Week SIX: Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa, Falafel and Cheesecake Bites

ROASTED SWEET POTATO SALSA

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 red onion, diced small
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, diced small
• 1 avocado, diced small
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• Coarse salt
• Pita chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss together sweet potato, onion and olive oil. Roast until sweet potato is tender (20 minutes).  Let cool.
3. Add tomato, cilantro, lime juice and coarse salt. Toss mixture. 
4. Serve with pita chips!

FALAFEL
Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Ranch dressing (optional)
• Olive oil
• Lettuce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F with a baking sheet in it, to ensure the underside of the falafel balls get browned.
2. Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. 
3. Add flour and tahini and combine well.
4. Mash chickpeas, making sure to mix ingredients together into thick paste.
5. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.  Flatten slightly.
6. Paint falafel balls with olive oil.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until falafels are a nice golden brown. 
8. Let cool before serving in lettuce wraps topped with tahini sauce (or a little ranch dressing).

CHEESECAKE BITES
Ingredients:

• 16 vanilla wafer cookies
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.
3. Place one wafer cookie in the bottom of each cupcake paper. 
4. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. 
5. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. 
6. Pour over wafers in cupcake papers.
7. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, until golden and set.