Baked Falafel Pitas with Feta Cheese Sauce

It is very hard to get back into the swing of things after our Couch Potato weekend at The Hills. I have been asked, "What does a Couch Potato weekend consist of?". Close your eyes and envision the stereotypical, lazy, overweight man ( I suppose it could be a woman as well, but that is not the stereotype) sitting on the couch in his underwear drinking beer. Now quickly erase this memory from your mind and envision 8 buff and fit ladies hiking on the cross-country ski trails through 20,000 acres of ranch land, horse back riding, canoeing, biking and enjoying down time with massages and spa treatments. A weekend at The Hills could be whatever you want it to be. I guess the premise of being a couch potato is to do as much as you want or as little as you want. The sky is the limit or not... They have so many wellness services ranging from yoga, pilates, aerobics, aquafit instruction, kineseology, reflexology and comprehensive lifestyle counselling. It is also a working ranch so there was horseback riding and line dancing mixed in with gourmet meals.



After being spoiled for the weekend it has been hard to get back into a routine of making regular meals. Instead I am dreaming of past vacations to Greek Isles.......In that case this is another repost from past posts for one of my favourites. I love the goat cheese sauce!!

Photo was taken at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The statue depicts Aphrodite, Pan and Eros (Cupid) and was found in Delos from 100 BC.

**Baked Falafels Pitas with Feta Cheese Sauce**

Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 (6-inch) whole wheat pita, torn into large pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 large egg whites
cooking spray

Relish

2 cups chopped, seeded plum tomatoes
1 cup chopped English cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 serrano chile, minced

Sauce
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup (2-oz) soft (log style) goat cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1 small garlic clove, minced

4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, halved

To prepare falafel, sort and wash chickpeas, and place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine chickpeas and next 11 ingredients; pulse 8 - 10 times or until finely chopped. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Add egg whites to chickpea mixture, and stir well. Let stand 15 minutes. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

To prepare relish, combine tomato and next 5 ingredients.

To prepare sauce, combine yogurt, goat cheese, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1 minced garlic clove, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Place falafel patties in each pita half, spoon about 1/3 cup relish and 2-1/2 T sauce into pita half. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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