Mediterranean Protein Platter with falafel, beefy seitan, sautéed vegetables, and cucumber salad served with brown rice and tahini sauce. This Mediterranean platter is delicious and packs a powerful protein punch. If you’re making the falafel, you’ll want to prepare the mix one day in advance, though you could also try store-bought falafel mix as well!

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6 Time: Overnight & 45 minutes

Mediterranean Protein Platter

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water

Falafel

• 1 cup dried, uncooked chickpeas
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, stems removed
• 1/2 small onion, peeled & quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Tbs ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 Tbs ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

Seitan Sauté

• 1 cup beefy seitan strips
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, diced
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

Cucumber Salad

• 1 english cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, stems removed & minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• Dash of salt & black pepper

Directions

1. (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with just enough water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches.
2. Soak overnight for 18 hours (or longer if the chickpeas are too hard).
3. After soaking, drain the chickpeas completely and pat dry.
4. Next, add the chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, and spices to a food processor or blender. Mix in pulses of 40 seconds at a time until the mixture is well-combined.
5. Transfer the falafel mix to an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before cooking.
6. Meanwhile, prepare your other ingredients for the platter. Mix the cucumber salad ingredients in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. And if you’re using our homemade tahini recipe, those could be prepared the day before or during this time.
7. Add your rice to a rice cooker or cook on the stove.
8. When you’re ready to cook the falafel, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the mixture and stir together well.
9. Form small, equal-sized patties by hand for cooking. If you’re frying the patties, prepare a pan with about 3 inches of vegetable oil and cook the patties for 3-5 minutes or until lightly crisp on the outside.
10. For baking falafel, preheat the oven to 375ºF and transfer patties onto a greased sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the patties every 5 minutes.
11. While your falafel is baking, set a skillet to medium heat and add a light amount of olive oil once hot.
12. Sauté the onions for five minutes before adding the bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook together for 5-7 minutes, then add the seitan strips and seasonings. Cook for another 5 minutes, deglaze with a dash of balsamic vinegar. Once the seitan has lightly seared, remove the sauté from the heat and set aside
13. Once the falafel is done, plate with the cucumber salad, seitan sauté, rice, and top with some tahini.
14. Serve & enjoy!