Finally- A Healthy Fritter!

For those of you that love the good old-fashioned Middle Eastern Falafel (like me), I've got a great, healthy alternative to this naughty deep fried fritter.  This recipe requires a food dehydrator, but if you don't have one, you can set your oven at the lowest temp. (usually 175 degrees) and keep the oven door cracked open a bit and bake 1 hr. each side (this is not considered RAW, however, if you take the oven route).

Falafels taste great with tahini sauce, which is simply a sesame seed based dip.  Below, you'll find my extremely satisfying and healthy version of falafel and tahini sauce.  You won't miss the deep fryer!

FALAFEL:

2 portobello mushroom caps - cubed
2 medium carrots - peeled and sliced
1/2 small onion - diced
1 garlic clove - sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix together the mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Spread on Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115F for 1 hour. After dehydration, pulse the mixture in a food processor to achieve small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
In a food processor, grind the nuts and sunflower seeds to a crumbly texture. Add the ground nuts, cilantro, cumin and lemon juice to the mushroom-vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper. Form into spheres, and roll each one in a mix of ground flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Dehydrate on a screen-lined tray for 2 hours before serving.  Makes about a dozen.

TAHINI SAUCE:

1 cup raw sesame tahini
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all the ingredients until smooth.