Plant-Based Falafel Bowl

Bowls are usually my go-to lunch...and breakfast...AND dinner. Colorful, satisfying and delicious, you can never go wrong with bowls! There are endless combinations you can make...literally endless.

I’m not vegan, but eating plant-based meals once in a while is good for you. I don’t know how vegans do it; I can do a meal for lunch or dinner, but take chicken away from me for a whole week and I’ll probably go crazy! I absolutely love my veggies too though…don’t get me wrong. I'll never understand people who don't like vegetables... so weird. What would life be without them? BORING.

This bowl is an epic combination of flavors and they all compliment each other perfectly. It’s a healthier and much better version of your usual falafel bowl. I love eating falafel… way too much! But I usually can’t eat them anywhere because they have flour in them and I’m gluten intolerant. So as usual, I had to make my own version at home and they came out even better. Not bragging or anything… but these patties are bomb! Homemade meals are always a winner. To switch it up a little, I added peas to the falafels which are usually made of chickpeas. To glue the patty together, I added brown rice flour (healthier and gluten-free option). 
The hummus is made out of white beans and beets…hence the red color. I love using white beans instead of chickpeas for hummus. Usually you see different hummus combinations with chickpeas, but never with white beans, it’s nice to switch up some flavors once in a while. To add some sweetness to the bowl, I added raisins and cinnamon to the quinoa. Like I said, this is not your regular falafel bowl. Believe me, each bite you take and each flavor you combine… it’s to die for. You can mix and dip any of the ingredients and they all taste delicious together.

The bowl has around 450 calories and has the right combination of proteins, carbs and fats. Hitting your protein macro is harder when you’re on a plant-based diet, so you must combine different proteins to ensure your body gets all the amino acids it needs to build and repair its tissues; especially if you’re very active. This bowl had the right amount of protein between the peas, chickpeas, Greek yogurt, and white beans. It has a little more carbs but they are good carbs, and we need carbs for energy at the gym! This is why bowls are so amazing; you can add a variety of things to hit your macros as long as you don’t go overboard with your calories.

It might sound like a lot but the steps are pretty easy, mostly putting things in the oven and in the food processor.

Ingredients:

Falafel:

• 1 cup cooked green peas
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp brown rice flour (or potato starch)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 stalks mint
• 3 stalks parsley
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Beet Hummus

• ½ beet
• 1 cup white beans
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Quinoa

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 handful raisins

Other

• 4 medium carrots
• 2 avocado
• ½ cucumber
• 4 radishes
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• Mint leaves
• Handful toasted almonds
• Sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Place all ingredients for falafel in food processor, pulse a couple of times. Don’t let it become TOO creamy.
3. Make small patties by adding some olive oil in your hands and shaping them. Then add olive oil to baking paper on a baking tray and place patties. You can fit the carrots and beets on the same baking tray with some olive oil. Bake for around 20 minutes then flip.
4. Once beets are cooked, place all ingredients for hummus in the food processor. Set aside. (You can also cook the beets in a pot, it’s quicker)
5. Then, cook quinoa in 2 cups of water with cinnamon and raisins.
6. Mix yogurt with mint. Set aside
7. Once all ingredients are ready, arrange in the bowl. Sprinkle with almonds, sesame seeds and mint.

ENJOY