Baked Falafel Sandwich - 7 Points

In the spirit of Greek Week, and because Brian leaned over my shoulder one day and said, "I want some falafel!", I've decided to add a nice vegetarian option to the mix.  This recipe was taken from Weight Watchers online, and I absolutely recommend it!
One thing to note - this does not reheat well.  Leftovers are definitely not an option on this one.

Brian didn't like the Tahini sauce, but I thought it was a fabulously tangy addition to the sandwich.  Adding some tomatoes will give an extra bit of moisture, as this can be a bit dry (depending on the pitas you get).  Unfortunately, whole wheat pitas in Singers are on the dry side :(

This is Brian's sauceless sammich

• 15 1/2 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (I used parsley - have I told you that I loathe cilantro?)
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Tahini (sesame butter)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 large wheat pitas
• sandwich vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, etc.  (I had cucumber, onion, and lettuce, while Brian had tomato, onion, and lettuce)

Combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and baking soda in a food processor or blender.  Process until mixture is coarsely pureed and transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in flour; shape mixture into 4 large patties and let stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Heath oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook until golden brown, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk together Tahini, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl.


To assemble sandwiches, add one falafel patty to each pita and drizzle with 1 Tbsp of Tahini sauce.  Add vegetables of your choice.