus, add the falafel, radishes and sprouts, and lay the sliced avocado on top. Sprinkle with some sea salt, close the bagel with the top and enjoy!

Regardless or which way you choose to take you bagel to the picnic, it’ll be delicious and I hope that you will also find it to be delicious and enjoy it!

Have a wonderful picnic,
Love,
Katie

The Best Healthy Falafel-style Pita with Dreamy Pink Goddess Sauce

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That bite into a warm and soft pita filled with a giant dollop of hummus, that coleslaw, the crispy deep fried falafel and that yummy yoghurt-mayonnaise sauce on top. Sounds heavenly doesn’t it? As good as it sounds, it is really everything else than healthy. But we do not want to miss out on that deliciousness. So why not making it healthy?

What is special about this dish?

A lot to be fair. We have falafel, that are not deep fried, as traditional falafel would be but pan fried. Then we have a pink tahini and greek yoghurt sauce (which I have never seen at any of those falafel stands before) instead of the mayonnaise yoghurt dressing and we have a homemade tzatziki and self-made hummus for that extra flavour .

First, what is falafel and where does it come from?

Falafel is a ball made out of chickpeas or cassava beens combined with different spices and herbs before it is deep fried. Usually it is served in a pita bread or to go with hummus or other mezze appetisers. It is believed to have originated in Egypt and can be found in the Middle Eastern cuisine today.

Why are falafel not very healthy?

While many people would believe that falafel are healthy because they are made out of chickpeas and are vegan, that is not quite the case. That is true, that the base of the falafel is healthy, so the „dough“ is healthy. But what is not nutritious about them then? The fact that they are deep fried. All of the oil adds a lot of fat and calories. It is more than fine to have fried food once in a while but it is not something that is healthy, one needs to be aware of that.

Authentic falafel are made with raw chickpeas that have been soaked. This way they are soft enough to blend but not too soft so you do not have a mushy consistency. But since we do not all have the time to soak falafel (especially when we want a quick meal), in here we use flour for the right consistency and canned falafel. This way they will not be white as crispy, but they are way quicker and still delicious!

How to make this dish healthy

Instead of deep frying the falafel, we prepare them in a pan with just a little oil. Yes, you can also bake them in the oven but to be honest, I never find that those get really crispy when being prepared in the oven. When making them in the pan, we still get that crisp (not the exact same of course, but a really good one) while keeping things healthy.

Also, to replace the mayo dressing that often comes on top we make a beetroot-greek yoghurt – tahini dressing. While homemade mayonnaise, in moderation is not unhealthy, store bought ones often have a lot of additives and preservatives in them and making your own one is a little tricky. The sauce we are making is high in protein, from the greek yoghurt, tastes delicious with the beets (and also has a nice colour), and has a good amount of healthy (or unsaturated fats) from the Tahin.

To make this entire dish even healthier you can substitute the normal pita with whole grain pita. This just is pretty difficult to find, which is the reason I stick with normal pita.

How do you make healthy falafel

This is super easy, to be honest. You need to drain canned chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with a bunch of parsley, onion, garlic, spices, and (wholewheat) flour. Then you just pulse everything together until you have reached a sticky, doughy consistency. (if you do not have a food processor or blender you can also add everything to a bowl, very finely chopped and mix it with a fork or your hands). Then you form little balls with your hand, one at a time and roll them in breadcrumbs.
In a hot pan with oil, you add the falafel and let them fry until crisp for about 3 minutes on each side. That is it!

Meal prep friendly?

I would say so. Pack everything separately and mix together before eating. The falafel will not be quite as crisp anymore but they’ll be just fine when you heat them up in the oven.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and please your family and friends with it!

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The best falafel-style pita with dreamy pink goddess sauce

A healthy version of the dreamy Middle Eastern classic. A little crispy on the outside, super soft soft on the inside falafel with a creamy delicious Tahini-Beetroot Sauce, Tzatziki and Hummus. Not difficult, but really healthy.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine middle eastern
Prep Time 25 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 35 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 397 kcal

What you will need

For the falafel:

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 2-3 tbsp flour (whole grain is prefered)
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the beet sauce

  • 1 small beetroot (precooked)
  • 100 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Tahin
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp honey

For the rest:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 200 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 pita breads
  • some hummus
  • fresh radishes & tomatoes
  • 2 handful salad

How to

  1. For the falafel combine all the ingredients, except the breadcrumbs, flour and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until combined (do not blend until smooth!!!). Then add the flour a tablespoon at a time and pulse it in (not blending fully, again!) until the dough is not sticky anymore. Chill in the frisge for half an hour.

  2. In the meanwhile peel the cucumber. Then cut into very thin slices (preferably with a mandoline). Add it into a bowl and salt generously. Let sit for 20 minutes.

  3. In the meantime slice up the raidshes and tomatoes and wash the salad.

  4. For the beetroot sauce add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick add some water or olive oil!

  5. After chilling take about 1 tablespoon at a time of the falafel dough and roll out in your hands into a small ball. Toss in the breadcrumbs until they cover the ball fully. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Heat up the oil in a pan and add the falafel. Let fry on this side for about 2-3 minutes on medium high heat before tossing. Do not toss around in the pan immediately since the dough still is a little bit soft. After those 2-3 minutes, start tossing them around in a pan softly and fry for another 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown on each side and crispy.

