Falafel Pita and Its Many Toppings

Falafel Balls

The other day I had the most delicious falafel pita from a restaurant near where I live. Within the pita I added Israeli salad (tomatoes, cucumbers and onions dressed in lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper), tahini (sesame paste), hummus, lettuce and pickles.

Although this sounds scrumptious, you are probably wondering what falafel is. Originating in the Middle East, falafel is described as fried chickpeas and can be served as a patty or in ball form. It is often served in a pita, but can be put on as a salad topping or on flatbread. Falafel itself does not have much flavor, which is why it is often paired up with other toppings or side dishes.

Since I am always looking for new things to cook or bake, it got me thinking of how I can make this meal in the comfort of my kitchen. You could pick up all the ingredients up at the store depending on how much time and effort you would like to put into making this dish. If you do have the time, try and make everything from scratch. Food always tastes better when it comes out of your own kitchen :-). 

Here are my suggestions for making this meal:

• Morning Star makes a great falafel ball or you can make it from scratch. Here is one recipe to use: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755
• For Israeli salad, I do not use any specific measurements. I just chop up the cucumbers, tomatoes and onions and add as needed. The same goes with the lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper for the dressing.
• Sabra hummus is the brand I use.  I like the variety of flavors they offer such as garlic or peppers. When you open the hummus you just need to mix the flavoring in since it is placed on top of the hummus.
• In addition to the toppings mentioned above, you can also add olives (green, black, Greek or calimata), red cabbage, coleslaw and sauerkraut. 
• Rice, couscous, French fries and sweet potato fries are all great side dishes to pair with falafel. 

If you are looking to spice up your dinner or need a unique idea for a party, falafel pitas are the way to go. These are also great dishes for people with food allergies since these can be made gluten, dairy and nut free.