Monday, January 11, 2010

Raw Falafel!

My friend Cindy always tells this joke: "What did the sick chickpea say?"

Answer: "I falafel!"

Get it? I "feel awful." Cheezy, yes. But clever.

Anyway, today's lunch was far, far from awful. In fact, Gena's (of the Choosing Raw blog) Carrot Falafel recipe is quite scrumptious! Here's a cute little falafel ball, fresh out of the dehydrator:

There are several raw falafel recipes out there, but Gena's is pretty unique. She uses carrot pulp (from the juicer) and ground sesame seeds for the base. That green stuff is cilantro and chopped celery. They're dehydrated for about 4 hours, but Gena provides alternate instructions for using an oven on the lowest setting.

Of course, falafel isn't the same without pita. So I made some Raw Pita Bread using a recipe in Rose Lee Calabro's Living in the Raw Gourmet:

This "flatbread" is made from a base of flaxseed and avocado, blended up and poured onto Teflex sheets on the dehydrator. It made the perfect holder for Gena's falafel and her tangy tahini sauce.

Here's a shot of my whole lunch, with a big ole side salad:

While on the ACT cleanse, I'm eating meals like this for lunch everyday. My raw lunches follow breakfasts of raw breads, raw oats, fruit, or smoothies. And of course, every breakfast begins with a big ass glass of green juice (usually made from kale or collards, celery, cucumber, and apple). My nights are filled with hearty, cooked meals made with gluten-free whole grains, veggies, and proteins (like beans or tempeh).

I only have 16 days left on the cleanse ... and that means I'm 16 days closer to a soy latte, a slice of toast, a cupcake, and a gorgeous glass of vegan merlot. Maybe all at the same time.

24 comments:

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

What kind of juicer do you have? I had to pass this recipe over because I don't have one...yet.

Vegan Valerie said...

I love your food pics! They inspire me! And I also love the joke! Now I know how to pronounce "falafel"! :)

ZippyZu said...

Wow- that falafel looks- AMAZING! I'm so amped to get my dehydrator (Excalibur should be coming today!!!) I really was looking forward to make some raw bread and such in there- I think I might have to join you for that soy latte.. and cupcakes! Keep up the great work!

Sheridan said...

I vote all at the same time! Haha! Food looks great, Bianca! It's awesome that you are getting to use your dehydrator so much on this cleanse.

Millie said...

Fabulously appetizing.

http://nuestracena-vegancuisine.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

That lunch looks delicious! And I love the joke ;-)

jessy said...

i think i remember hearing that joke from you a while back when dan and i had falafels - i laughed my ass of then and i still do! yay!

i saw that JoLynn of dreamin it vegan had made Gena's carrot falafels, too - they look so amazing and awesome - think i'm totally gonna have to make 'em happen. hooray for using pulp that might otherwise just be composted. less food waste = the absolute best! i love that you make some raw pita, too - score! your ACT eatz are look'n great, and i'm excited that you're close to a cuppins cake, tasty vegan wine, the latte 'n toast. mmmmm!

Anonymous said...

All at the same time, definitely! Raw falafel sounds good but I don't yet have a dehydrator :(

Whtiney @ Lettuce Love said...

I love that joke! It cracked me up :) Great eats!

Sarah S. said...

raw gourmet, indeed!

Leslie Richman said...

I think your blog post on the after-cleanse treats is going to rock!!!

Raw falafel sounds great!

Babette said...

That raw falafel with the pita and sauce look even better than the real thing, and healthier too!

Unknown said...

Hi. I read your blog all the time but have never posted.
The cleanse sounds a bit hard but do you feel any different? I imagine I would light and healthy on such a cleanse (after the first few days).
Keep up the good work! :)

radioactivegan said...

Do you remember the TBS "Dinner and a Movie" thing where they'd show a movie and in the commercials show how to cook a dinner that was somehow (cornily) related to the movie? My favorite one was "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" teamed with "I can't come to school today because I falafel" ... :)

dreaminitvegan said...

Hee hee hee, funny joke!
I love these falafals so much, very tasty. Your homemade raw pita
looks purrrrfect!

aTxVegn said...

This looks amazing! I really need to find time to use my dehydrator.

You're doing great on the detox. I feel ya on the coffee. I confess I did not give up coffee on my detox.

CRyb said...

LOL, mee too. I'm doing raw food all of January. I did it once before and was amazed to not get cravings for cooked food. I must say I don't count my tea or chai...just food. Good luck on the halfway mark. I'm making cauliflower couscous tonight.

Erin said...

I'm super impressed by your raw food skills!

Vegan In The VI said...

My goodness! Feel free to cheat at anytime! We will get over it.

Theresa said...

Well this doesn't look like a bad way to live! The falafels and pita look delicious, and I kind of love the joke.

Trinity (of haiku tofu) said...

I told that joke within seconds of reading it. And it got a laugh! Nice falafel, lady- looks gorgey.

Anonymous said...

Falafel is my favorite!

Mike K said...

I love jokes simple enough for me to remember - that's great! This makes me want to get a dehydrator - the avocado and flax seed pita looks really good, and I would have never thought of making pita with those ingredients.

Jessica said...

That *is* a great falafel recipe! I can't wait to try it with all carrot pulp because when I made it, I used mixed pulp & it was a liiiiittle dry. Delicious, but not moist enough. I'm sure the carrots are the key.

What a fantastic lunch! You make me wish I was partaking in this cleanse...