Vegetarian 5:2 Diet Recipes: Fava Bean and Carrot Falafels and Roasted Butternut Squash, Feta and Leek Salad

Yesterday wasn't a fast day but that doesn't give me carte blanche to gorge on copious amounts of fatty calorific food. So whilst I wasn't limited to 300 cals for supper I still found myself creating some rather healthy falafels that could quite easily be eaten on a  5:2 fast diet day.

The inspiration for these flavoursome morsels was the Hodmedods Fava Beans that I got in my Flavourly box. I have to confess, I wasn't overly chuffed to get them since I am not really a huge lover of broad beans (the nom de plume of the fava bean)... I find them to be overly bitter. Always one for a challenge I teamed the fava with sweet carrots in the falafel mix and sweet butternut squash and red pepper in the salad.

Well, I am officially a convert since these were lovely, they were however a little dry but I think that's due to baking and not frying them. A sacrifice worth making for a healthy alternative and one that is easily rectified with a little low fat yoghurt studded with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds.

As well as yoghurt I teamed the recipes below with the Sun Dried Tomato Paste that came with the flavourly box, it was so delicious! A great addition to our wraps, it had a wonderfully punchy flavour that just sang of the mediterranean.

 

Vegetarian 5:2 Diet Recipe: Fava Bean and Carrot Falafels (172 cals a serving)
 Serves 4 as a main dish

Pop 150g split dried fava beans (450) into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes (there were no timings on the back so this was a bit of a guess) or until soft. Drain and squash a little with the back of a wooden spoon.

In a food processor (or you could use a grater and a knife), whizz up the following:

150g carrot (60)

30g coriander (7)

2 cloves garlic (15)

1/2 large red chilli (5)

1 spring onion (5)

1tsp each of cumin and caraway seeds (10)

Mix with the smushed-up fava and the juice of half a lemon (5).

Form into balls (about 16-20 of them) and roll in a couple of tablespoons of coarse semolina (120) (this isn't essential but gives a lovely crunchy crust, polenta would work too).

Spray a baking tray with low cal oil spray (10), pop the falafels onto the tray and then spray again before popping into an oven on gas mark 7 for 30 minutes (turning halfway through). They will go a lovely golden brown colour.

Of course you could fry them in oil, it would be quicker and the mixture would stay wonderfully moist but of course then it wouldn't be a 5:2 diet friendly recipe.

 

Vegetarian 5:2 Diet Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Leek Salad with Feta and Tahini (370 calories per main serving)
Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side
 

 

Fill a roasting tin with 250g butternut squash (100) diced and 200g leeks (122) cut into chunks about 2 cm long (make sure you don't slice length ways of they'll fall apart). Sprinkle with 1 tsp each of cumin seeds (6) and dried thyme (4) and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil (130). Pop the whole lot into an oven on gas mark 7 for 20 minutes (you can do this at the same time as the falafel).

In a bowl mix 1 diced red pepper (40), 10g each fresh mint and coriander roughly chopped (5) and the juice of half a lemon (5).

When the squash and leeks are done with caramelised brown flecks across their surface, leave on the side to cool slightly for 10 minutes before adding to the peppers and herbs and giving it a good toss.

Sprinkle the salad with 1 tbsp linseed (80) and a crumbling of 70g feta cheese (185) before drizzling with 2 tsp tahini (60).