To collaborate is to work jointly on an activity, to produce or to create something.
So when my friend (in my head) Josh wanted to feature me in his social media tribute to Women’s History Month I could not turn the opportunity down. A humble and easy going guy with roots in the Caribbean – he talked freely about the food his family ate back in St. Thomas and how the women in his family proudly took over the kitchen to prepare the meals. Inspired by his love for New York City, the view through Josh’s lens tells a story of new age fly-ness.
His camera started snapping as I prepared and plated the falafels. I began to make these seasoned chickpea balls at home after tasting them for the first time at a spot downtown NYC called Taim. I always make falafels with tons of parsley and cilantro that not only gives great flavor but lends to the emerald green color. Recently, I tried sun-dried tomato falafels and let me tell yall they were really good! It was only right to use the pint sitting in my fridge for this recipe. Sandwiched between lettuce leaves and a zesty zucchini slaw made with olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes and shallots, Josh and I tore into these falafels while enjoying one hell of a nice February day.
Notes
I baked the falafel instead of frying them
Dried peas are normally used but for this recipe I used canned chick peas
I added an Arabic spice blend from Kalustyan’s
Great vegan/vegetarian dish that can be served as an appetizer or side dish
1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas
6-8 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, small chop
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced `
2 Tbsp. of Arabic spice blend
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Canola oil/canola oil spray
Place the drained chickpeas, onions and sun-dried tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until blended but not pureed. In a mixing bowl combine chickpea mixture with the parsley, garlic, salt and spice blend. Sprinkle and fold in the baking powder and flour. Refrigerate, covered for no less than an hour. Using a teaspoon, form the mixture into balls and place on an oiled baking sheet, bake on 350 degrees for 30-35 mins until brown.
