Oven-Baked Falafel Mezze Plate

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Peel and roughly chop 2/3 of the red onion[s], then slice the rest (as finely as you can!)

Peel and roughly chop the garlic

Drain and rinse the chickpeas

Roughly chop the parsley and cut the lemon[s] into 4 [8] wedges 

Add the drained chickpeas to a food processor with the ground cumin, chopped red onion, chopped garlic and the juice of 2 [4] lemon wedges

Add half the chopped parsley (save the rest for later!) with half the sesame seeds, 1 tsp [2 tsp] flour and 1/2 tsp [1 tsp] salt 

Pulse until everything is blitzed but not smooth – this is your falafel mix

Boil a kettle

Line a baking tray with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds

Shape the falafel mix into 10 [20] falafel balls

Add the falafel balls to the baking tray and press them gently into the sesame seeds

Drizzle generously with olive oil and put the tray in the oven for 20-25 min or until golden brown

While the falafel balls are in the oven, add the bulgur wheat to a pot with plenty of boiled water and a pinch of salt (the same as you would for pasta) and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, cook for 10-15 min or until tender with a slight bite, then drain and return to the pot

Combine the tahini with the natural yoghurt and the juice of 1 [2] lemon wedge[s] – this is your tahini yoghurt

Tip: Add everything to the yoghurt pot to save on washing up!

Cut the wholemeal pitta into triangles 

Add the pitta triangles to the tray with the falafel (or a separate one!) and return the tray to the oven for 4-5 min or until the pitta is golden and crunchy

Meanwhile, chop the cucumber into quarters lengthways, then slice finely

Strip the mint leaves from their stems and chop them finely, discard the stems

Chop the feta into small bite-sized pieces 

Combine the chopped cucumber, sliced red onion, chopped feta and half the chopped mint with 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] olive oil in a large bowl – this is your cucumber salad

Add the reserved chopped parsley and mint to the cooked bulgur wheat with the juice of the remaining lemon 

Give everything a good mix up – this is your herby bulgur