Whole Grain, High Fiber Food

Falafel Sandwich by Lynette Rohrer Shirk

This is a Middle Eastern classic. Stands are on every downtown street, as ubiquitous as McDonalds but much healthier.

Serves 6

Calories: 449.29

Protein: 12.55 grams

Carbohydrates: 51.72 grams

Fiber: 10.58 grams

Fat: 23.65 grams

1 cup dried garbanzo beans

½ cup chopped red onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

2 cups vegetable oil

3 rounds of pita bread

6 tablespoons hummus

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 cup shredded lettuce

½ cup chopped cucumbers

6 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Soak the garbanzo beans in 3 cups of water overnight.
Drain the garbanzo beans and put them in a food processor with the red onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Pulse until everything is combined and the texture is fine but not a paste.
Sprinkle the baking powder and flours over the mixture and pulse again until well combined. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 375°F. Shape falafel mixture into small balls and fry 4 to 5 at a time. Drain on paper towels.
Cut the pita rounds in half and open them to create a pocket bread out of each half. For each sandwich, spread the inside of a pita pocket with hummus, stuff a few falafel into it, and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers. Drizzle yogurt over the top and sprinkle with parsley.