
Food:
Sweet Potato Falafel makes about 18 (Adapted from My New Roots)
2 medium sweet potatoes (orange inside), roast on a baking sheet lined with parchmentĀ @375 for about 1 hour or tender inside
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 small cloves of garlic, chopped, plus 2 t. LazizĀ Toum (garlic condiment)
1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
a scant cup chickpeaĀ flour, (you can buy or make your own by placing 1 1/2c. chickpeas in blender and grind yourself. Be sure to sift before using)
salt and pepper
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg (about 1/2 t. each
Gomashio for topping
Directions:
1. After you have roasted your sweet potatoes and they are cool enough to handle, peel and place in a bowl. Smash with the back of a fork, next add all the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the gomashio. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the mixture to firm up.
2. Take the sweet potato mixture out of the fridge, using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop the sweet potato mixture out a scoop at a time. I like to flatten mine into an oval shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle with gomashioĀ (if you don’t haveĀ gomashio roll the falafel in sesame seeds). Bake in the oven @400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden and slightly crispy. Take out and let cool just a bit.


Homemade Naan makes 8 (recipe from the magazine Homemade Bread)
2 tsp. sugar (I like sucant)
1 c. warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 1/2 tsp. active-dry yeast
3 c. all-purpose flour (I used organic whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. salt
3 T. yogurt (I used buttermilk it’s what I had on hand)
6 T. ghee (clarified butter-love!)
Directions:
1. Dissolve the sugar in warm water, add yeast. Set aside until foamy about 10 minutes.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and yogurt. Using your fingertips, mix with the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
3. Turn dough outĀ onto a floured surface, knead it until it is smooth and elastic. Form dough into a ball.
4. Oil a large mixing bowl, roll the ball of dough in it until the surface of the dough is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest in the bowl until it has doubled-about an hour.
5. Place a cast iron griddle or skillet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees (I used a pizza stone).
6. Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface, and kneadĀ for 10 minutes (I know a long time but it’s totally worth it!). Divide the dough into eight equal sized round balls. Pat each ball between your palms or an onĀ a lightly floured surface until you have an oval about 5×7 inches in size. Apply ghee to each oval with your fingers or a pastry brush, sprinkle with salt.
7. Place naan on the hot cast iron griddle (I used a pizza stone, and I cooked 2 naanĀ at a time) oe skillet until they puff and brown lightly- about 5 minutes. Flip each naan, apply a bit more ghee and bake about 2 more minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and serve hot!


Putting them together:
1. Homemade falafel
2. Homemade naan
3. Parsley and cilantro leaves
4. Sunbridge sunflower sprouts
5. LazizĀ HummusĀ and Muhamara


I cut 1 naan in half, slather hummusĀ on one side and muhamaraĀ on the other. Sprinkle parsley and cilantro on one side and sunflower sprouts on the other. I cut the falafel in half and lay them on one side, top with the other side. EAT!
Nutrition:
Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes contain unique root storage proteins, which have been shown to exertĀ significant antioxidant effects. The presence of these proteins, along withĀ the high content od carotenesĀ and vitamin C, makes sweet potatoes a valuable food for boosting antioxidants in your body.Ā Sweet potatoes have been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels and improve the response to hormone insulin.
Chickpeas: GarbanzoĀ beans are a good source of fiber, folic acid and manganese. They are also a good form of protein as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and zinc. GarbanzoĀ beans can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels making them a great food for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. If served with high quality grains, garbanzo beans are an extremely low-fat complete protein.
Love:
This blog post is LOADED! It is very involved but theĀ work is worth the end result. There is a number of reasons I wanted to get this post on the blog.
1. I have made these falafelĀ a number of times last fallĀ and fell in love with how simple they are. You can make a sandwich with them or a salad. Quick, easy and great to have on hand. They are from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots.
2. If you haven’t met MoudiĀ and Derick the (cute) men behind LazizĀ you’ve been under a rock. They are all over the place right now showcasing their wonderful products. You can find them at a number of Farmers Markets as well as some of our great local retailers from Harmon’s to Liberty Heights Fresh. Their hummus isĀ creamy, their muhamaraĀ is just the right amount of sweet and spice and their ToumĀ (garlic condiment) is like nothing you’ve ever had-Ā think straight garlic mashed with olive oil and lemon. Translation- YUM!
3. I was totally inspired my one of my local fellow bloggers Becky over at Vintage Mixer. I told her we must have been on the same wave length with our cooking, she made lamb falafel and homemade pita bread. She also highlighted Laziz.
4. I have been on a kick of making my own bread. Every year I try to learn a new skill from roasting my own chicken, making my own almond milk or learning to make beans from scratch. Bread is my project this winter and getting to make homemade naan forĀ these falafel was so gratifying.
Whole foods are always best, yes it takes more time to make things from scratch BUT the quality, flavor and nutritional value are far greater than anything you can buy.Ā For me there is no greater joy than tackling a great new recipeĀ and there is also no greater joy than beingĀ inspired by the wonderful people around me.Ā Ā ENJOY!