Picnic in the Park + Homemade Falafels

Yesterday my friend Amanda & I went on the most beautiful picnic in Griffith Park.  I've been in Los Angeles 3 years now and can't believe I've never really been there!  It is MASSIVE and has a golf course and horses and a gigantic merry-go-round...  After exploring for about half an hour (we'll leave out the part about driving towards oncoming traffic on what I thought was a one-way street) we chose a lovely spot surrounded by trees and settled in to enjoy our goodies.

Here are some of the things we prepared for lunch:

-Homemade falafels (baked, not fried!)
-Fresh parsley tahini sauce
-Pitas with homemade garlic hummus
-Our favorite "super chopped" vegetable salad
-Vegan brownies

And an assortment of fresh fruits & veggies and, of course, orange juice & champagne for mimosas!  Over the next few days I'll share with you all of our amazing recipes so that you, too, can enjoy nourishing yourself with sunshine, friendship & healthy foods.

Ingredients:

15 oz. can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
1/2 an onion
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice (about a tsp.)


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  If using canned chickpeas, drain & rinse.  Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until blended (will have the texture of hummus).  Spoon mixture into little "patties" on baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.  Flip and bake for another 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Top with tahini sauce and serve in pitas, on buns or with your favorite salad.  Keep leftovers in the fridge for a great, quick snack!

* For quick, homemade tahini sauce blend 1 heaping tablespoon of tahini, the juice of a whole lemon, a handful of fresh parsley and a little salt & pepper together in a food processor (or magic bullet) and serve fresh.