Michela Dai Zovi won our very first contest giveaway a couple of months ago, a prize package from our friends at Entomo Farms which included cricket powder.
She has taken her winnings and turned them into recipes to share. Last time she shared with us Irish Colcannon with Cricket Powder.
Not only has she created these awesome recipes for you to try out, but she has also penned an introduction to each one…here’s today’s delight: Baked Cricket Falafel and Spiced Yogurt Sauce. Thanks Mic!
Baked Cricket Falafel and Spiced Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4
INTRO
Falafel gets an undeserved reputation as a kind of Mediterranean junk food—the chicken nuggets of the middle east. In fact, I’ve heard that the McDonald’s in Egypt serves the “McFalafel,” essentially a vegetarian Big Mac. But it doesn’t need to be this way—all you have to do to cut the fat and turn falafel into low-fat, high-protein, snack, is bake in an oven instead of a frying in oil. Falafel is always high in protein, but this particular falafel recipe offers more vitamins than usual, thanks to the cricket powder; in particular, I used cricket powder from Entomo Farms, and cricket salt from Incredible Foods. Make it along with the tangy spiced yogurt sauce, and you’ll have yourself a healthy snack, packed with flavor.
INGREDIENTS
Spiced Yogurt Sauce:
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons hot water
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 2 lemons (approximately 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon honey
6 oz (170 grams) greek yogurt
Salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Falafel:
1 cup (15 ounce) dried chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons cricket salt
1 tablespoon cumin
½ tsp paprika, or your favorite chili powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cricket powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
3-4 tablespoons chickpea flour, or all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the cumin and turmeric in a small bowl or glass jar. Add the hot water, stir, and let sit for three minutes. Add the garlic, lemon juice, honey, yogurt, and salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and whisk well, or close lid and shake well, if in a jar. Cover and let sit in fridge for the flavors to come together; preferably 2 hours, but if it only sits for the time it takes you to make the falafel, that’s okay.
2. Combine most dry ingredients (cricket salt, cumin, paprika/chili, or your favorite chili powder, baking powder, tablespoons cricket powder, salt, pepper) in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Put chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, and dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until texture is thick and mealy, stopping periodically to scrape the sides. When mixture is blended, transfer to a large bowl and start to add and mix the chickpea flour, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture starts to resemble a sticky dough. Cover, and refrigerate for half an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Form small balls with a large spoon, or a falafel scoop, and bake for 20-35 minutes, flipping and turning halfway, and watching to make sure they don’t burn. Serve with spiced yogurt sauce, and enjoy.
NOTE
Falafel and spiced yogurt sauce can be stored separately up to 4 days in the fridge.
Michela Dai Zovi is the driving force behind Bugs For Beginners, which is a forthcoming book for easing newbies into the fascinating, delicious, and nutritious, cuisine of edible insects. Visit her site:
