Malibu Farm’s Cauliflower and Broccoli ‘Bu Falafel recipe

Dishes that showcase fruits and vegetables have always been a hallmark at Helene Henderson’s popular Malibu Farm restaurants, which got their start in, of course, the seaside town of Malibu. In her new  “Malibu Farm Sunrise to Sunset” cookbook (Clarkson Potter, $40), falafel gets a flavorful twist with the addition of cauliflower and broccoli. Here’s how it’s made.

Cauliflower and Broccoli ‘Bu Falafel

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped cauliflower (about ¼ head)

1 cup chopped broccoli (about ¼ head)

15-ounce can garbanzo beans or cooked chickpeas, homemade or purchased, drained

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped fresh kale or spinach

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 teaspoons salt

1 cup dry bread crumbs, gluten-free if available, divided use

Olive oil

Lime Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (recipe below; optional)

Pucker Up Tahini Sauce (recipe below; optional)

DIRECTIONS

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop in the cauliflower and broccoli and blanch for 1 minute. The vegetables should still be crispy and undercooked. Drain them and lay them out on paper towels to dry.

Once the cauliflower and broccoli are fully dry, put them in a food processor. Add the chickpeas, shallot, parsley, kale or spinach, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until just combined, leaving the mixture slightly chunky. Over-processing is always a bigger crime than under-processing.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in ½ cup of the bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and flatten the top so they look like crab cakes. Coat both sides of the falafels in the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs. The falafels can be made up to this point several days in advance and refrigerated, and can also be frozen to use at a later date.

Heat some oil in a medium skillet over high heat, and sauté about 6 of the falafels (do not crowd the skillet) until they are crisp on all sides and heated through, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining falafels.

To serve, top the falafels with the Lime Cucumber Yogurt Sauce or the Pucker Up Tahini Sauce or both. Don’t feel like making a sauce? You can serve these with any leftover salsa in your fridge, or with a salad tossed with lemon dressing.

Lime Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Makes 1½ cups

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain whole-milk or vegan yogurt

1 Persian cucumber or ½ hothouse cucumber, diced fine

1 tablespoon chopped red onion, shallot or green onions

Juice from 1 lime

1 garlic clove, grated

½ cup chopped fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, mint, chives or your choice

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Mix me all together and I am delish. Serve me with your favorite dish.

Tips: To make a thicker dip, place your yogurt in a cheesecloth bag set over a bowl and let the excess liquid drain off for a few hours. Grate or dice the cucumber and mix it with salt to taste. Squeeze out the excess liquid from this cucumber-salt mixture, and then combine it with the drained yogurt and the remaining ingredients.

Pucker Up Tahini Sauce

Makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

½ cup tahini

Juice from 1 lemon

¼ cup hot water

1 garlic clove, grated

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon honey, agave or maple syrup (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Spoon the tahini into a small bowl, then add the lemon juice. The mixture will seize up and get stiff, so thin it with the ¼ cup hot water to make a smoother sauce. Add the garlic and olive oil, and season to taste with salt. For a sweeter sauce, stir in the honey, agave, or maple syrup.

Reprinted from MALIBU FARM SUNRISE TO SUNSET by Helene Henderson. Copyright © 2021 by Helene Henderson. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.