Falafel Pita Pockets with Yogurt and Dill Sauce

If you just don't have the time or the inclination to make falafel from scratch, I have included a recipe with the packaged version. Fantastic Foods makes a great falafel mix that sure is quick and easy to make!

Yield: 4 servings

Falafel:
     1 box  ( 10  ounces )  falafel   mix  ( I  used  Fantastic
        Foods brand, available  in  my  local  Whole Foods
        Market store)
     1¼ cups water
     4 tablespoons canola oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 packet of falafel mix with water. Blend well and let stand 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet (swirl to coat pan), until oil is hot enough that a droplet of water sizzles. Shape falafel mixture into small, round, approximately 1-inch balls. Drop in oil (be careful not to splatter hot oil!) and fry in batches, adding more oil as necessary, until golden brown on both sides (approximately 3 to 5 minutes). Remove and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Tahini sauce:
     2 garlic cloves, minced
     1/3 cup tahini paste
     1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
     Juice from 1 lemon
     ¼ cup water
     ¼ teaspoon salt

In a food processor, mince garlic cloves. Add tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, water, and salt and puree until mixture is well blended. Mixture should be thin and pourable.

Yogurt sauce:
     1 garlic clove
     1 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
     2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
     Juice from ½ lemon
     1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

In a food processor, mince garlic clove. Add yogurt and olive oil and pulse until blended. Add in lemon juice and pulse again until mixture is blended. Pour mixture into serving dish, add in dill, and stir to blend.

Pita pockets:
     2 large whole-wheat pita breads
     ½ cup peeled and chopped cucumber
     ½ cup chopped tomato
     1 cup shredded lettuce (I use spinach,  for  the  most
         nutrition)


Cut whole-wheat pita bread in half to make 2 pockets. Pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of tahini sauce inside each pita half. Fill each pocket with falafel, cucumber, tomato, and spinach. Top with 2 tablespoons yogurt sauce and serve.

Nutritional information per serving (1 pita pocket with ¼ falafel mixture, ¼ vegetable, 2 tablespoons tahini, and 2 tablespoons yogurt sauce):
Calories: 428, Fat: 21 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 607 mg,
Carbohydrate: 50 g, Dietary Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 7 g, Protein: 14 g

Butternut Squash French Fries

Packed with vitamins, this healthy and lower-calorie version of fries is delicious, practically fat-free, and a fraction of the calories of the real thing.

Yield: 2 servings
     2 large butternut squash
     Canola oil nonstick cooking spray
     1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel squash with a vegetable peeler. With a sharp knife, cut off the ends and slice in half. Remove the seeds and continue to slice squash up into small French fry shapes. Spray a large nonstick cookie sheet with canola cooking spray. Arrange fries on sheet in a single layer. Spray fries with canola spray and then sprinkle evenly with salt. Bake for 40 minutes, turning once. Fries should be crispy and brown at the edges. Serve right out of the oven.

Nutritional information per serving (½ of recipe, 243 grams or approximately 1 cup):
Calories: 109, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 1172 mg,
Carbohydrate: 28 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 2 g