Falafel Stuffed Flatbreads with Chili Lime Garlic Fries
Anchored by an addictive creamy garlic tahini sauce, these loaded flatbread sandwiches – these Falafel Stuffed Flatbreads with Chili Lime Garlic Fries – are like your favorite street food, made healthier (we’re making baked falafel) and fresher right in your own kitchen.
I typically whip up a batch of my favorite naan, but you can certainly use store-bought if you like. I like to pile up peppery arugula, cold sliced cucumber and some bright pink pickled onions and then I sneak in a generous handful of the MOST DELICIOUS Chili Lime Garlic Fries from The Husbands That Cook, Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin’s cookbook: Husband’s That Cook (see fries recipe below).
The Husbands That Cook
I met Ryan and Adam a few years ago at the Saveur Blog Awards in NYC, when our blogs were nominated for awards, and I’m so proud to call them friends. You might remember them from my FEEDback retreat in Lexington, KY two summers ago as well.
They traveled from their charming “house on a hill” in LA to join me and some other blogger friends for a weekend of raising awareness for hunger relief and food insecurity, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them more during that time. We cooked a lot, sipped on some fine bourbon, watched fireflies in a magical garden, and came together over a mutual love of food, cooking and giving back.
Their book is jam-packed with drool-worthy recipes and stories that will make you want to run to the kitchen and give each and every one a try … and they just so happen to be vegetarian – many of them vegan or with vegan options. Ryan and Adam don’t ever seem to dwell too much on labels though, I’ve noticed, and it’s refreshing. Good food is good food, transcending any need to make a big to-do about categories or niches or genres. You don’t have to qualify it; it can speak for itself.
Ryan and Adam have a uniquely special way of weaving together the food they share with stories and moments in their life that give the recipes so much life – this book has a heartbeat; it’s got such a soul to it. I highly recommend picking up a copy, or nabbing a copy by ordering it today.
Inspiration: Dodger Stadium Garlic Fries
Today, in addition to the falafel flatbreads situation, I’m also sharing a very “LA inspired” recipe from their upcoming book, the headnote to which (see below) I immediately related to and found myself giggling out loud at – the Chili Lime Garlic Fries. Here, I’ve stuffed them inside my favorite falafel flatbread sandwiches. These fries are incredibly delicious, sporting mega-watt flavors and an ease of preparation that makes them the perfect sidekicks for so many other things. Or, if you’re anything like me, a fantastic snack for one … right off the tray.
Congrats Ryan and Adam!
If you like the looks of this recipe(s) you might want to try:
Quick Garlicky Miso & Ginger Mazemen
PrintFalafel Stuffed Flatbreads with Chili Lime Garlic Fries
One of the world’s most beloved street foods, made easy right in your own kitchen. A quick note on the tahini garlic sauce: this is very garlicky, as the name suggests, and if you want a tamer sauce, substitute 1 tsp of garlic powder for the fresh clove of garlic. You’ll still get a garlicky sauce, but it won’t be as spicy and intense. OR simply sub in your favorite store-bought hummus. Either works great!
Ingredients
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas
1/2 large red onion roughly chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
3 large cloves garlic roughly chopped
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup cilantro
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour optional for binding
4 naan flatbreads store-bought or homemade
Sliced cucumber
Pickled red onion see how-to in previous blog post
Arugula or shredded lettuce
Chili Lime Garlic Fries recipe below
Tahini Garlic Sauce, optional (see below) OR use your favorite hummus
For the Tahini Garlic Sauce
· 1 large clove garlic or more, if you like
· Scant tsp salt
· ¼ cup tahini
· ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt can sub mayo
Instructions
To Make the Falafel
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spread a large baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.
2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are chopped/well-mixed (10 or 12 times).
3. Taste the mixture and adjust the amounts of any ingredients, as you like. Add the baking powder and flour to the mixture and continue pulsing until the mixture forms a ball; you might need to add a bit more flour to get to this point. You want it to be firm enough to roll into balls/patties without it totally sticking to your hands.
4. Using your hands, form the falafel mixture into equal-sized balls in your hand, making sure that they’re all roughly the same size. You can make them as big or small as you like (I make mine a little bigger than golf ball-sized).
5. Transfer to the baking sheet and press the balls into patties, roughly 1/2-inch thick.
6. Brush the tops with a little more olive oil.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping about halfway through. You’ll know they’re done when they’re golden brown on both sides and feel dry to the touch, but give a little when you press them.
8. Serve the falafel on some warm naan or pita bread, smothered in tahini garlic sauce (see below), with some sliced cucumbers, pickled red onions, arugula, and lots of chili lime garlic fries (recipe to follow!)
To Make the Tahini Garlic Sauce
1. In a blender, combine the garlic, salt, tahini, and yogurt. Blend until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
Chili Lime Garlic Fries
From Ryan and Adam: “While we don’t really follow baseball, we love going to the occasional Dodger game. Honestly, we mostly look forward to the concessions, even though buying a single beer is equivalent to putting a down payment on a house. There’s a magical feeling inside that historic ballpark, especially on a warm summer night, with a bag of peanuts on your lap alongside a veggie Dodger Dog and, of course, an order of their famously addictive garlic fries. No game is complete without them, and our spicy version of that sporty side was inspired by those crispy potatoes smothered in sautéed garlic found at almost every food stand in the stadium. They are the perfect pairing for a Meatless Western Bacon Cheeseburger (page 106) and a grand slam snack for your next movie night.” – Husbands That Cook
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
· 1 ½ lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
· 1 ½ quarts neutral vegetable oil such as canola or peanut (use more or less as needed)
· ½ to ¾ tsp salt
For the Garlic
· 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
· 5 large garlic cloves finely chopped
· 1 serrano pepper finely chopped (seeds removed for mind, or left in for spicy)
· 4 TBSP finely chopped Italian parsley
· 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice plus more to taste
· Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
To make the potatoes
1. Wash and dry the potatoes, then slice into ¼-inch sticks. Transfer them to a wide and deep saucepan, and add enough oil to cover them completely. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Cook for 15 minutes without stirring, and at the 20-minute mark, stir slightly, gently scraping any that have stuck to the bottom.
2. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes more, stirring only if needed, until the desired level of color and crispness is reached. Place a baking sheet next to the pan, and line it with paper towels. Remove the fries with a spider strainer and place them on the prepared sheet, and immediately sprinkle with salt, tossing gently to combine. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
To Make the Garlic and Serve
1. Place the olive oil, garlic, and chopped pepper in a small skillet, toss to combine, and place over medium heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, turn off the heat and add the parsley and lime juice, stirring to combine. Pour over the hot fries and toss to coat them evenly. Serve immediately with lime wedges and enjoy!
