There is a great vegan restaurant/kitchen here in Warwick, right in town, called Conscious Fork. They have meals featuring healthy choices using natural foods, filled with nutrients and packing plenty of plant-based protein without lacking flavor! Kali and I visit every so often, it’s such a welcoming space with different artwork on display and comfy couches for Kali and I to sit. They offer fresh juices, kombucha and even alcoholic beverages! I’ve only spoken to the owner and founder Kim once, she was such a pleasure to meet. When I read her bio on her website, I noticed her previous career lifestyle experience was somewhat similar to my own prior to me launching this blogsite! I loved reading, and also seeing for myself at her restaurant/kitchen, the positive change she had made after having earned her nutrition and holistic health education from Integrative Nutrition. It’s inspiring to eat there, as I have hopes to expand my knowledge, my learning and my education in health and nutrition so I can share more about living a happy healthy lifestyle that incorporates nutritious foods! It’s a big part of who I have become, who I want to continue to be, my short-term and long-term goals and beyond! My Well-Defined part of life contributing to My Whole Well-Being! Inspiration is all around us! Here’s the link to the kitchen page and a snapshot of Kim’s story www.consciousfork.com/story
Here are a few photos of Kali (and I although you don’t see me )having a great lunch just recently!
One of our favorite bowls to order is the Mediterranean which features baked falafel, quinoa tabbouleh and hummus with tahini sauce over salad greens. I add avocado to it and we share it!
Another bowl Kali loves is the Tex Mex bowl you can see it on the side; brown rice, black beans, vegan daiya cheddar and avocado! Look at our deliciously healthy vegan lunch!
I really enjoy trying new healthy meals and love finding plant-based protein. I am not a vegan, I more prefer to somewhat follow a Paleo diet but I’m not strict with it, so the beans are ok with me! They are packed with protein, as I mentioned in a previous post Bean Salad – Nutrient Packed Plant-Protein Dish AND they’re also packed with Fiber! Falafels are made using Garbanzo Beans and some fantastic benefits are the Fiber and Protein content along with vitamins and nutrients! Graphic below courtesy dherbs.com
I like to make my own meals at home and create my own bowl creations. Often, bowls are loaded with more beans and grains than actual vegetables. So, I prefer to make my own and then be greedy with adding the greens! Here, I am baking my own falafel tobe served with kale and avocado! I love the recipes found at passtheplants.com so this one here is very similar to hers at Pass the Plants Easy Oven Baked Falafel I used a bag of Green Valley Organic Garbanzo beans, half a medium red onion, about 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, three garlic cloves, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cilantro and fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. (Hummus in pic is for afterwards while eating and enjoying!)
Dice up the medium red onion in small pieces as well as the garlic.
You can add the onion and garlic first to a blender or food processor to get them started, then add the chickpeas. Follow it up with the remainder ingredients of parsley, cumin, cilantro, salt, lemon juice.
Once the mixture had a grounded consistency to it, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet I placed flattened balls of the mix and then poured a tiny bit of olive oil over top of each so to give them a crispier result after being baked! I only have a blender and not a food processor so you can see there are a lot of chunks of beans and onion and parsley. They didn’t ruin the flavor! I think if I added a bit more lemon juice and perhaps a touch of olive oil it would’ve helped grinding up the ingredients more, but not too much or they won’t stay together in a flattened ball.
Bake at 400F for about 25 minutes! Yummy!
Rather than doubling-up having the falafel already made with beans and then adding grains (quinoa) as some bowls generally do (just as the Mediterranean bowl I mention does from Conscious Fork), I keep the quinoa or any grain out and serve it with sliced avocado, hummus and Kale with olive oil. A fiber filled protein packed nutritious Well-Fed meal! A great well-fed way to fulfill your Whole Well-Being!
Conscious Fork also offers Cocoa Coconut Macaroon Balls for dessert which Kali devours!!! THAT is my next recipe to attempt! I’ve tried similar health desserts such as my Health Nut Dessert but I need to perfect it so it can be enjoyed as a finger-food rather than a butter-nut spread. Below Kali sitting in front of one of the art works on display enjoying a healthier sweet treat!
| Prep Time | 10 mins |
| Cook Time | 25 mins |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 bag Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas 15 oz
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley use less for dried
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlics chopped/or minced into blender/processor
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cilantro less if you're not a big fan of cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil to add to top of flattened balls
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 400 F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Add garlic, onion to processor or blender to grind down first, then add garbanzo beans and grind down.
- Add remaining ingredients, lemon juice to help get a good grinded mix, but not too much as you want the mixture to stay together and not fall apart.
- Scoop out mixture with spoon to make individual balls and then flatten top with spoon. Add a bit of olive oil to each top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.