Guest Post- Falafel By Elaine From Foodbod
I love this photo of beautiful Elaine and her sweet Bob
I feel so very lucky to know so many lovely and talented people. When I think about some of the exceptional cooks/bloggers that have agreed to do guest posts here I am honored and so very happy to present them to all of you that stop by for a read. This blogger/cook and amazingly talented woman is one of my favorite people, she can make a die hard vegetable hater a veggie lover. Elaine’s gorgeous blog Foodbod is one that I have followed for a few years now, I love her recipes like this Middle Eastern Aubergine or her wonderful sourdough bread. She inspires with her creativty, amazes with her talent and I like to call her the vegetable whisperer, she can coax incredible flavor from the most humble of vegetables by adding a little of this and that and when she pulls that tray out of the oven you know the master has done her magic I know most of you know her and if you don’t please visit her blog and read about Elaine and how her mission to eat healthful and delicious food came about, you will love it as much as I do, I guarantee it. Take it away Elaine…..
What can I say about the lovely Suzanne that hasn’t already been said by her previous guest posters?? Nothing really, they’ve said it all so beautifully, I’ll just be repeating things..but hey, who cares?!
Suzanne is such a constant, supportive and complimentary food blogger; she always has time to visit and comment on people’s posts, and is always positive and interested in what people have cooked, asking questions, giving suggestions and being a lovely friend. And Suzanne is such a gifted cook that I always feel honoured when she likes my food, so I was happily surprised, and honoured, when she asked me if I would like to put together a guest post for her…I hope she likes it, and that her readers do too 🙂
The fact that we share a love of dogs only makes me like her more xx
I wanted to push myself and create something new for Suzanne so I bring you:
the joy of a homemade falafel mix..
Falafels are a middle eastern ‘pattie’, typically made with dried soaked chickpeas and they tend to be deep fried; they are very much middle eastern street food. I love falafels and, in particular, I love the flavours in the mix of ingredients and like applying it to other dishes. On this occasion I decided to experiment with fava beans, which are dried broad beans, in place of dried chickpeas – whichever you choose, do not use the cooked or canned versions; the success of falafels comes from using dried & soaked pulses, that all adds to their crunch. I have also oven baked my falafels which I think works well, but that’s not all, read on…
The mix:
Ingredients
250g dried split fava beans, placed in a large bowl of water and soaked overnight
1 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cayenne pepper (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Flour of your choice as needed
Method
Wash and drain the fava beans
Put everything EXCEPT the flour in a blender and chop to a chunky crumb
At this point I stored the mixture in a wrapped bowl in the fridge and let the flavours develop, then started to make things with it over the next few days. You could use it immediately depending on your plans.
My first use of the mixture creates a lovely brunch, lunch or dinner..a falafel crunch with spinach and eggs..
Put about a quarter of the falafel mixture in a pan with melted coconut oil, over a medium heat. As you cook it, turn it all over every so often, and it becomes lovely and crunchy and browned.
Once cooked, add a handful of baby spinach leaves, and once that is cooked without becoming mushy, make some spaces in the mix and cook eggs into the mix.
A sprinkle of grated cheese finishes it all off perfectly.. I ate mine directly from the pan – saves on washing up!!
For a other idea, how about a falafel quinoa goodness bowl?
First, spoon about a quarter of the falafel mixture again into a pan with olive oil over a medium heat.
Start to cook it through then add several spoons of cooked quinoa.
Cook the mixture until the fava beans are cooked and the mixture starts to crisp slightly.
This creates a lovely dish of tasty goodness on its own, perfect for me for lunch with some homemade dips.. …
or you could use it as a side dish or in place of something like rice. Or again add some eggs to the dish, or your choice of meat or fish.
And finally..the actual falafels..
These falafels are oven baked; I’ve never deep fried my falafels so I can’t tell you how well it does or doesn’t work, but I can tell you that they are very good when baked..
A quarter of the mixture formed 6 falafels
Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour (I used spelt flour but any all purpose plain flour will do) and bring the mixture together with your hands, it will create a ‘dough’
I use a falafel press to create my patties but you could easily split the mixture into 6 and create balls then flatten them to discs
Brush olive oil on both sides and place on parchment paper on baking tray
Bake at 200C for 10 minutes then turn them all over and bake for another 10 minutes
They come out lovely and crunchy 🙂
I enjoyed mine wrapped in lettuce leaves with tahini sauce and homous.
In the Middle East falafels would typically be served in flat bread wraps with salad and tahini sauce so the lettuce formed my ‘bread’.
I hope you like my falafels and other ideas for the mix. I think it could also be utilised as a ‘crumble’ topping over a lovely dish, or as a crumb on a piece of fish or meat. The possibilities are endless!
Thank you again to Suzanne for inviting me to appear on her lovely blog, I hope you all enjoyed a bit of my world 🙂
apuginthekitchen 
Wow, everything looks so delicious!
