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Family Food Club Online 20th April 2020

Family Food Club Online 20th April 2020

Posted by Layla Meerloo

We made falafel today at the Family Food Club online, a really adaptable easy recipe you can do at home with your children (if they're not screaming!). Also check out some fun activities, tips on making school food vouchers last and some information on food access.

Fab Falafels

We used the recipe from the brilliant Change4Life website but also explored how to swap out all of the different ingredients: 

Ingredients

  • 400g tinned chickpeas in water, rinsed and drained

swap: butterbeans, borlotti, kidney beans from a tin or cooked at home

  • 1 small onion, peeled

swap: spring onions, onion powder

  • 1 clove garlic, peeled

swap: garlic powder

  • Breadcrumbs (from 1 slice of bread)

swap: porridge oats, crushed cornflakes, crushed crackers, ground nuts or flour with some baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

swap: curry powder, garam masala, caraway seeds, chili powder, taco seasoning mix, ground coriander, paprika, chili flakes

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

swap: caraway seeds, cumin, fennel or a combination of the three

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

swap: chopped coriander, chopped green leaves like spinach

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

swap: any oil and some lime or lemon juice

To serve:

  • Salad and veg, chopped and grated - tomato, tomato, cucumber, peppers, lettuce
  • Pitta bread, couscous, chapatti, rice
  • Extra flavour - natural yogurt, salsa, chili, gherkins

Method

1- Place the onion and garlic in a food processor and chop finely.

If you don't have a food processor, you can still make this recipe. Use a hand blender, or mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher and finely chop the onion and garlic.

2- Add the chickpeas, breadcrumbs, cumin, coriander, parsley and olive oil and mix for a bit longer.

You can also mush it all together with your hands!

3- Shape into about 12 balls and place on a greased or lined baking tray. Chill for 30 minutes.

4- Place tray into a preheated oven (200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6) and bake for about 25 minutes, turning the falafel to prevent sticking.

You can fry them in a little oil if you don’t have an oven.

5- To assemble, fill each pitta with salad, falafel and yoghurt or salsa of your choosing, enjoy!

Tip: This website has lots of information on how to swap ingredients! 

Fun Food Related Activities

Food a Fact of Life have loads of great materials for learning from home with a focus on food: 

www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/whole-school/remote-learning/

Free School Meal Vouchers

School Food Matters have provided lots of useful information about the Free School Meal Vouchers that are available to families due to the Covid19 crisis and other resources: www.schoolfoodmatters.org/coronavirus

Here are some answers to some parent and carer questions about Free School Meals:

https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf

Food Access During Covid19

These are useful links on how to access food during the Covid19 crisis, both if you are struggling to pay for it or if you can pay but don't know how to get it delivered!

Southwarks' information on food access: https://www.southwark.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/public-health/for-the-public/coronavirus/food-access?chapter=11

Mutual Aid Network's list for food access: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xl36UQGJGzxCRYldFfOIMaGU-uxz7k-U5DTsLTZd-xE/edit#gid=2117136086

Posted by Ana Ramirez Mourraille on 2 Apr, 2021