This recipe is from Chef Lindsay Mattison of Rainshadow Organics farm in Sisters. These little falafel bites are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and made with almost 100% farm ingredients! Experiment with herbs and flavor combinations you love to season these bites… try garlic, coriander, cumin or cilantro. Serve with pesto, zucchamole, or a spiced yogurt if serving as an appetizer. These are also great added to salads, wraps or rice bowls. They taste great warm, but they’re also quite good cold, straight out of the fridge!
Yield: 1 sheet pan, or 88 falafel
2 bunches beets (approx. 3.5 cups pureed)
4 cups cooked beans (such as chickpeas)
1/2 cup olive oil (or lard, if making them vegetarian isn’t a concern)
1 cup caramelized onions, finely chopped
1 cup corn flour, plus additional for rolling
2 tablespoons chopped herbs
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the beet stems and peel the beets. Place in a food processor and puree until the beets resemble grated beets. Place in a large bowl.
3. Puree the beans until almost fully pureed. You want to see some bean bits in there, but the mixture can be lightly chunky. Add beans to beets.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
5. Scoop the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, rolling them with a little corn flour to help them keep their shape.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.