Thank you 😀😀
Hi Elaine and Bob (love the pup-Elaine), love the guest post, love the recipe! Yay-love your comments about my dear friend Suzanne! Love, I feel the love! Cheryl x
Wonderful! If you are feeling so much love, my work is done 😀😀😀 xx
Absolutely beautiful post Elaine and I love u and Bob and Suzanne!!! xxx
Thank you so much x x x x x
xxxx
HAPPY🌹TUESDAY
I THINK SPRING HAS SPRUNG
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY🌾🌾🌾
I do believe you are right Happy Spring and thank you!!
I love all the choices! I have never made falafel, never really occurred to me to try. I am now going to try. Thank you for three delicious versions of a yummy recipe!
Thank you, Michelle, I hope you like it 😀
Hey, it’s me and Bob 😀😀😀 thank you so much for your kind words,I feel so honoured that you like what I do ☺️ And I hope that your readers like my falafel fun xxxxx
The recipe is great! I have to try it tomorrow! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it 😀
Elaine
Absolutely in love with this!
So what is original? Making falafel a with chickpeas or fAva beans?
And to see you and Suzanne together is such a good feel…2 most important pillars of my blogging life, always there and always supporting! ❤️❤️❤️
Hugs to both of you!
Yay! Thank you sweetheart 😘😘😘😘
The original is chickpeas…soaked and drained chickpeas. Never cooked chickpeas 🙂
Thank you so much Sonal, my two favorite vegetarian bloggers. YAY!!
😀😀😀
That’s a great tip Elaine 🙂
Cooked chickpeas, or fava beans in this case, would make it all too mushy
You Elaie and Bob with so beautiful eyes- you are welcome, with falafels or not ! Thank your for the smile, the recipe, photographs ! 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words 😀😀
The falafel recipes look so good. I would never have thought to use the mixture for something other than making falafels, so thanks for sharing your ideas. I think I could even get my meat eating hubby to try these, especially since they are made without using chickpeas ( the devil food he calls it).
Thank you so much 😀 I hope you like them
Two amazing and supportive bloggers for sure. Thanks, Elaine and Suzanne, what a great idea featuring this wonderful post as a guest blogger! Elaine, love the British bag of organic fava beans :)Such a variety of gorgeous dishes featuring these beans. I’ve never cooked with the dry version before. I can’t wait to try all of these above recipes. Also, love the idea of the falafel patties in the lettuce leaves, I’m really trying to cut back on carbs. Great job girls, keep it up! 🙂
Thank you so much, Loretta, I had great fun putting this together for Suzanne. It’s such an honour to be in her blog 😀 Thank you for your lovely comments xx
Thanks for introducing me to a new way to enjoy falafel. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Thank you so much, Pamela, I hope you like it 😀
Thanks for the fun guest post, Elaine and Suzanne. I always learn so much here. Huge hugs to you both. 🙂
Thank you so much, Teagan 😀
Thanks Elaine and Suzanne, I always feel the love when I’m on this blog and the recipes are great. I just made Suzanne ‘s madeleines and they were to die for.
Elaine, I’m a huge falafel fan and your recipe looks great but I have never seen dried split fava beans. I will look for them in my grocery stores.
Thank you so much for your kind words 😀 If you can’t find split fava beans, you can use whole ones (make sure they’re peeled) or use chickpeas in exactly the same way
I really enjoyed reading this post! The pictures are gorgeous, the preparation eye opening, and inspiring. I really knew nothing about falafel. You made me want to try cooking it and eating it. Thank you so much Elaine and Suzanne!
Brilliant! Thank you 😀 I do hope you try them and like them ☺️
Hi Suzanne and Elaine. This is such a great post, and I love all the variations you have done with your falafel ‘s. I will be popping over to check out your blog, Elaine And, by the way, Bob is gorgeous. Enjoy the rest of the week 🙂
Thank you so much, Lynne, I’m glad you like the post. And thank you, I do love my little Bob 😍
Thank you for your awesome guest post Elaine and sharing your beautiful dog with us! Any friend of Suzanne’s will be a welcome friend of mine. I’ve never tried to make falafel before, but I do love chickpeas so I’m sure this is delicious. Going to go check out your blog now.
Hi, thank you so much, I’m glad you like the post – and my lovely Bob ☺️☺️ I hope you try and like the falafels ☺️
Great!!!
Ta!
Wow yet another awesome post Elaine 🙂 thanks Suzzane for bringing Elaine here.. You look gorgeous in that pic 😘
My pleasure, Elaine is amazing, Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, Trupti, I hope you like it 😀
Thank you so much Elaine and Suzanne! I love how you made the basic mixture, then showed us 3 different ways to use it! Very clever and delicious suggestions! If I wanted to make it with chickpeas, would I just swap out the fava beans for an equal amount of chickpeas? 😋
I love falafel and can’t wait to make this. Thanks so much.
Thank you so much, I’m glad you like it 😀 Yes, just swap the fava beans fie the same weight of dried chickpeas
GENIOUS! I make and love falafel patties, but have never thought to use it like your have. Oh what a wonderful idea!
It is right, love what she does with falfafel.
Thank you Julie xx
Waving hi to Suzanne, and Elaine, you’ve taken something I’m unfamiliar with and made it look so tasty and appealing.
Waving back Mary, would love to see what your cowboys would think of falafel.
Thank you 😀 Bob and I are waving back!
🙂
I will love to have those falafels right now 😀 Gorgeous photos. Btw, I can’t stop staring at Bob.. he is adorbs!
I plan on making them soon, they look so good and Elaines photo’s are amazing. Love Bob.
Thank you so much 😀 I have to admit, my little Bob is so cute ❤️
I like the way you have used the Falafel mix and the use of Favorite beans. 🙂
Thank you Aruna 😀
Looks so tasty !! I just love eat Falafel. I have noted this recipe and just going to prepare right now. Thanks Elaine for sharing this recipe 🙂
Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy it 😀
It is lovely to have Elaine as your guest, Suzanne. She is brilliant. You both are. 🙂
All the dishes are wonderful, Elaine. And I love that falafel press. The baked falafels look good and tastes even better than the fried ones.
Thank you so much, lovely Jhuls 😘😀
Lovely post form 2 great bloggers. Love this menu prepared by Elaine: delicious, tasty and tempting! 🙂
Thank you, lovely Linda xxxx
Love this post Suzanne! Two very talented and lovely people! Elaine such a cute photo–beautiful xxx yummy
Thanks so much Lynn.
Wonderful suzanne. I love this special post!
Thank you so much Lynn xxx
Beautiful post Elaine and Suzanne. .. Elaine is a wonderful chef – love all her recipes…. brilliant…
She is truly wonderful thank you so much Chitra.
Thank you so much, Chitra,that’s so kind xx
I love Elaine recipes…falafel looks super yum..
Me too, love Elaine and her recipes. Thank you so much.
xxxx
Thank you so much, Vidya xx
From the bottom of my heart, I agree with what Suzanne said about Elaine, and what Elaine said about Suzanne.
Elaine, I love felafel and especially what you have presented here with innovating ingredients. Just Fabulous! 🙂
Love you Fae, thank you.
Thank you, lovely Fae xxxx
I am so excited to see this! I adore falafel and have never had luck making my own. The patties/balls always fall apart. These pictures are so pretty and the falafel looks superb! I can’t wait to try. Thank you Elaine and Suzanne!
Thank you so much, I hope you find this useful 😀
Hi Suzanne and Elaine, first of all Bob is adorable, love that little face. And the falafel looks delicious, beautiful dish with the eggs, great idea to crunch it up. Will prepare the patties.
Thank you so much, Cheri, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I completely agree with Suzanne and Elaine. Both have said almost the same things I would have wanted to say about them. Lovely ladies👍👍
I have been wanting to make Falafel for a long time now but I am afraid they would turn out dry and hard like i tasted somewhere. When this recipe is Elaine certified I am sure it will be delicious. Thank you for sharing ☺
Thank you so much for your lovely words xx I hope the falafels work well for for you 😘😘
Not only do the falafels look lovely (and healhty) I love the idea of the mix. I would never have thought of all the other uses and never would have thought of the idea even, of other uses. Truly creative! And I second everything about Suzanne!
Thank you so much, Mollie xxx
Ditto all of your comments about Suzanne, Elaine! She is one of the most beautiful, genuine bloggers out there. One of the most consistently supportive since I started my own blogging journey several years ago, too. So nice to ‘meet’ you via this guest post. I adore falafel, I do make my own already but I’d love to try your recipe for comparison. I love the adaptability of your mix, and the use of fava beans instead of chickpeas (which is what I usually use). Super delicious photos and awesome notes. Definitely going to make good use of your recipe Elaine!!!
Hi Laura, lovely to meet you too 😀 there’s been so much love in all of the comments on this post, which I believe is a real reflection of our lovely Suzanne ❤️
Thank you for your kind words about my recipe/s, I hope you like the outcome x
Definitely agree. It’s a reflection of Suzanne and the lovely friendship network she’s created on here! Glad to have ‘met’ you as a part of it xx
Me too xx
its looks so good….
Thank you 😀
Wow, I never falafel could be transformed in such delicious ways, Elaine! I love falafel (traditional kind from Middle Eastern restaurants)… looks like it may be time to try my hand at your homemade version. Love the falafel quinoa bowl especially!
Lovely post, Suzanne and Elaine!
Thank you so much, Nancy 😀 I hope you like it xx
I love falafels but shamefully I have never made them always opting to buy a ready made pack of them. I really should have a go, thanks for posting this guest recipe.
Elaine’s look and sound so good. Almost to good not to make yourself. I love her recipes. They are so well thought out and always turn out well. Thanks so much.
Hello Suzanne! I’ve reached your blog through Elaine’s fantastic guest post! 🙂 I think the crunchy quinoa bowl has to be my favourite idea – yummy topped with houmous and maybe some sundried tomatoes thrown in too! 🙂 Oh and of course gorgeous Bob makes an appearance – perfect 🙂
So great!
Thank you so much😃😘
Will definitely be trying these out!