Baked Spinach Falafel (and other stories)

I know, I know. It's been a while since my last post. I'm supposed to be better about keeping up on it, but I'm not. For what it's worth, I have a lot to talk about today!

My first story is kind of sad and tragic. You see, a few days ago, I decided to try making "Coffee Pops." I'd seen the idea on several other blogs and thought it would be a good way to get my coffee while holding my daughter without worrying about scolding her.

 So I brewed a pot of coffee, mixed it with milk and splenda, and poured it into my bunny Popsicle molds. I had high hopes and I was eager. Perhaps TOO eager. The next morning, I went to remove a popsicle from one of the molds, but it hadn't loosened enough and my dear, sweet bunny pop cracked in half. In honor of the bunny's memory, I wrote a poem.

 
Ode To A Popsicle Stick   Little Bunny Fu-Fu  That's what I might have called you  But your life was cut too short to have a name. 
 Meant to mold my icy treat  Your body, frozen, couldn't meet  The challenge of releasing, when it came. 
 Now tragically in sink you lie  With melting coffee by your side  Split in two, and never 'gain to stir. 
 As your 3 siblings stare and wait  The ending to their icy fate  I hope that they are stronger than you were.
The happy ending is that I DID eat one of the popsicles this morning, and it was tasty and efficient, but it did lack the simple pleasure of a creamy, warm, slightly sweet cup o'mornin' Joe. {sigh} 

Now to my next topic. I've long been searching for simple, cheap, healthy recipes for shabbos lunches. I've come up with a few simple ideas like fish cakes, a variety of salads (tuna, egg, macaroni, corn, etc). 

 This shabbos, I decided to try out baked falafel. I got this recipe from the interwebs, of course.

They came out of the oven crunchy on the outside and warm, soft, creamy on the inside. I can't yet vouch for how they'll taste tomorrow, but I'm optimistic.

 

Baked Spinach Falafel (Copied from Vegan Yack Attack)
Ingredients: 3 Cups Cooked Chickpeas
2 Cups Baby Spinach, Loosely Packed
1 Cup White Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic
3 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, Minced
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Ground Coriander
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients, except for the rolled oats, into a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is in between a chunky consistency and a paste (much like very coarse sand). Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Fold the rolled oats into the mixture until it is evenly combined.
3. Form 2-3 tbsp.-sized spheres on a greased baking sheet about 1 1/2″ apart from each other. Pat them down so that they are about 1″ thick, this is so they bake more evenly.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then very carefully turn them over and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The top and bottom should have a little brown on them.
5. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes, serve.