Reducipe: Southwestern Falafels with Guacamole
Posted on March 13, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Reducipes
With rising food costs, I think everyone could use a few reducipes that use beans as the main protein instead of meat. Beans are not only a cheap substitute, they are really tasty and versatile. And they are good for you, too!
This isn’t your average falafel. It has southwestern style ingredients (like pinto beans and mexican spices) to make a truly unique version. These flavors are very “me”.
This recipe is yet another staple of mine and was even featured at my last catering event in bite size form. Hmmm, maybe I should stop giving away all my secrets. Just kidding!
I haven’t tried this dish out on kids (I don’t have children yet) but I bet they would like it. It’s like a hamburger in a different form. The crunch and hands-on “eatability” is fun. If guacamole freaks them out try a little ranch dressing instead.
Southwestern Falafels are one of our all time favorite dinners and I’m tickled pink that it happens to be so economical, too.
I just had to share this one with you all. I hope you like it!
Southwestern Falafels with Guacamole
1 (15oz) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup tortilla chips, finely crushed
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Cayenne, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup panko crumbs
Canola oil
Guacamole, recipe follows
Pita breadTo prepare patties, place pinto beans in medium bowl and partially mash them with a fork. Add the cheese, mayo, tortilla chips, green onions, cilantro, spices, and egg and mix well. Form into 4 patties, about 1/2″ thick, and dredge in the panko crumbs. Set aside.
Heat about 1-2 tablespoons canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and pan fry them until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides.
Serve with guacamole and fresh pita. Serves 4 (or 6 if you make smaller patties).
Guacamole
1 avocado, peeled, cubed, and lightly mashed
1/4 cup pico de gallo
Garlic salt, to taste
1/2 lime, juicedMix the avocado, pico de gallo, garlic salt, and a drizzle of lime juice together in a small bowl. Pour the remaining lime juice over the surface (to help delay browning). Refrigerate, with a layer of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the guacamole to help keep it fresh and green.
Look for panko crumbs in the Asian Foods section of your market. If you can’t find it you can just omit it; they are very tasty even without that added crunch. I don’t think regular bread crumbs would do it justice, though.
If you can’t make or buy fresh pita bread, you can substitute flour tortillas. Tortillas aren’t as good as pita because the dish loses some of its chewy-ness but they aren’t bad. Just make sure to warm up the tortillas over a flame to get them nice and soft. Toasting them a bit will also make store-bought tortillas taste better.
If you want to make the patties ahead of time, don’t roll them in the panko. Wait to dredge the patties in the panko until right before cooking so the crumbs stay nice and crisp.
On a diet? No problem! Use low-fat mayo, baked tortilla chips, omit the panko coating, and cook them in very little oil. You can easily make this meal lighter by following those steps.
Let’s see the damage!
| Ingredient | Cost | Ingredient | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinto Beans | $0.50 | Egg | $0.16 |
| Cheese | $0.54 | Panko Crumbs | $0.25 |
| Mayo | $0.02 | Canola Oil | $0.15 |
| Tortilla Chips | $0.05 | Avocado | $1.79 |
| Green Onions | $0.09 | Pico De Gallo | $0.29 |
| Cilantro | $0.05 | Limes | $0.08 |
| Spices | N/A | Total | $3.97 or $0.99 a serving |
Do you see that total? Wow. That’s really cheap!
I didn’t add in the cost of the pita bread I made but if I did it would only raise the cost by $0.04 a serving (2 pita rounds). I told Eric about how much our meal cost last night and he was astounded. Quite frankly, I am too. These falafels taste too good to be so inexpensive!
This post was featured in:
- Make It From Scratch #56 hosted by GreenStyleMom
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Sounds yummy! I’m going to have to give this a try!
Fantastic recipe. I will try it soon! We are working VERY hard on our grocery budget now; not just coupons and sales but also eating differently so we are more healthy and spending less. Definitely a great recipe for this category! We have kids, so I might tone down the spices just a little for them but guacamole covers a multitude of spicy-ness with them.
Here’s to reduce it further:
Buy a pound of pinto beans for about 70 cents. Soak and cook them “without” salt. I average about 5-6 cans worth of beans this way and no extra sodium.yay
:)
Yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I made these yesterday and we all enjoyed them. I will be making them again. I will say that this did not turn out as frugal for me. I had to buy panko for much more than you spent as I did not have time to shop around. I also doubled the guacamole which was defintely not a frugal mood but oh so good!