  6. Prepare the Tzatziki. Take a clean kitchen towl and place the salted and sliced cucumber in it. Squeeze out all of the remaining water of the cucumber and put it back into the bowl. Press the garlic and add it along with the greek yoghurt. Combine everything well and season with more salt if desired.

  7. To serve fill the pita with hummus, the veggies and the tzatziki. Add the falafel on top and drizzle with the sauce. Serve and enjoy !

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cusinière

Seed Coated Beetroot Balls

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Need some inspirational recipes for pink food? Then you have to try these sesame coated beetroot balls! Packed with so much flavor, a great texture, fluffy and soft, a beautiful pink color and coated in crispy seeds. Served in a bed of hummus and salad and topped of with some crumbled feta! Isn’t Fall a great season? With all the good seasonal food? At least I think so! 

Beetroots are such a healthy vegetable. They are packed with fiber and loaded with vitamin B9, which helps to form the DNA and RNA and helps the protein metabolism. Moreover they contain good amounts of manganese, potassium and Vitamin C. Also, they are great for vegetarians and vegans because of their high iron content. 

Beetroots are also proven to have numerous health benefits. When consumed they can control your blood flow levels, lower blood pressure, and increase your exercise performance! They help preventing cancer and are really low in calories. If all of this information hasn’t convinced you yet to try it than maybe look at that color! It’s so pink and pretty! 

The only reason why I did not cook with beets very often was because I did not know how to prepare them! I always thought of them being really difficult to prepare but actually they are really simple! You can either boil them, or steam them or bake them. I prefer baking the most because you can put it into the oven for about 50 minutes and don’t really have to leave an eye on it. It is so incredibly simple, I don’t know why I haven’t realized this earlier. Really missed out on something. 

After the little chunks have been baked, they just need to be combined in the food processor with a few other ingredients to get a doughy consistency. If you do not have a food processor you can just combine all the ingredients with a potato masher or a fork, simply bake the beets for a little bit longer! Form the balls, and roll them in the seed mixture. The seeds are really nutritious too and add an extra kick of protein to the balls, as well as some crunch. Think falafels but with beetroot and baked. 

If you feel like turning in the oven for just two servings isn’t worth it, than I have good news for you! Firstly, you can meal prep beets on the weekend so you have them in several dishes throughout the week, and secondly, you can make these balls in a big batch and freeze them (without baking). Whenever you need them, just take them out of the freezer and bake them in the oven and voila! 

I love to serve them on a bed of hummus because I am a hummus addict but if you prefer something else, Greek yoghurt for example would be really great too, or even some mashed avocado. On top some crumbled feta, it adds some freshness and I think the combo of beets and feta cheese is just bomb. Of course, if you prefer a vegan option, you can leave that out but if you are not vegan, I would definitely recommend to add it on top. 

Also, what I love to eat it with is some homemade focaccia. It basically is pizza, but only drizzled with some olive oil and fresh thyme. So good! If you don´t have the time or patience to make homemade focaccia, baguette, naan, or pita definitely works to. Or if you want to keep it low-carb, then leave the bread out!

I really enjoy making this recipe in fall because I believe that it is a healthy and funny way to switch up the game when preparing beetroots. It is not too hard but tastes amazing! I hope you like it and if you do so, I would really be thankful if you could leave a comment. Also be sure to tag me on Instagram with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere so I can see it! Happy fall, and I hope tht you will enjoy it!

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Seed Coated Beetroot Balls

A really delicious and nutritious way to add a twist onto your classic beet preperation.

Course brunch, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 1 Stunde 5 Minuten
Total Time 1 Stunde 20 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 438 kcal

What you will need

  • 5 beets
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 60 g Quinoa
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp herbs de provence (or any other herb-based seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 3 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp olive
  • 3 tbsp hummus
  • 1 big handvull salad lambs lettuce or arugula or spinach works best
  • 40 g feta cheese
  • some more olive oil to drizzle on top
  • some focaccia or pita to serve

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the beets and cut them into 1cm sized chunks. Layer them out on the baking tray, generously salt, and let them bake in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. After that time peek in with a fork. The beets should still have a little grip, and should not be too soft becaus eotherwise the mixture will be too soggy later on. Meanwhile cook the Quinoa according to the package instructions!

  2. Once baked add them into a large food processor. Add the 2tbsp of breadcrumbs, the cornstarch, salt quinoa, and the herbs. Pulse until combined and a crumby texture is created.

  3. Take the mass and form small balls. If you have, take an ice cream scoop and evenly portion them out into about 6 even sized balls. In a small bowl mix the seeds and the breadcrumbs. Roll the formed balls in the mixture so they are covered. Place them on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. If you have an oil spray, you can use this.

  4. Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until crispy. Spread the hummus onto two plates. Top with the salad. Add the beetroot balls on top and spinkle with the crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle some more olive oil and serve with some focaccia or bread. Enjoy!