|
|
Enjoy falafel as an appetizer, first course or party food, with a yogurt dipping sauce. Photo by Eva Gründemann | Fotolia. |
WHAT IT IS: Falafel from Trader Joe’s and falafel you can make at home. |
WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: Trader Joe’s is frozen, microwaved falafel that manages to be crisp on the outside and moist on the inside—and filled with the green herbs most store-bought falafel lacks. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: One of our favorite foods is now a reach away in the freezer. |
WHERE TO BUY IT: At Trader Joe’s stores nationwide. |
|
|
|
What’s The Best Store-Bought Falafel? Trader Joe’s!
Plus, Many Ways To Serve Falafel
Jump to the article index below
Trader Joe’s Falafel
What could be better than a nutritious dinner that’s a heat-and-eat proposition—and takes only one or two minutes to make in the microwave, no less?
We always have hummus and tabbouleh in the fridge, and whole wheat pita in the freezer. It’s easy to whip up a delicious falafel meal.
And you don’t even need these accoutrements. Try serving falafel atop spaghetti, instead of meatballs. It’s delicious with tomato sauce.
Trader Joe’s falafel, two inches in diameter, is all garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and no fava beans. We find that this makes a moister ball of falafel, but individual tastes vary (see Falafel Republic, a blend of both beans, below).
Nicely spiced, Trader Joe’s falafel has plenty of parsley and cilantro. The label lists spices including garlic, chili peppers, curry powder and coriander (the seed of the cilantro plant). If you don’t like one or more of these spices, don't worry: They all blend harmoniously and nothing is overpowering.
Find this falafel at Trader Joe’s stores nationwide. Alas for gluten-free and kosher readers, this fine product is neither. You’ll have to look elsewhere. Scroll past the photo, for starters: Falafel Republic is gluten-free.
Trader Joe’s falafel. Photo by River Soma |
THE NIBBLE.
Falafel Republic
If you make your own falafel or buy the ready-to-heat-and-eat Falafel Republic brand, you can have smaller balls of falafel that work nicely as hors d’oeuvre or as a first course with dipping sauce (1-1/4 inches in diameter). A blend of both chickpeas and fava beans, the brand offers Traditional and Roasted Garlic flavors. It is available in the refrigerator section; learn more at FalafelRepublic.com.
Ready for a falafel feast?
Head to the section below.
|
|
|
|
INDEX OF REVIEW
This is Page 2 of a four-page article. Click on the black links to visit other pages:
|
MORE TO DISCOVER
|
For A Home Dinner Or Falafel Party Bar
Turn falafel into a special occasion. Set up a food bar with these accompaniments, and everyone will have great fun (and a healthy, delicious dinner):
Salad Ingredients |
Mezze & Sides |
Mezze & Sides (Continued) |
- Bell Pepper, Chopped
- Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
- Cucumber, Sliced
- Garlic Cloves, Roasted
- Green Onions, Chopped
- Microgreens
- Radishes, Sliced
- Red Onion or Sweet
Onion, Sliced
- Sundried Tomatoes
- Tomatoes, Sliced
|
- Babaganoush
- Bulgur Wheat Salad
- Carrot Salad or Dip
- Chickpea Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Fattoush
(bread salad made with
toasted pita)
- Feta Cheese
- Ful Medames
(fava bean dip, an Egyptian
specialty)
- Garlic Sauce (recipe)
- Hummus
- Kibbeh
(fried balls of meat and
bulgur)
- Lentil Salad
- Middle Eastern Salad
(also called Arab or Israeli
salad, a chopped salad with
English cucumbers,
tomatoes, red onions, bell
peppers, lemon juice and
spices)
- Mixed Olives
- Pasta Salad With Feta &
Olives
|
Just the beginning of the feast you can plan. Photo © Simone van den Berg | Fotolia.
- Pepperoncini
- Pickled Turnips (recipe)
- Pickled Vegetables (recipe)
- Rice Salad
- Stuffed Grape leaves
- Tabbouleh
- Tahini
- Three Bean Salad
- Tzatziki
|
Herb & Spice Garnishes |
Other Garnishes |
Dessert |
- Aniseed
- Aleppo Pepper
- Caraway
- Cardamom
- Cumin
- Chopped Mint
- Fenugreek Seeds
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Parsley, Flat Leaf
- Turmeric
- Za’atar
(a spice mix with sumac,
sesame seed, oregano,
thyme & hyssop, a
member of the mint
family)
|
- Lemon Wedges
- Olive Oil
- Paprika
- Pistachio Nuts
- Pomegranate Arils
- Preserved Lemon (recipe)
- Sumac (a Middle Eastern
spice)
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
|
- Baklava Or Other Greek
Pastry (Galaktoboureko,
Custard Pie, Is A Favorite)
- Dates & Other Dried Fruits
- Dates Stuffed With
Mascarpone Or Goat
Cheese
- Fresh Pomegranates
- Halvah
- Pomegranate Ice Cream
(Try Sheer Bliss)
- Vanilla Ice Cream With
Chopped Dates* And/Or
Crumbled Halvah
|
*You can marinate the dates in orange liqueur or Cognac.
Continue To Page 3: Falafel Recipes
Go To The Article Index Above
Do you have friends who would enjoy THE NIBBLE?
Click here to send them an invitation to sign up for their own copy. |
© Copyright 2004-2024 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights
reserved. All information contained herein is subject to change at any time
without notice. All details must be directly confirmed with manufacturers, service
establishments and other third parties. The material in this e-zine may not
be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with
the prior written permission of Lifestyle Direct, Inc.
|
|
|
|