Wiki-PEA-dia
Independent: adj.; not dependent, as in insisting on putting one’s coat on and refusing any and all help, despite having it on completely upside down.
“Tummus”: noun; 1) a popular fictional locomotive; 2) a delicious Mediterranean chickpea spread, as in “Mommy, can I have some tummus and crackers?”
Peencher Peencher: noun; 1) a protective kitchen accessory used to remove items from a hot oven; 2) a game designed by yours truly to torment members of my family.
Jackpot: noun; 1) the top prize in a game or contest; 2) what Lulu yells after getting a Haagen Daas, chocolate Silk soy milk, and Pirate’s Booty sample at Costco.
Falafel: noun; a spicy mixture of ground chickpeas formed into balls or patties and then fried; SEE ALSO FALAWESOME
Protein Packed Falafels Falawesomes with Vegan Tzatziki
Makes 12-16 falafels
Nutrtional info per 4 falafel serving: 196 calories, 7 g. fat, 23 g. carbs, 12 g. protein
Falafels:
- 4 oz. firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
- 1 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 t. minced garlic
- 1 T. tahini
- 3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 T. fresh mint, chopped
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1 t. cumin
- 1/2 c. oat flour (i.e. old fashioned oats ground into a flour)
- 1 T. nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ground oats, cumin, salt and pepper and nutritional yeast in a large bowl.
In a food processor or blender, combine tofu, beans, garlic, tahini and lemon juice and process until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry. Moisten with a tablespoon of water or so, if necessary.
Fold in chopped herbs.
Form falafel mix into 12-16 golf ball sized balls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes.
Vegan Tzatsiki
- 1/2 c. silken tofu (firm or extra firm)
- 1 T. Vegenaise
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1/4 c. peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 t. dried dill
Combine all ingredients except cucumber in a food processor or blender. Fold in cucumbers.
Serve falafels and sauce inside warm, whole wheat pitas with tomato, spinach and whatever other toppings desired.
Empathy: noun; sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of another, as in “Lulu was displaying empathy for me having spent so much time in the kitchen of late that she voluntarily put herself to sleep there,” or “I feel great empathy that you had to sit through these silly definitions just to get a falafel recipe.”
***Check out the beginning of BFL week 3 (and my amazing falafel salad) here!
Falafel is one of my favorite treats when we go out to a greek place near us. I’ve been meaning to try making it on my own. I love all of the protein in this recipe! Great for BFL! (I’m still waiting on my book so I can start!)
You are so creative and are such a talented writer! I am always amazed at your posts! those falafels look so good, I made some but they were a little dry so I need to give yours a try.
great falafel; greater blog post title
Hmmm falafel. I haven’t eaten it in soooooo long. I miss it.
WikiPEAdia: the next big Internet encyclopedia craze!
you are such an amazing photographer! and this title is SO clutch. love everything about this post.
Mama Pea! You never cease to amaze me — I am so falling in love with you, your children and your FOOD! You have even inspired me to try BFL — I’m a vegan so your new “second blog” = my heaven (especially when prepping for my wedding!) And your little Lulu covering up with the door mat? SO fabulous. Keep it coming because you’re making me laugh every day. God bless!
Hahahaha love that ‘tummus’!
hahah love this post!!
And love me some falafel – thanks for sharing your recipe
My kids love the free samples at Trader Joe’s. It gives me something to bribe them with if they promise not to take the “little shopping cart”
Haha…great explanation of words on their terms! Gigi’s toe’s are super cute in the tummus pic! Oh falafel…how I love thee! YUM!
Yes, the toes…(sigh). I had tried to give myself a pedicure discreetly locked in our bathroom on Sunday, but somehow she found me. And Lulu too. Girly girls, through and through.
hahah i love ur posts they seriously just make me smile so much!! ur daughters are just too adorable!!
I LOVE TUMMUSSSSS!!
if u ever want a babysitter let me know! Im serious i will fly to whereever u r! lol
- Lena
i think i need to dress like your daughters…they’re totally showing me up in the clothes department!
Yeehaw! Chickpeas in tofu in one gloriously delicious mound?! I am so excited about this. I’ve also never seen a vegan tzatziki recipe–also going on the to-do list.
I don’t know how you come up with these creative themes for each and every post. I love it!
Love the upside down jacket, cracked me up! Can’t wait to try this falafel too
vegan tazitiki… you are my new favorite person… how the bleep do you spell tazitiki anyways…
Thanks for the recipe!!!!!!!!!
OK, I initially thought V.I.Peas was brilliant, but Wiki-PEA-dia is AMAZING. I’m also uber excited about your vegan falafel and tzatziki recipe! Thanks mucho, Mama Pea!
Lulu in that last pic looks like the way I feel every day I come home from teaching
Yummy looking falafels!!!
You are so creative with your titles and posts. Always makes reading so much fun!
I love this! You are So.Funny. I love the falafel recipe too…I have some tofu to use! Might make this soon
But seriously, were you always this funny? Like were you always cracking up your family and friends growing up?
Nope. In fact, growing up I was pretty shy, and in our house, I could barely get a word in edgewise (two noisy brothers). I had one-liners in my head, but no one would shut up long enough to hear them. Now I have a captive audience…muhahahaha….
