recipes

breakfast banana blender bread

July 24, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Are you impressed with my alliteration skills? I thought about throwing a “best” in there, but that would just be overkill. Really though, this recipe is the best. Who wouldn’t want to eat banana bread for breakfast? This is basically how I eat my oatmeal but in loaf form– still super healthy, satisfying, and perfectly sweet. If you thought breakfast couldn’t get easier than making a bowl of oatmeal it just did. It’s great to have this all prepped for breakfast in the morning. You can enjoy it at home or easily bring it to-go.

This beautiful loaf was actually also made by a blender (yes, my little mini blender). I took the rolled oats I always use for my oatmeal to easily create a flour (no need to buy oat flour or any other flour). You can also use the blender to quickly blend the wet ingredients together. Just combine the two parts in a bowl and you’re set!

I love to eat this warmed and smeared peanut butter with a side of coffee. This recipe is totally customizable too. Add different fruits, chopped nuts, or more spices. You could even add chocolate chips. I hope you enjoy this fun way of mixing up your morning bowl of oatmeal!

Time: 45 minutes
Active: 15 minutes
Serves: 10-12 slices

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats/oat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk of choice
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
chopped nuts (optional)
cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°
Add the oats to your blender. Blend until a flour forms. This will only take a few seconds.
Add bananas, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk to the blender. Blend until combined. If you like your banana bread to have a little more texture, pulse the wet ingredients to leave some chunks of bananas.
Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the baking powder. Add some regular rolled oats for texture. Fold in chopped nuts if you want.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Top with more chopped nuts. Bake for around 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

healthy veggie quesedillas

July 24, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

I loved quesadillas…until I worked in a Mexican restaurant. Believe me, you would hate quesadillas too if you smelled them at 10:00 in the morning. Quesadillas and I were on a break for a while but the other day I regained my craving. The classic Mexican cheese sandwiched between two flour tortillas is delicious, but can leave me feeling weighed down and aren’t that nutritious. The great thing about quesadillas is that they are so easy, simple, and inexpensive to make at home. I revamped the quesadilla I got to know so well to make it more filling (in a good way) and healthy.

To be honest, these came out even better than I expected. This proves that combining just a few simple ingredients together can make something completely different and delicious. I think the “refried” bean dip is what really makes it. On its own, this bean dip is a great recipe to have in your arsenal. Perfect for dipping chips into, adding to salads and bowls, or spreading on sandwiches. It’s so easy and inexpensive to make– all you need is beans and some spices (there’s actually no oil or frying involved.)

As for the rest of the quesadilla, I bought little corn tortillas– the only ingredients are corn and water. The package comes with a lot so they are also great for making breakfast tacos with eggs and that bean spread we just talked about! It’s also super easy to sneak veggies into this recipe. I sautéed some spinach and corn on the side and added that, but you could also do onions, bell peppers, or zucchini. The avocado also added the perfect creamy texture so I didn’t even miss the cheese but you can add it if you want.

These taste amazing made fresh so the tortillas are warm and crispy, but you could definitely whip up a bunch, keep them in the freezer, and warm them in a pan when you’re ready to eat. You’re not going to look cute while enjoying this one, but it’s so worth it.

Time: 35 minutes
Active: 10 minutes
Serves: 6-7

Ingredients:

corn (or whole wheat) tortillas
2 cans black beans
garlic powder
chilli powder
cajun seasoning (this was a mix of paprika, garlic powder, chill powder, smoked chipotle powder, salt, pepper)– you can use whatever you have on hand
salt and pepper
spinach
corn
avocado
nutritional yeast/cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Start by getting the beans going. You want to give them as much time as possible to soften. Rinse the beans and add them to a pot. Cover them with water– you don’t need to be exact with this. Boil the water. When the water starts to boil, bring the heat down so the beans are simmering. Add the spices– you can taste and adjust as you go so don’t worry about measurements. Let the beans simmer while you prep other things. (In this case I was making my breakfast banana bread!) I let the beans simmer for 35 minutes, but if you don’t have that much time it’s okay, just as long as they get soft enough to mash.
When the beans have softened and most of the water has been absorbed, mash them with a fork until creamy.
When the beans are set, sauté your spinach or vegetables in a pan. Set them aside.
Warm the tortillas on the pan. When they are slightly browned and crispy (I think this is key), spread on the bean dip and top with vegetables, avocado, and cheese or nutritional yeast.
Sandwich the tortillas together, cut in half, and enjoy!

