Chickpea-Powered Mediterranean Couscous

Ingredients:
1 zucchini
8 oz grape tomatoes
2 sprigsThyme (.5 oz)
2 Scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 can Chickpeas
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 cup couscous
1/2 Tablespoon Stock Concentrate
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Wash and dry all produce. Adjust racks to middle and upper position and preheat to 425 degrees. 
2. Trim zucchini, then cut into 1/2-inches cubes. Halve tomatoes. Strip thyme leaves from stems. Trim, then thinly slice scallions, keeping greens and whites separate. Mince garlic. Halve lemon.
3. Toss zucchini, tomatoes, and half of the thyme leaves on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Roast in oven on middle rack until tender, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
4. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas. On another baking sheet, toss chickpeas, paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in oven on upper rack until crisp, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway. TIP: The chickpeas may pop-it's natural.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon butter, garlic, and scallion whites in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and garlic is fragrant, add couscous and remaining thyme leaves. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing until couscous is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir stock concentrate and 1 1/2 cups water into pot. Bring to boil, then lower heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook until couscous is al dente, 10-12 minutes.
7. Add half the veggies, half the feta cheese, and squeeze of lemon to pot with couscous and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide couscous & veggies between plates, then top with scallion greens and remaining feta cheese.

"Pasta" Primavera

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti Squash
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground garlic
• Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• Sea salt (to taste)
• 2 Handfuls fresh organic spinach
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Protein of choice (2 organic chicken breasts, 10 large shrimp)
• Optional: Add in other vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, grape tomatoes, asparagus)
• Optional: Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan when serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Drizzle olive oil  on squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on pan and cook for 30 minutes or until interior is soft.
3. Prepare protein of choice.
4. In a medium-sized pot add oil, garlic and onion and saute for 3-5 minutes
5. Add in spaghetti squash and mix well.
6. Add in sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and any other vegetables of choice.
7. Add in protein and mix well to combine.
8. Top with fresh basil and fresh Parmesan (optional) and serve hot; taste and add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

~Recipe adapted from lexiscleankitchen.com

Sauteed Veggie Burritos

  

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 whole limes, juiced and zested
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 whole zucchini, chopped
• 1 whole yellow squash, chopped
• 1 can corn
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• salt to sprinkle
• 1 can seasoned black beans (I used non seasoned and still had great flavor)
• 6 whole burrito-sized flour tortillas
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup grated cheese (ex. Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
• Optional toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, extra cilantro, hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir around for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and juice and zest of 1 lime. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the juice and zest from the remaining lime, then stir in the cilantro. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and bell peppers for 3 minutes. Add in squash and saute for additional 3 minutes. Add corn and black beans and saute until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds. *I find it helps to add a damp paper towel on the top of the tortillas while warming in microwave.
4. To assemble the burrito, lay out each tortilla on your work surface. Spoon on rice, then sprinkle on sauteed veggies. Top with chopped tomato, cheese, and any other topping you'd like. Tuck in the sides, then roll the burrito up as tightly as you can. Cut in half and chow down!

*If you substitute the chicken broth in the rice with vegetable broth it will be vegetarian!

~Recipe adapted from thepioneerwoman.com

Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 cup frozen cut Italian cut green beans
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup carrots (julienned or shredded)
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups hot water
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup small shell pasta

Directions:

1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot
2. saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrots, hot water, and spices.
4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
6. Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings.

~Recipe from food.com & Stephanie M.

Sautéed Zucchini and Corn Over Ravioli

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbalespoons unslated butter
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, halved & sliced crosswise into very thin half moons and washed well (after cutting)
• Course salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
• 1/4 chiffonade of basil
• Store bought ravioli (I used mushroom ravioli for the picture above)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add leek and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until leek is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and corn and cook until tender and color is bright, about 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling water, to package directions.
3. Stir in cream and basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve over ravioli.

~Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Cooking School book

Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• course salt & ground black pepper
• 1 package (10 ounce) frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 head (10 ounce) red-leaf lettuce, torn bite size

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, and oil, season with salt & pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Add green beans and walnuts to sheet; toss. Roast until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, and garlic; season dressing with salt & pepper. 
5. Top lettuce with roasted vegetable mixture; drizzle with dressing.

~Recipe from Real Food Magazine, 2008

Raw Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 Kale leaves (raw)
• 1/4 orange
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• 1/8 cup almonds
• Handful dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Chop kale, removing hard stems.
2. To make dressing: squeeze orange and mix the juice with olive oil and champagne vinegar. 
3. Sprinkle feta cheese, almonds and cranberries over kale.
4. Top with dressing and enjoy!

~Recipe from Stephanie M.

