Weekend Cooking; Julie's Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

A few years ago my friend Julie copied this recipe for me after she'd told me how delicious and easy it was to make.  I tucked it away in my recipe box until last week.  During Spring Break I cleaned a few cupboards out including the three different locations of cookbooks.  I was going through a recipe box looking for one from my mother-in-law for her pie crust.  I didn't find that card but I did organize the box better and I pulled this one out to make.  My thoughts were "why haven't I made this already?"

I made it tonight. Sometimes it takes me all week to gather ingredients.  Even though I thought I had everything my husband had to stop and get a lemon and a cucumber to complete the list.  Crazy.

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{Super Easy}Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 egg
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained

Cumin is one of my favorite spices. I love just the smell of it.  I was bold and added 2 heaping teaspoons.  I only had red pepper flakes so added just one teaspoon of that.  I try not to buy cans of beans anymore preferring to make them myself.  A few weekends ago for fun I cooked two bags of garbanzos and then froze them in two cup bags.  I unfroze a bag and a half for this recipe.  Love garbanzos too, especially freshly-made.

Toss all those above ingredients into your food processor and mix until smooth.  Divide into small patties.  {This was a very sticky step}  Heat a nonstick skillet (I used a cast iron Lodge) with olive oil.  Cook 5 minutes on each side until slightly browned.

Prepare sauce:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 T. lemon juice
2 T tahini
1 garlic clove, minced

Mix together.  Serve falafels with whole wheat pitas, curly lettuce leaves, tomato slices, cucumber slices and pile all together.

My husband and I both thought Feta cheese crumbled on top would have made a wonderful addition.  Next time that will be on our serving platter as well.  They were tasty but too much for Groovy Girl who created her own sandwich with her pita bread.

Thanks Julie!  We loved them.  Next time it won't take me two years to make them.

Tonight at 8:30 all the lights in my house will be turned off in celebration of WWF Earth Hour.  Find out more here.  We participate in this worldly event every year and love how it reminds us of how important our earth is and how our resources are truly limited.  Use a flashlight to read by, light a soy-based candle, hold hands, or just look outside.  It was a gorgeous day outside today and I'm excited to end my evening with Groovy Girl this way.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme.  All invited to participate.  Click her link to find many other food-related posts.

Peace out.  Happy eating.