healthy chocolate granola

July 12, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

This recipe was created because I was experiencing a major oat surplus (I went a little crazy at the bulk bins.) What better thing to do with extra oats than make granola? I wasn’t planning on making granola so I just used ingredients I found around the kitchen. It’s pretty hard to mess up granola– all you need is a good base of oats and some other crunchy things and mix it up with something to bind it all together. For this recipe I used coconut oil and honey. Peanut butter and maple syrup would also be great. I already had some mixed nuts and chia seeds so I threw those in too. I used my other granola recipe as a base and then had the idea of mixing in some cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. Let me tell you– it smelled like I was baking brownies when I put the granola in the oven. So good! I didn’t really measure any of the ingredients (nothing new here) and just tasted the mixture as I went along. It’s easy to make as much or as little granola as you want so the measurements below can just be used as a baseline. This proves that you can make some delicious and healthy granola with just a few ingredients that you probably already have lying around. This makes the perfect snack, topping for smoothies, chia pudding, oats, and yogurt, or by itself with milk!

Time: 25 minutes
Active: 10 minutes
Serves: ~7

Ingredients:

rolled oats (4 cups)
chia seeds (1/4 cup) (optional)
nuts (1 cup)
cinnamon (optional)
vanilla extract (2 tablespoons)
coconut oil (3/4 cup)
honey (1/4 cup)
cocoa powder (3 tablespoons)

Supplies:

large bowl
baking sheet
small pot

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°
In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (oats, seeds, nuts, spices)
In a small pot, heat the liquid ingredients over low heat. Mix until the honey, coconut oil, and vanilla are melted and combined.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture. Mix to combined until everything is evenly coated.
Lay the granola out evenly on a baking sheet.
Bake for around 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy, stirring every few minutes to make sure everything is evenly baked.
Let cool completely before placing it in a container for storage.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

coconut chia pudding breakfast bowl

July 12, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Peach season is upon us! My ripe summer peaches go so well with this two-ingredient coconut chia pudding. I’m very loyal to my overnight oats, but I wanted to mix it up and try something new with this recipe. If you’re not familiar with chia seeds, they are tiny edible seeds that are a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fiber. When mixed with a liquid like water or milk they form a gel-like consistency (they can hold about 10 times their dry weight in liquid!) They gel up quickly in around just 10-15 minutes, or just leave them in the refrigerator overnight. I know some people might find the texture a little weird at first, but I think they’re really fun to eat because it’s just like a pudding. You can also use a blender to make the consistency smoother. Chia seeds are easy to find in most grocery stores, or you can order them in bulk online off of Amazon. For this recipe, I just combined canned coconut milk (another source of healthy fat!) and the chia seeds. You could use almond or soy milk too (using a plant-based milk will make it creamier.) Just like overnight oats, this is the perfect breakfast to prep in advance to make your mornings easier. This breakfast is also perfect for any vegan or gluten-free friends! I topped my chia pudding with peaches and my homemade chocolate granola. Feel free to get creative with whatever toppings you like– nuts, seeds, bananas, berries. This recipe is perfect for summer and takes just minutes to make. Let me know what you think!

