Crave Wednesday: Mini Falafel Pocket Sandwich

 It's baseball season!  Well, it's actually been baseball season since January.  That's when practices started.  Which seems ridiculously early.  And part of the reason most of the practices have been called for inclement weather.

Thatkid is once again on the Dodgers.  But this year, the Dodgers are comprised mostly of his friends.  There are 3 other kids from his team last year, 1 of his old friends who wasn't on the team, and 1 of his new friends. 

 Also new this year is the graduation from the tee to the pitching machine.  Batting has never been Thatkid's strong suit, but now he really has to focus on hitting the ball.  And when he focuses, he does a great job!  The past 2 games he's gotten hits!

And while he may not be the next Hank Aaron, he definitely stands out on the field.  He's got his own signature move.  His slide.

Thatkid has practice during the week, and games every weekend.  Because our weekdays aren't full enough!  And now that daylight savings has started, we've been taking advantage of the light and spending longer at practice.  So baseball nights means I have to have dinner ready to go as soon as we get home.  Which means my love of sandwiches has become a need for sandwiches.  They're an easy dinner which is also filling since all that batting, running, and fielding leaves Thatkid pretty hungry.

This falafel sandwich is especially convenient because the falafel can be made ahead of time.  And while I prefer it warmed up, it definitely can be eaten cold. I can't speak to every child, but my boys love garlic yogurt sauce, the tahini added to this one didn't change that fact.

Mini Falafel Pocket Sandwich (From Cooking Light)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp cold water

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/3 cup boiling water

2/3 cup bulgar

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup parsley

1/4 cup cilantro

3/4 tsp cumin

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 egg white

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 whole wheat pitas, halved crosswise

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1.  Combine yogurt, tahini, cold water and lemon in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill.
2. Combine boiling water and bulgar in a small bowl.  Cover and let stand 25-30 minutes. Drain.
3.  Process garlic in food processor until minced.
4. Add bulgar, parsley, cilantro, cumin, chickpeas and egg white to food processor and process until smooth.  Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a patty.  Place patties on a baking sheet.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Heat half of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add 4 patties.  Cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining oil and patties.
6. Spread 1 Tbsp tahini-yogurt sauce inside each pita.  
7. Fill each pita half with 2 patties.
8. Divide tomato, cucumber, and red onion evely among pita halves.
9. Drizzle each with 1 Tbsp sauce.