Edamame Falafel + What To Do After a Big Creative Project

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Before we talk about these little herby Edamame Falafels, I wanted to get real with you guys.

Truth be told, for the past few months I’ve been suffering from what Erin Bagwell referred to as “creative postpartum” on the WANT podcast. Not to get all dramatic-sounding, but for the past several months, I felt way too depleted to really go all-in on anything.

After writing two cookbooks in the span of a year, I thought I could just push through and continue to create an online hub that would be an extension and expansion of those books. But instead, I’ve scarcely wanted to do anything else besides sleep and make easy, basic soups.

In the meantime, I’ve had freelance gigs that required me to be creative but in a very specific, and impersonal container, so I was able to pump those out without too much fuss. But everything thing else just felt like it wasn’t clicking and didn’t feel right.

When I heard Bagwell, the filmmaker behind the documentary Dream, Girl, talk about her own struggles with finishing a massive creative project I felt like she was talking directly to me. She summed up the antidote to this low period as the simple combination of: time + saying goodbye to your project. The saying goodbye aspect can be anything — a spell, a letter, another unrelated project — it just has to have the specific intention of letting go.

After she wrote Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert took up gardening because she couldn’t face her computer screen. For me? I took up tarot, which has helped me get magical every morning and go deep with intuition and self-reflection. After listening to Bagwell, I’m planning an intentional send off for the books I’ve written so that I can continue to clear the way for more ideas and projects — without rushing anything.

These falafel are another step in the direction of moving on. I was finally excited to make and write a recipe for you guys, one that was easy and full of flavor and nourishing ingredients. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

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Edamame Falafel


These herby, oven-baked falafel are perfect as a snack or as part of a pita sandwich or salad. Here I served them with the
Tahini Ranch dressing from healthyish.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen shelled edamame thawed
  • 2 cups cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup parsley leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 small shallot
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest grated on a microplane
  • Salt & pepper
  • ¼ cup rice four
  • 1 egg
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • Sesame seeds for topping optional

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor or blender, combine edamame, cilantro, parsley, garlic, shallot, oats, baking powder, cumin, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until edamame is broken down into a rough paste and a thick dough starts to form.
  3. Transfer the edamame mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add rice flour and egg to the bowl and mix everything with a rubber spatula until well combined.
  4. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  5. Roll edamame mixture into balls slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. Arrange on the lined baking tray, giving each enough space. Brush each falafel with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

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4 comments

  1. Sarah01/22/2018 | Reply

    Any substitutes for rice flour?

    • Leah01/24/2018 | Reply

      Sure, you can use the same amount of all-purpose, whole wheat, or spelt flour.

  2. Marine06/07/2018 | Reply

    Hello Leah, I am vegan. Is the egg necessary in your recipe ? I really want to give it a go. Thanks !

    • Leah06/08/2018 | Reply

      You can use a chia egg - 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water. That's usually my go-to egg substitute!

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