Prep: 3 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

coconut milk (1 can= around 2 servings)
chia seeds (6 tablespoons, 3 tablespoons per 1 cup liquid)

Instructions:

Combine the chia seeds with coconut milk. Mix well. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or leave in the fridge overnight.
Add fresh fruit and other toppings.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

roasted chickpea crouton salad (+ simple pesto)

July 11, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Honestly, I felt like a real adult when I successfully created this pesto. I wouldn’t say I’d make this in my dorm room, but if you have a little extra time and want to try your hand at some homemade pesto, this is a really great way to do it. I bought some fresh basil (I feel like that sounds very adult), and added some ingredients that I already had. Usually pesto calls for parmesan cheese and I don’t have any, but I do have nutritional yeast so I used that. Nutritional yeast never does me wrong, which is why it made my list for top 10 most useful ingredients! (Using nutritional yeast instead of cheese also makes this recipe vegan.) I don’t have a food processor so I just used my little blender to whizz everything together and it worked perfectly! Again, this mini blender is truly a kitchen essential. Almonds helped me achieve the slightly chunky and thick consistency I like. You could use any nut you have– I think walnuts or cashews would work too. This pesto is a great multipurpose spread to use throughout the week–I envision it being delicious in omelets, on a toasty sandwich, or mixed into a bowl of pasta and veggies. For the rest of the salad I cooked some quinoa, cut up some kale, and roasted chickpeas. Both quinoa and roasted chickpeas are super easy and fast. Quinoa takes just 15 minutes to cook and the chickpeas take around 10-15 minutes to get crispy and delicious in the oven. This is one of my favorite ways to eat chickpeas. Toss them in some spices, salt, and pepper, throw them in the oven, and they come out tasting like little crunchy croutons (except with more protein and fiber!) Crispy roasted chickpeas also make a great snack when you’re craving something salty and crunchy (perfect substitute for potato chips). This little salad works well for preparing in advance to pack for lunches throughout the week. I’ve found that using more creamy spreads instead of salad dressing ensures that the salad won’t get soggy when you pack it and keep it in the fridge until lunch time. Hope you enjoy!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Active: 1o minutes
Serves: 5

Ingredients:

kale
quinoa (1 cup dry= around 4 servings)
chickpeas (2 cans)
spices* ( whatever you have– Old Bay, chili powder, garlic powder, mixed herb seasoning, etc.)
salt and pepper

for the pesto

basil (1 bunch)
nutritional yeast (around 1/4 cup) (can use parmesan cheese)
almonds (around 3 tablespoons)
olive oil
garlic powder/fresh garlic (1 clove fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
salt and pepper
water (to thin if necessary)
oil

*If you want more ideas for great spices to use check out this post!

Supplies

baking sheet
blender/food processor

Instructions:

Preheat the oven on the broil setting (so heat is only coming from the top).
Start boiling a pot of water for the quinoa. When the water is boiled, add the quinoa and turn the heat down to a simmer. Loosely cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for around 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
Wash the chickpeas and dry them as well as possible using a kitchen towel. Getting them dry will help them get crispy in the oven.
Lay the chickpeas on a baking tray.
Cover the chickpeas with oil and salt, pepper, and other spices (use an oil with a high smoke point like canola, avocado, or coconut– olive oil won’t get as hot, which is not ideal for when you want things to get crispy!) Use whatever spices you have– I like my chickpeas a little spicy so I use spicy Old Bay and chili powder along with some garlic powder.
Place the chickpeas in the oven for around 15 minutes. Keep your eye on them because they can burn easily. Toss every few minutes so all sides get evenly crisped.
While the quinoa and chickpeas are doing their thing, wash and chop the kale.
For the pesto, wash the basil and put all the ingredients into the blender. Blend everything together until it reaches a consistency you like. Taste it and add more nutritional yeast, garlic, or other ingredients until it tastes right to you. If you like a chunkier pesto add more almonds, if you like a smoother pesto, add more water.

asian buddha bowl + 3 ingredient peanut sauce

July 11, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

I’ve posted about how much I love buddha bowls before, but I need to share this recipe too. Unlike the buddha bowl I posted earlier which used warmer fall ingredients, this one is perfect for summer– it’s light, crisp, packed with nutrition, and you don’t need to turn on your oven in the heat! This peanut sauce is also another great go-to “recipe” to know. It’s perfect for drizzling over cold or warm noodles, salads, tofu, chicken, and rice. It’s also great because it only requires ingredients that you probably have on hand! For only using two ingredients, it’s really rich and flavorful. As for the rest of the bowl, it’s completely customizable. I’m doing my best to eat more seasonally (buying what’s in season means saving money– more on this later) so I used zucchini. Cucumber would also be perfect. I also threw in some carrots and spinach. You could use cabbage, bell pepper, broccoli or any other vegetables you like. I left all the veggies raw instead of roasting or steaming them to keep it quick and easy– all you have to do is chop up all your vegetables and you’re set for the rest of the week. For some protein I quickly pan-fried tofu (using tofu instead of chicken also makes this recipe super fast.) While I prepped all the other components I made some brown rice to make it a balanced meal with protein, healthy complex carbs, and lots of micronutrients. This meal is so easy to throw together when it’s time to eat. Just reheat the rice and tofu in a pan or microwave, add your pre-cut vegetables, and drizzle on that peanut sauce.

Prep time: 40 minutes
Active: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

brown rice (1 cup dry= around 3 cups cooked)
extra firm tofu ( 1 package)
zucchini (2)
carrot (1 bag)
soy sauce
garlic powder

for the sauce

peanut butter (around 3 tablespoons)
soy sauce/tamari (tamari= gluten free soy sauce substitute) (around 2 tablespoons)

Supplies

small bowl
pan
knife and cutting board

Instructions

Start boiling a pot of water for the brown rice (brown rice takes around 40 minutes to cook.) One cup of dry brown rice makes around three cups cooked, so just make however much you want to eat for the week. I find that three cups of cooked brown rice is enough for me. When the water boils, add the rice and lower the heat so that it is simmering. Lightly cover the pot with a lid and let the rice soften.
Cut the tofu and place it under a kitchen towel. Place something heavy on top like a frying pan or pot to press out any excess moisture. This step will help the tofu get crispy.
While the brown rice is cooking, wash and chop your vegetables.
When the vegetables are prepped and while the rice is cooking, prepare the tofu. Heat canola, avocado, or coconut oil in a pan (or any oil with a high smoke point so that you can get the tofu crispy. Olive oil has a low smoke point so it won’t get as hot, which is not ideal for when you want something to get a little bit fried and crispy.)
When the pan is hot, add the tofu. Drizzle with soy sauce and garlic powder. Cook on each side for around 2-3 minutes or until crispy and brown.
For the sauce, mix together around 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari. Add water to thin it out until it reaches a drizz-able consistency.
When the brown rice is done, assemble the bowl, and you’re done!

photo by Lea Kriesberg

chickpea “tuna” salad

July 3, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

This chickpea “tuna” salad sandwich is one to keep in your back pocket for a quick and easy lunch. Packed with protein and fiber, chickpeas make for a healthy meal, that is also super budget-friendly. If you’re not a huge fan of mayo, you can use other simple ingredients like tahini and/or plain greek yogurt to make a creamy dressing that binds the chickpeas together just like your tuna salad. Chopped onion also gives it that classic tuna salad taste and adds some crunch. Add celery if you want, too. Buying a whole bag of celery kind of annoys me, but you could chop up the leftovers to keep for dipping in hummus or peanut butter as a snack throughout the week. You can really go crazy with the add-ins here: spices, lemon, capers, cilantro, scallions, chili flakes, or whatever else you like– the more the merrier here.

This is another quick, no-cook “recipe” that is perfect for preparing at the beginning of the week for lunches on the go. Just toast up some bread, add some greens, and you have the perfect sandwich to bring to work or quickly prepare when you’re in a rush.

