This week my son Asher graduated from preschool and turned 5. FIVE YEARS OLD! When did my baby boy become this independent, spirited, young adult?! As is a typical habit if mine when life becomes complicated, I turn to the kitchen…

I have been craving a healthy, homemade falafel and this little dish did not let me down. The coriander and lemon juice add a nice kick to the freshness of the puréed onion and parsley, and balances nicely with a cool tzatziki sauce or tossed cucumber and tomato salad. It is very simple to prepare and holds up surprisingly well as a baked version of this typically fried food.
  
BAKED FALAFEL
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained 
1 onion, chopped 
1/2 cup fresh parsley 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 teaspoon ground coriander 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 dash pepper 
1 pinch cayenne pepper 
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don’t use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas. Add egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder and stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 10 balls (I doubled the recipe and made smaller bites in the photo above) and then flatten into patties. Evenly space on baking sheet and bake each side for 10 minutes. Then broil each side for 2 minutes.