crunchy falafel

a yummy, healthy alternative to the burger. 
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 Tbs sesame tahini, divided (i couldn't find this at albertsons, but made it with a bit of hummus instead-a friend bought some for me-thank you, jill- so next time i will make it with)
1/2 tsp gound cumin
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tomato
8 mini whole-wheat pita pockets
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp pre-chopped garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil or spray

1.  preheat oven to 425 F.  rinse and drain garbanzos, and mash together with carrot, flour, 2 Tbs tahini, 1 Tbs water, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.  it's fine if there are some pieces of garbanzos.
2.  grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and shape mixture into 16 patties the size of a half dollar (i made 8 or 9 of them a little bigger). place on cookie sheet.  brush with olive oil.  bake for 10 minutes or until crispy, turning once.
3.  meawhile, in a small bowl, mix yogurt, remaining tahini, and the lemon juice (this is where i added hummus in place of the tahini-worked great!). add warm water by the tablespoon if sauce seems stiff (mine did not).
4.  stuff falafel, tomato (and even lettuce leaves) into pitas.  serve with yogurt sauce on the side and fresh veggies like cucumber and red-pepper dippers.

this was soooo good.  it was a bit dry b/c i didn't have the tahini, so i put hummus in the pita.  served with the veggies, i felt so healthy.  of course, august loved it and addison did not...and as always, mark is just happy to have  a meal on the table for him.  he loved it as well.
supper easy to make
ingredients easy (sans the tahini)
enjoy!!! (sorry, no picture...we were so hungry that i forgot)