Oreo Balls and Veggie Good Falafel

Hello all!

Last week I received my CSN Stores product to review...a food processor!

Don't you love it when boxes are 6X the size of the product they're delivering?
I got a cute little Cuisinart processor that has a reversible blade- one for chopping or pureeing foods, and one for making nut butters. I have already used it several times...
First, I made Oreo balls:

I used Averie's recipe for Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls and the only change I made was to use slightly less cream cheese- I didn't need the full amount. I also processed the cookies in my new food processor rather than smashing them up by hand. 

I dipped half of the batch in melted chocolate, and half in vanilla flavored almond bark, then drizzled the opposite-colored dips over each ball using a toothpick. 

 I made these for our Super Bowl party and they were a hit! Two days later, my classmates are still talking about them... I am definitely going to make these again! I had actually never had an Oreo ball before I saw Averie's recipe, but I'm glad I made them- they were delicious :)

I also made some Veggie Good Falafel (hehehe) using the food processor. This recipe is so simple and doesn't even use tahini, which I never seem to have, or on the rare occasion that I do, it has gone stale. However, I'm sure you could add a TBSP or two and make it even better! This recipe is so simple and can be adapted to use whatever veggies you want.

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup mixed diced veggies (I used carrot, onion, and broccoli--but I'm sure zucchini, bell pepper, cauliflower, etc. would be great)

1 clove garlic

1 can chickpeas

1/2 - 1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

See? Such simple ingredients...

Put the veggies and garlic in the food processor and chop until super-fine:

Then, add the chickpeas and spices to the food processor and mix well. I stopped just short of totally mashing the beans and left a few chunks. Add this to the veggie mix:

Preheat the oven to 425* and use a spoon, your hands, or a tablespoon measure (which is what I used) to portion out the falafel onto a well oiled sheet.

Spray the falafel with olive oil (or whatever oil spray you have) and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. If you want them extra-crispy, I'm sure you could broil them for a minute at the end, but I didn't find it necessary.

Serve!

These falafel were light and fresh tasting, unlike the deep-fried ones most restaurants serve. I think they would make a great appetizer or salad/wrap ingredient. 

I didn't use all of the mix to make falafel either- I reserved about 1/3 cup of it...

to eat on a salad! I simply heated half a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet and added the falafel mixture. I lightly toasted it and let it become a little crumbly, then added it to a salad of romaine lettuce, carrots, and tomato. It was delicious! I think this mixture is quite versatile and could even be made into chickpea "burgers" or as a filling for stuffed bell peppers or tomatoes. 

Some other things I have been making with the processor are:

Banana soft-serve and

Angela's avocado sauce <--amazing!

Something I've been wearing lately..

Representing my alma mater! I did my undergrad at Texas Tech University.

Where did you/do you go to school?