You are genius… falafel, cute post title… i gotta try the falafel!
I had to tell you my 3 year old little girl was sitting on my lap when I openned your blog, the first thing she wanted to know was who the pretty little girl was. She then wanted to know if Lulu could come play with us.
I had to laugh when I read your “tummus” definition. We have “tummus” in our house also. No matter what I do it is always “tummus” and not hummus and the kid would eat all the “tummus” if I gave her a spoon and the container.
Love your blog and your kids are adorable!
I recently stumbled across your blog and wanted to say hello! It’s always a wonderful surprise to stumble across a new vegan-focused blog
Adorable post. Your falawesomes look AMAZING. I think I’ll be trying that recipe soon!
bahahaha…you should publish a Wiki-PEA-dia. you’d be a millionare.
This is amazing timing! I was just mourning the loss of our usual Saturday falafel run this weekend! I am so excited about this recipe!
Now, do you happen to have a shrimp po-boy in the works?
It’s not even like you are a bi-weekly poster, you are doing the damn thing at least once a day, how the frick are you so funny!?!
You seriously might be the pun-master. And I have a hard time relinquishing that title because my favorite form of entertainment is torturing the husband by making bad puns!
Oh my goodness your kids are too cute. I finally stopped by your blog after hearing about it from several others, and I have to say it’s fabulous! I’m about to graduate from college and am already thinking about the tension you have talked about between family, career, and individual. Thanks for addressing this stuff! Btw, I totally respect what you have chosen to do.
i love love love this recipe
i’m always in when there are chickpeas involved.
I am thoroughly impressed that you churn out a recipe a day. I mean, and not just for softserve combos. I mean, real recipes. I am in awe. Wow. Never told you that before but it dawned on me today to mention that “little” fact…which i am sure YOU are clearly aware of
Hilarious: adj.; this blog!
I bet you could write a book full of “Pea” definitions!
The falafel recipe sounds, well, awesome
. My husband and I enjoyed a fabulous Middle Eastern meal over the weekend at a local restaurant, and I’m inspired to re-create it. This just might be my jumping off point!
Enjoy your day.
Wow, who told you I would sell my soul for a good falafel recipe that doesn’t involve deep frying??? I am so excited to try this!
That looks SO good. Mmmm….
Haha, that tummus is the size of your daughter’s head! P.S. I’ll bet you cheat in Scrabble
.
I yelled “Jackpot!” when I saw this recipe. I love falafel and I usually use a mix but I would love to make it from scratch myself. And I always skip the tzatziki sauce since I went vegan but you figured that out too. You are my hero, again!!
LOVE the picture of Lulu with her jacket on upside down. And the one of her in a Costco-food coma. And the last one. Hilarious.
Also, as a 3L (about to graduate!) who has forged an intimate, if unwilling relationship with the Blue Book over the last 3 years, can I just say that I love that you still use “See also” but in a FUN context??
This is such a cute post! I like your wiki-pea-dia definitions.
The falafel recipe looks yummy!
falawesome and tummus! the Mediterranean is calling…
I hope you know i am at school, in the library, procrastinating studying for my 3/6 exam tonight at 7pm by reading your blog. Thats right… I simply could not go a day without seeing what recipe you came up with next or what adventures Gigi and Lulu have found themselves in… I also hope you know that i don’t even feel the least bit awkward laughing out loud in a completely quiet room full of people who are being ten times as productive as i am. Thanks for the smile
And when i get home on Friday, i vow to not only make that Falawesomeness, but picture it as well!!
so i showed my husband the picture of Gigi with the hummus and said, “i want our kids to do this!!” what an awesome mom you are!
Yum that looks so delicious.
I can always count on your posts to make me laugh, no matter what my mood before I read them! And your girls are absolutely adorable. That first picture of Lulu totally reminds me of Michelle Tanner from Full House haha
amazeballs: adj.; your posts and the what i imagine your falafels as tasting!!!
You’re punbelievable! I really wish we could change the word falafel to falawesome. The “-afel” just takes away the glory that is so falawesome!
hahaha. i got a huge kick out of your title. you are so dang clever! must be that law degree. i am definitely making this one! marshall has been asking to eat less meat lately~ and they are still high in protein. best of both worlds.
on the frosting, i wondered why it was so runny! it was even runnier in the beginning and so i added more pow sug. i am wondering if corn starch would have helped.. i don’t really know how corn starch works, i know it thickens sauces but not sure about frostings. i’m not the smartest baker, obviously. either way~ the cake was a hit! so thank you!
xoxo
Miss independent looks like she stepped right out of Greece with John Travolta. Knowing who “tummus” is gets kids to like me when babysitting to boot!
Katherine
My goodness those look incredible! And the post was adorable
LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAH. Lulu’s precious chocolate stained face and her passed out pic? Precious…Oh mama pea I ain’t vegan but I’m “beggin” for more posts!
genius!! i keep snorting every now and then while reading your posts…..hehe!!
A little girl I used to babysit for asked me for “walkiestrollie”… I would get her ready for her walk and she would cry hysterically and run to the fridge. Her Mom laughed hysterically and explained that she wanted guac and chips. Lol.
Awesome: adj. Meaning the look on Gigi’s face requesting Sabra. Abs. priceless.