Designed by Olivier Sanchez, Private Chef, dedicated to producing healthy food.
RECIPE: Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Coconut oil 1 Onion (chopped) 1 tsp Cumin (ground) 1 tin Chickpeas (~400g) (drained) 125 g raw Beetroot (peeled, grated) 50 g Ground almonds 50 g Ground linseeds 12 tbsp Water 2 tbsp of Chia seeds 1 tsp Tahini paste Coconut oil (melted, for brushing or frying) 1 small Coconut yoghurt (or your favourite alternative) + tahini (optional)
Method:
Combine the chia seeds and water and leave aside to rest. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and melt the onion gently over very low heat (with the lid on). Do not colour.
Add the cumin and cook for another minute or so, then decant the mixture into a food processor along with the chickpeas, two-thirds of the grated beetroot, the ground almonds and linseeds, chia seed ("egg replacement") mix and tahini. Blitz to a rough paste, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the remaining grated beetroot and season to taste.
With damp hands, shape the mixture into about 10 balls or use a falafel press, and place them gently on a baking parchment-lined oven tray. Chill until ready to serve.
Pre-heat oven to 180 ̊C.
Brush the falafels with a little melted coconut oil and bake for 20-25 mins until crisp and heated all the way through. Leave to cool slightly before serving. Alternatively, shallow fry until golden brown and crispy, or place in dehydrator for up to 8 hours until dry but still soft in the middle. To serve, mix tahini with the yogurt, and some spice mix of your choice (e.g. ground cumin, ground cardamom, chilli powder, or Nigella seeds). Serve as an amuse bouche or as a main dish with salad.
Beetroots can be replaced with grated sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, various radishes, carrots or celeriac. Make them as plain or as spicy as you like - you choose.
More about Olivier:
After training to the highest standards at the most prestigious French schools of his time, Olivier then worked in a renowned Michelin star restaurant to fine tune his culinary expertise. He has since established himself as one of the best known private chefs in London, having worked for royalty, A-listers and politicians, travelling the world and bringing back new tastes and flavours to expand his extensive repertoire.
Today, his passion for food and health has reached even greater heights. Graduating at the top of his class, Olivier is a fully registered Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist, offering unrivalled services for people looking to reach optimum health or an ideal weight. Mixing evidence-based nutrition with healthy and nutritious food has become his signature brand: Where Gourmet Food Meets Health™. Olivier regularly publishes in national newspapers and health magazines.
Food-related articles and recipes to suit any diet can be found at: www.exquisiteprivatechef.co.uk
All about Nutrition: www.nutrunity.com
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