American Triffle

Ingredients:

• 1 package vanilla pudding, prepared according to package
• 1 (16 oz) package blueberries
• 1 (16 oz) package strawberries, sliced (leave one whole with green removed)
• 1 pint whipping cream, whipped with powder sugar & vanilla extract
• 1 angel food cake, cut into bite size pieces

Directions:

You can layer the ingredients how ever you would like, but my layers are as follows:

1. pudding
2. angel food cake
3. whip cream
4. strawberries
5. angel food cake
6. pudding
7. whip cream
8. blueberries
9. angel food cake
10. pudding 
11. whip cream
12. strawberries
13. blueberries
14. the rest of the whip cream
15. strawberry star with a few randomly placed blueberries

*How to make whip cream: Place whipping cream in a metal or glass bowl. Whip until soft peaks, then add powder sugar and vanilla extract, to taste. Whip to stiff peaks and enjoy! (It will whip faster if you place the bowl and whisk in the freezer prior to whipping the cream.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch slices
• 1 lb green beans (I used frozen French style)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt & black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare a large cooking sheet with foil or silicon mat.
2. Put green beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour into Ziploc. Close bag, shake and squeeze bag until beans and mushrooms are lightly coated. 
3. Arrange on the prepared large cookie sheet. Spread them out so mixture is not crowded. 
4. Roast for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan.

~Recipe adapted from kalynskitchen.com

Bean and Cheese Tamales

Total time: 1hr 55 min
Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min

Yields: 8 tamales

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt & pepper
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:

1. Put the oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove half and reserve it for the tamale dough.
2. To the pan with the remaining onions add the beans, hot sauce, chili powder and season with salt & pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and the baking powder. Cut the butter into the cornmeal using a form or a pastry blender. Add the broth, a little at a time, until the dough comes together. Mix in the reserved cooked onion and garlic.
4. Cut parchment paper into 8 (8 by 8-inch) squares. Spread 1/3 cup of the tamale dough onto the center of the paper and lightly press it into a circle. Put a heaping tablespoon of the beans on top with a tablespoon of cheese. Bring the 2 corners of the paper at the end of the rectangle up to encase the beans and cheese with the tamale dough. Fold the corners together a couple of times. Fold the other sides over to cover the seam and turn right side up. Continue this process with the remaining dough and filling.
5. Put a steamer basket into a large pot and add enough water to come just below the basket. Cover the pot and put it over medium-low heat to bring the water to a simmer. Put the tamales in the steamer basket. Cover and steam the tamales until dough is cooked through, about 1 hour, check after 30 minutes, you may need to add more water to the pot. Remove the tamales from paper wrapping and serve warm.

*I recommend trying to get tamale dough as thin as possible and add more then 1 tablespoon filling if possible. You may want to make a sauce for the top, melt cheese, or add hot sauce.

~Recipe from Sandra Lee's Sandra's Money Saving Meals on foodnetwork.com

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (I used chia seeds)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Use a small scoop to  portion out ingredients and squeeze firmly to make a dense ball.
3. You can eat immediately but I choose to cool in the refrigerator, which helps the balls keep their shape.

~Recipe from Mikaila

BBQ Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought pizza crust*
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, any brand
• 2 cups potato, diced & cooked
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced in thin strips

Directions:

1. Place pizza crust on a pizza tray or a large cookie sheet. Cover with barbecue sauce, as you would with pizza sauce.
2. Top with potato, cheese and red onion and bake until golden and bubbly on top, cook according to pizza dough directions.

*I purchase dough from a local pizzeria (Cozzola's Pizza) or in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

I roast the potatoes for about a half hour in the oven 425°F with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. I also roasted the onions with the potatoes prior to putting them on the pizza, that way I didn't have to slice them as thinly and they wouldn't have as strong of an onion flavor.

~Recipe by Mikaila

Eggplant and Mushroom Polenta Bake

  

**First picture from original source of recipe (the inside of mine didn't come out as pretty).

Difficulty: Easy
Total time: 1hr 45 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• For the filling
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant, large dice
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and mushrooms quartered
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 1 teaspoon dried oragano
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the polenta and to assemble:
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups polenta (or coarsely ground cornmeal)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese (about 5 ounces)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place a large, well-seasoned or enameled cast iron skillet in the oven while it is heating.
2. Once the oven is heated, carefully drizzle 1 Tablespoon of the oil into the hot skillet and let it heat up for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggplant to the skillet and arrange it in an even layer. Roast until tender and starting to brown, stirring halfway through, about 25 minutes. Using a dry kitchen towel or potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven by its handle and place it on the stovetop. Use care when hadnling the hot skillet on the stovetop.) Using a spoon, transfer the eggplant to a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and place over high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring rarely, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the wine, stir to combine, and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium low and, using a spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the eggplant.
4. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of the skillet and heat until shimmering Add the onion, orangano, and red pepper flakes and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
5. Add the olives and reserve eggplant and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices in the bowl, and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and water, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, begin making the polenta. (When the eggplant and mushroom mixture is ready, remove from the heat, taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed; keep warm until the polenta is ready.)

For the polenta and to assemble:

1. Place the measured water, milk and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and, whisking constantly, slowly pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream until all of it is incorporated and there are no lumps.
2. Cook, whisking or stirring with a spoon every few minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and the grains have softened, about 20 minutes. (If the polenta starts to get too thick before it's done, add water 1/4 cup at a time as necessary.) Stir in the Parmesan cheese and set aside. Heat the oven to broil and keep the rack in the middle.
3. Pour the polenta over the eggplant and mushroom mixture and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Evenly sprinkle the fontina over the polenta. Place the skillet in the oven and boil until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

*I don't have a cast iron skillet, so I used a oven safe pan. If your pan has a plastic handle wrap it with foil to make it oven safe.

