Recipe - Walnut Falafel with Tzatziki and Mr G Bakes a Cake!

Well, it's 'Mad Friday'.  My least favourite Friday of the year, promptly followed by 'Black' and 'the thirteenth'.  The only thing 'mad' around here however, is me.  And the craziest thing that I did today was make falafel  #hardcore  However, unlike me, the night is still young.  I hope my son and his friends stay safe and sensible tonight while they're out... doing what young people do nowadays.  The less I know the better.

The children finished school today, as did Dan at Uni, but he's staying at his Halls tonight, which is better for him than having to pay for a taxi home.  We'll pick him up tomorrow with all his worldly belongings.  It will be nice to have him back home for a bit, although he will be going to see his father just after Christmas too so I'll only have him for about a week. The house looks all cosy and festive.  And... tidy.  For the last time until January *sad face*

Walnut Falafel with homemade Tzatziki

For the Falafel:
2 cups of walnuts (I used chopped)
2 tins of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or equivalent amount, cooked
2 tsp of minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

For the Tzatziki
1 cup fat free Natural Yogurt
½ cup cucumber, peeled and shredded
¼ cup celery, shredded
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Whisk together all Tzatziki sauce ingredients until smooth.

Process all falafel ingredients, except for the oil, in a food processor until well mixed.

Like so...

Form 24 balls or patties out of the mixture, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Fry in a large frying pan for 3 - 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Alternatively, these may also be brushed with a little oil and baked in the oven, 200C, Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes.

If frying, take care as the mixture will spit.  I fried half the mixture and baked the rest, as I didn't fancy spending Mad Friday in the hospital.

Serve on flatbreads, wraps or naan bread.  Top with the tzatziki sauce, salad and chopped walnuts (optional). 

Then Mr G made a cake.  The only thing I was allowed to do was give him was the recipe and then supervise.  So, from start to finish, it is his cake.  It looks and tastes fabulous!  Only the second cake he's ever made in his life, and he's nearly 54, so he's done really well. 

Mr G's Festive Victoria Sponge

Doesn't that look gorgeous?  I think so anyway.  This is something I could definitely get used to.  So, now that we're all cooked out (for today anyway!) I've made myself a White Russian cocktail and I've settled down for the night.  See if there's anything funny on telly, and have a think about what I'm going to cook tomorrow :-)  Possibly some nice Scotch Eggs, a Carrot Cake for Ryan and I might do some mini cheesecakes in a muffin tin, so I can just pop them in the freezer and take them out when we want one.  The children aren't huge cheesecake lovers, so this way it doesn't mean that Mr G and I end up eating the whole thing to ourselves!  Definitely feeling a bit more relaxed and festive now that almost everything is sorted for Christmas :-)