Ingredients

chickpeas (1 can=~2 servings)
chopped onion
celery (optional)
a combination of all or one: mayo, tahini, plain greek yogurt (~4 tablespoons)
mustard (~1 tablespoon)
squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper
add-ins: cilantro/herbs, chili flakes, za’atar
lettuce

Do it

Wash and drain the chickpeas. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Finely chop onion and add to chickpeas.
Add tahini/mayo/yogurt and mustard, add black pepper, salt, and other add-ins.
Mash the chickpeas with a fork until it reaches a texture you like. Adjust the flavors to your taste.
Toast bread and assemble with lettuce.

healthy summer pasta salad

June 28, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

Pasta salad is the perfect summer meal– it’s satisfying, cool, and easy to make. Despite this, it’t not always the healthiest option. For this “recipe” I tried to healthify (I’m making this a word) your classic pasta salad by subbing the mayo for some other creamy and flavorful ingredients I already had lying around in the fridge. Using a whole wheat pasta also boosts the healthiness. I added some of my favorite veggies that are easy to incorporate and taste good cold, but you can add whatever vegetables you like. I think chopped celery, broccoli, and bell pepper would be great. For the dressing, I mixed together tahini, dijon mustard, olive oil, and nutritional yeast. If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast, it’s deactivated yeast. It looks like a yellow flaky powder. It sounds strange, but vegans swear by it because it is an amazing substitute for cheese. It has a cheesy, nutty flavor. I sprinkle this stuff on everything– pasta, vegetables, potatoes, salad. You can find it in the bulk bin at Whole Foods or in shakeable containers in any other grocery store. I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

This was the perfect meal to bring with me for lunch, even on a hot and humid summer day. It’s also easy to cook in a big batch to save for the week. Just boil two or three boxes of pasta and make extra dressing and you’re good to go. Cheers to eating pasta and being healthy.

Ready in: 20 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

box of pasta
spinach (1 container/bag)
cherry tomatoes (1 container)

for the dressing

tahini (3 tablespoons)
dijon mustard (1 tablespoon)
nutritional yeast (2 tablespoons)
olive oil (1 tablespoon)
garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper

Supplies:

large pot
baking sheet

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400° on the “broil” setting (so the heat only comes from above) and start boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Get your cherry tomatoes ready to roast. (I don’t usually like tomatoes but they are really good roasted!) Cut them in half and arrange them on a baking sheet. Coat them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them in the oven for around 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them until they look roasted and a little shriveled up. (I like it when there are some extra roasty burnt spots.)
When the water is boiled, start cooking the pasta according to the directions.
While your tomatoes are roasting and the pasta is boiling, prepare the dressing. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. The mixture will be thick and not sauce-like, but don’t add water because it will get thinner and creamier when you add it to the hot pasta.
When the pasta is done boiling, strain it, rinse it with cold water for a minute, and set it aside to cool off. (Pro tip: dunk a mug into the pot before you strain the pasta to save some of the starchy water for later. It will make it easier for the dressing get incorporated). Using the same pot, cook down the spinach. Using a low heat, sauté it in a little bit of olive oil until it is all bright green and soft. Add the pasta back into the pot and add the dressing. Stir it around until the dressing is covering all the pasta.
Add the roasted tomatoes when they are done.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

20 minute asian noodle bowl (+healthy teriyaki sauce)

June 2, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

photo by Lea Kriesberg

I love that one of my favorite foods (noodles/pasta) is also one of the fastest and easiest to make. Pasta is a classic college student go-to meal because it is fast, easy, and cheap. This bowl goes a little beyond your average bowl of noodles or package of ramen, providing more nutrition and a lot more flavor. For this recipe I used soba noodles, which are a type of noodle made out of buckwheat (perfect for you gluten-free friends). This was my first time cooking soba noodles, and they did not disappoint. The whole package (containing around 7 servings) cost me around $5 and required just 6 minutes to cook! While the noodles are cooking, I sautéd a big pan of vegetables and tofu to save for the week. I whipped up a simple teriyaki sauce dressing with some ingredients I already had to put on top. Usually teriyaki sauce is loaded with sugar and additives, but when you make it yourself you can control what goes in it. All you need out of teriyaki sauce is for it to be slightly sweet, salty, and savory. The combination of tamari, sesame oil, and honey for natural sweetness achieves just that.

Vegetables and tofu keep well in a container throughout the week. I cooked the whole package of noodles at the same time, but I think taking a few minutes to make them fresh would have been ideal. Feel free to use the vegetables or noodles that you like. Instead of tofu, you could also simply fry and egg to put on top or any other protein source you like (also, there is protein in everything, especially the broccoli!). You could also take this concept and make regular pasta with vegetables on the side and use a premade marinara sauce. The idea here is that this is an easy, healthy, cheap, and fast meal.

