Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

Before tonight I had no idea what a falafel was. But thanks to these awesome cookbooks (this one came out of Cooking Light) JennEllen got me for my birthday, I am trying lots of new things - and they're all healthy to boot! Don't be scared by this recipe. Read the ingredients. It is oh, so yummy! The whole time I was making these I couldn't stop thinking about the episode of Friends where Christina Applegate is Rachel's sister and she keeps thinking Ross is the falafel guy. Dumb, I know, but, oh well! =)

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Falafel:

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lrg egg

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

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1 tbsp olive oil

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Sauce:

1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 garlic clove, minced

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4 (6 inch) whole wheat pitas, halved

8 curly lettuce leaves

sliced tomato

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To prepare falafel:

Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor (Trust me. Use a food processor. I almost killed my blender and Magic Bullet and ended up mashing it with a potato masher instead! LOL) Process mixture until smooth. Divide into 16 equal portions and create patties (dip hands in water to avoid sticking to hands). The patties will seem small, but remember, you're putting two into each pita half. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

To prepare sauce:

Combine yogurt, lemon juice, tahini and one garlic clove; stir with a whisk.

To made sandwiches:

Spoon sauce into each pita half and add lettuce, tomato and two patties.

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Serves 4

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FYI: I found Tahini, sesame seed paste, for $8 a bottle. Wow. No, thanks. I read the ingredients and it literally said "Ground sesame seeds." There is a nut kiosk at our Tom Thumb, and I was able to buy 1/2 lb (way too much) of sesame seeds for a little over a dollar and I just ground them myself using my handy Magic Bullet.