It's been a month now since I'm living in the Marais, the Jewish area in Paris and there isn't a corner without a restaurant with Jewish specialities. Every time I want to go in one of them, it is fully booked or there is a ten meters line and I'm the kind of girl who cannot stay put, unless it is to brunch! Therefore, as usual, I decide to recreate what I was about to eat in this restaurant: Falafels. But of course, I choose to make them vegan, full of taste and without frying them, in two words: healthy falafels! To go along with, I didn't make any dips or special white sauce but instead four small "side dishes" but all presented in one plate (see picture above, if you don't follow me) Pretty easy to make, the first one is fresh cherry tomatoes with garlic, basil, olive oil and oregano; the second one is chickpeas (I prepared too many, so I used them as a side dish too) marinated with garlic, tahini sauce, parsley and cumin roasted for 6 minutes (they become crispy, it is delightful) the third one is avocado drizzle with a bit of olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, chili flakes, salt and pepper and last but not least garlic sauted mushrooms. You might think that it took me a hour but I can assure you that everything was done in 15 minutes max. This meal is very satisfying, healthy and incredibly tasty with cooked, fresh and raw tastes, with different herbs and spices which make this plate a perfect lunch to me.

Preparation for 10 falafels - 25 minutes

10 leaves of fresh min, finely chopped
10 leaves of fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 onion, finely chopped
50 grams pumpkins seeds
50 grams sunflowers seeds
1 big tablespoon of organic olive oil
1 big tablespoon of buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
200 grams of organic chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed)

Preheat the oven at 200°C and put a baking sheet on a baking tray.
Pour everything in a blender and mix until very is just combined (the consistency should be sticky but dry like a crumble.
Shape small balls and put them on a baking tray in the oven for about 12 minutes, turning them every 3 minutes to allow to be crispy on each side.
Meanwhile, let's prepare the side dishes:

Avocado: Slice one avocado in dices, drizzle with olives oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
Tomatoes: On a sauce pan, drizzle some olive oil, warm chopped garlic, dice cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil leaves and add salt and pepper.
Chickpeas: Drain out the excess water in the can, rinsed and pour in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, tahini sauce, a teaspoon of cumin, some parsley leaves, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Set for 10 minutes & cook it on high heat for 7 minutes.
Mushrooms: Slice mushrooms and on a warm sauce pan, drizzle some olive oil and grilled the mushrooms with Garmin until they become golden brown.

Vegan Falafels & side dishes