This Plant-Based, Kid-Friendly Recipe Gets Little Hands Involved in the Kitchen

Looking for a way to get your kids to try new foods? How about fun ways for little ones to help out with the cooking? This plant-based recipe offers both — and the end result is a delicious, veggie-filled lunch or dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Making homemade falafel is easier than it seems, and your kiddos will love to help roll out the balls before baking. They can also help pick herbs off stems, toss together crunchy cucumbers with salad dressing, and fill the pitas with toppings once all the ingredients are prepped. Bonus: Make a day of it by hitting the farmers market for all your fresh produce! 

For more kid-friendly recipes like this one, try these Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps or these Cornflake-Crusted Fish or Portobello Mushroom Sticks!

Baked Falafel Pitas With Cucumber Raita & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Yield: 4 servings
Active time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the falafel: 

1 cup dry garbanzo beans, soaked 6 hours or overnight covered by several inches of water in the fridge, loosely covered with a tea towel (not a tight-fitting lid) 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
¼ teaspoon baking powder 
½ cup shallot, chopped (yellow or white onion works too) 
3-4 garlic cloves
½ cup raw beet, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest
¾ cup fresh packed parsley (leaves and stems)
¾ cup fresh packed cilantro (leaves and stems)
2 teaspoons lemon zest

For cucumber raita and sweet potato fries:

1 ½ lbs sweet potato
1 large cucumber, peeled
6 oz Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt of choice) 
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ pint cherry tomatoes
4-6 oz pitted olives (Kalamata or green)
Lemon wedges
Sesame dressing, to taste 
Pita bread
Feta cheese, optional
Cilantro and parsley leaves, extra fresh dill

Instructions

Parent step: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Set up two sheet trays with parchment paper and set aside. 

Parent step: Slice sweet potatoes into long spears and place on one of the sheet trays. Drizzle to coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and set aside. 

Parent step: Pick your falafel version (pink beet or herby green — the base is the same for both). Drain the excess water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse, and drain well again. Add all falafel ingredients (base + herby or pink beet ingredients) to a food processor and process until smooth but not puréed. You want a damp, coarse, sandy consistency. 

Kid step: Spray the second sheet tray with cooking spray. Using a tablespoon, measure a heaping scoop, then roll into a loose ball (not too compact, or the falafel will be too dense). Imperfect balls are ok! Place on the sheet tray and spray generously with cooking oil. 

Parent step: Bake falafel and potato spears for 14 minutes, then lightly toss potatoes and turn falafel over. Cook for another 10 minutes. Both trays should be done at the same time. 

Family step: While falafel and potatoes are baking, prepare the raita and topping. Slice peeled cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Line a bowl with paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel), place a box grater over top, and grate the cucumber. Once grated, gather the towel(s) and squeeze out as much liquid as you can — this is a fun one for kids to help with. Discard liquid, then add grated cucumber to the bowl along with the yogurt, dill, and lemon juice. Kids can help stir to combine. Parents season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Kid step: Tear olives in half, pick herbs off of the stems, and crumble the feta. 

Family step: To serve, fill each pita wrap with a couple falafel, cherry tomatoes, spoonfuls of cucumber raita, sesame dressing, herbs, feta, and olives. 

Serve sweet potato fries on the side with extra sesame dressing for dipping. 

Recipe credit: Aubrey Devin