Summer Bliss Bowl with Baked Lentil Falafel

Add 1 cup of uncooked lentils and 3.75 cups of water to a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue to cook on a gentle simmer with a tilted lid. Cook until lentils are soft, but not mushy and until the water has mostly evaporated (usually takes around 20 minutes). Remember we will be processing this in the food processor so no need to make them super soft. Set aside to let cool down.

In the food processor add cooked lentils, garlic cloves, parsley, basil leaves, chickpea miso, lemon juice, flax meal, salt and process until well-combined. Add coconut flour (or your choice of flour) as needed to thicken the mixture in order to make it easier to form the balls. I needed 3 tablespoons, but you might need to add a bit more, or less depending on how thick your mix is to begin with.

Preheat oven to 350F and form bite-sized falafel balls using the mix (1/2 cup yields around 3 balls) and place in baking sheet. Bake at 350f for 40 minutes or until balls are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool down a bit. If the balls feel soft do not worry as they will continue to harden as they cool down outside of the oven.

If making cauliflower rice: Add shredded cauliflower, coconut aminos, and salt to a pan and cook over medium heat until ‘rice’ is soft and tender. This usually takes around 10 minutes.

Serve with a bed of greens (I used chopped spinach), a side of cauliflower rice or quinoa, and roasted veggies and don’t forget to top with this cashew-free vegan parsley and basil herb sauce. Enjoy!