~Recipe from Chow.com

Spring Quinoa Side

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 1 bell pepper. diced (I used 1/2 red & 1/2 orange)
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 5 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa following package directions, set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute onions and bell peppers for 5 minutes.
3. Add zucchini &grape tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked quinoa to pan along with garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste. 
5. Can be served warm or cold.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Cheesy Quinoa & Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked
• 2 crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium sauce pan, cook the quinoa in water according to package directions and then set aside.
3. In a pot, add some water and bring to a boil. Place the broccoli with the pot and cover for about 4 minutes. When done cooking rinse with cold water.
4. Return the drained broccoli to the large pot and add the quinoa.
5. In a saute pan over medium heat add olive oil and onion and garlic. Saute until translucent.
6. Melt butter in pan. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes.
7. Whisk in mustard, cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
8. Whisk mixture while adding milk slowly. Simmer mixture, reducing heat if necessary, about 5 minutes until thickened.
9. Remove from heat, whisk in the cheddar a handful at a time until completely melted. Reserve a little cheese for top.
10. Pour sauce over broccoli-quinoa mixture and toss to mix. Make sure all the quinoa is mixed well.
11. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and top with reserved cheese.
12. Bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. 
13. Serve warm.

*I put half of the mixture in an aluminum container and the other in a casserole dish. After browning the top, I let the aluminum container cool completely, covered it, and placed in the freezer to eat at a later date!

~Recipe via todaystaste.com

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt or table salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
2. Remove leaves from stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil (or olive oil spray) and sprinkle with season salt.
3. Place kale on baking sheet with no overlapping (overlapping will cause the kale to steam rather then crisp). You may have to do a few batches.
4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Irish Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks
• 4 cups peeled, sliced potatoes
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• One half cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, drained and crumbled bacon
• one half cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add the onions and leeks and stir to cover them with butter. Cover the pot and cook slowly to allow the vegetables to "sweet" ~about 20 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, stir them into the butter, cover the pot, and cook over low heat another 15 minutes.
3.  Stir in the stock, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches and return it to the pot. Heat thoroughly.

*You can add more potato to make the soup thicker. You can also get creative and add carrots, broccoli or other veggies to increase nutritional value. I use vegetable stock instead of the chicken broth. Serve with crackers or bread and cheese and a salad.

~Recipe from Stephanie M.

Tortellini Florentine Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6-8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 Jar of pasta sauce (either full jar or about 3/4 of jar)
• 1 box/bag of fresh spinach
• shredded Parmesean (optional for serving)

Directions:

1. Bring broth to a boil
2. Add tortellini and cook until al dente. 
3. Lower heat to a simmer. Add the pasta sauce and stir in spinach
4. Simmer everything together until the spinach is good and wilted.
5. Serve with shredded Parmesean cheese on top.

~Recipe via Stephanie

Falafel with Tahini & Tzatziki Sauces

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups roughly chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Canola oil, for sauteing
• Pita bread, for serving

Tahini Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt (full fat or non-fat)
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste) 
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1 (8 ounce) container plain yogurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt & pepper, to taste 
• 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are finely minced. Remove the mixture and set it aside.
2. Add the chickpeas, parlsey, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until they are roughly blended but not pureed.
3. Return the onion mixture to the food processor, along with the baking powder and just enough flour so that when you pulse the processor, the mixture begins to form a small ball and is not sticky. (Note: Start by adding 1/4 cup of flour, and then the remaining 1/4 cup. You can add more if the mixture is still too wet.)
4. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
5. While the falafel mixture is chilling, prepare the tahini sauce and tzatziki sauce 
• Tahini Sauce: whisking together the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper, cover it and place it in the fridge.
• Tzatziki Sauce: stir together the yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic until well-combined. Cover it and place in the fridge.
6. Once the falafel mixture has chilled, use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to form the mixture into balls. (Note: you can also add additional flour at this point, if the mixture is too wet to scoop.)
7. Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add a liberal amount of caonla oil so that the pan is well-coated. Let the pan pre-heat for 3 minutes then add the falafel one by one, browning them on the first side for 3 minutes, then flipping them once and browning the second side until the mixture is cooked throughout.
8. Transfer the falafel to a paper towel-lined cooling rack and immediately season them with salt. Repeat this process until you have cooked all of the falafel.
9. Place three or four inside a halved, warmed pita and drizzle with either the prepared tahini or tzatziki sauces.

*Tahini can be found in Asian aisle or next to peanut butter, it's cheaper in the nut butter aisle. It will be labeled as sesame paste or sesame butter.

Recipe for falafel and tahini sauce from justataste.com and Tzaziki sauce recipe from allrecipes.com/

Easy Waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

~Recipe from allrecipes.com