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5

Ingredients:

one package soba noodles
broccoli (one head)
string beans (around 2 cups)
baby portobello mushrooms (1 package)
extra firm tofu (1 package)
coconut or olive oil

for the sauce

sesame oil (3 tablespoons)
honey (1 tablespoon)
soy sauce or tamari (2 tablespoons)
garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon)
salt

Supplies

large frying pan
cutting board
knife
small bowl

Instructions:

Wash and chop your veggies.
Cut the tofu into chunks.
Begin to boil water for the noodles according to instructions on the package. Add the noodles and cook according to instructions
Heat oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add your veggies and quickly sauté until they are tender and bright green and the mushrooms are soft. This should take around 5 minutes.
Set aside the veggies, add more oil to the pan and add the tofu. Add in tamari, sesame oil, and salt to taste. Sauté until all sides are golden brown. This should take around 10 minutes.
Mix up the dressing in a small bowl. Adjust ratios of ingredients to taste.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

easy chickpea falafel pita sandwiches

May 31, 2017 by Lea Leave a Comment

One of my favorite things to get at restaurants like Cava or from food trucks is falafel. I think vegetarians and omnivores can all agree that crispy falafel with warm pita is a deliciously satisfying (and healthy) meal. Adding toppings like hummus, cabbage, tahini, onions,cucumbers, or whatever else you like makes it even better. I thought making falafel myself was going to be a challenge, but it was actually really easy! I don’t have a food processor at school, so I just used my hands and a fork to mash up the chickpeas with the other ingredients. If you don’t mind getting down and dirty with some chickpeas you’re good to go. This is by no means authentic falafel, but using a base of chickpeas and eggs as a binder makes this recipe simple and cheap (the two cans of beans for this recipe can cost just $1 and a whole carton of eggs can cost $4!).

I also just used the spices I had on hand to make the chickpea mixture extra flavorful and spiced, while still keeping the ingredient list short. The falafel bites kept well in the fridge throughout the week, making them easy to heat up in the microwave or a pan whenever you want. I bought premade hummus and pita and chopped up cucumber, tomatoes, and purple cabbage in the beginning of the week. I also tucked a handful of spinach into the pita to sneak some greens into this meal. I also already had tahini on hand, which is an added bonus to drizzle on top. Feel free to modify the spices or toppings to make it how you like it.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 5

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas
4 eggs
1 white onion
garlic (fresh, minced, or powder)
olive oil
salt
pepper
cumin
garlic and herbs seasoning (optional)
turmeric (optional)
hummus
cabbage
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
spinach
whole wheat pita bread

Supplies

pan
spatula
large bowl

Instructions

Drain and rinse chickpeas
Heat some olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer) in your pan. While the pan is heating up, chop up the onion into small, even pieces.
When the pan is hot, add the onions and sauté* (quickly cook by stirring around) until they are soft and fragrant.
Add garlic powder or fresh garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes more, without burning the garlic
Combine the chickpeas and onion/garlic mixture in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, more garlic/garlic powder, and whatever spices you choose to taste.
Crack in the eggs
Mash everything together with a fork (you might need to use your hands). You can leave the mixture a little chunkier or smoother, depending on how you like your falafel. The mixture should be firm and slightly sticky so that you can form it into small balls or patties without it falling apart. You could also leave the mixture in the fridge to set if you are not crunched for time.
Heat a generous amount (around 4 tablespoons) of oil in your pan. Wait until the pan is hot. Form the mixture into small patties and place in the pan. Let the falafel brown on each side for around three minutes.
Heat up your pita in a microwave or toaster and add your falafel and toppings! Store leftovers in the fridge.

*fun fact– “Sauté” comes from the French word “sauter” which means “to jump.” When sautéing you can move and shake the pan around to make the food “jump.” You can also do this by stirring the food around.