Ginger Miso Roasted Veggiez

Dang yall - talk about ~eating your veggies~ in style! I chopped up a ton of fresh vegetables and made up this dressing recipe on the spot just by doing trial and error and adding more/less ingredients to the sauce until it tasted just right. It turned out amazing IMO! My go-to meal prepping for a busy week ahead usually involves just buying fresh produce at the store, cutting it all up, throwing some seasoning on top and then roasting. I wanted to get a little #fancy today and I also had some miso that I want to use up...so why not incorporate it?? Scroll for the recipe!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar (the one that I use is sodium, sugar, and gluten free!)

- 1 1/2 tablespoons of miso

- 1" fresh ginger, grated

- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (add more if you want it sweeter)

- 1 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter

- 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped garlic or garlic powder

- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

- Dash of red pepper flakes for that spice! (optional)

- Whatever fresh vegetables you want to roast for the week. Today I use a large zucchini, 2 yellow squashes, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, chopped carrots, chopped cherry tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, chopped yellow onion, and organic 3 grain tempeh 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and blend the ginger miso sauce ingredients above except for the sesame seeds. Add more or less maple syrup/peanut butter/red pepper flakes depending on your preference in taste for the ~vibe~ you want.

2. Pour over your roasted veggies and mix evenly. Spread everything on to a baking sheet and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

3. Roast for 20-25 minutes, intermittently flipping the veggies throughout to make sure they bake evenly.

The sauce measurements make quite a bit of the dressing and it's definitely easy to save it in the fridge to use throughout the week. I can get about 3-4 meals out of the huge roasts I do - I also always add some kind of protein or carb to the roasted vegetables so I don't starve immiedately after eating. I'll usually do quinoa, brown rice, chickpea pasta, or garbanzo beans and mix it all together for lunch.

I wish yall could see the steam rising from this mmmmm

Fluffy Banana Bread

AYYY who doesn't love having banana bread on their counter at all times to just graze over?? I've been having bites after dinner topped with peanut butter and hazelnut spread. Just lay me to rest now. This bad boy also freezes well! I under-baked it just a tad so it was nice and moist, and after freezing it for a week and putting it in the micro for a few seconds, it still tasted just as fresh! What are you waiting for...recipe below!

Ingredients:

- 3 spotty bananas

- 2 1/2 cups of oats

- 1/2 cup coconut sugar

- 1/4 almond butta

- 2 tablespoons of ground flax + 5 tablespoons water

- 1 tablespoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat over to 350. In a small bowl combine the ground flax and water. Stir and set aside to set for 10 minutes

2. Add the oats to the blender and blend until it comes out into a fine flour

3. Combine oat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix.

4. In a separate bowl, mash your bananas and add almond butter, ACV, vanilla, and flax and mix well. 

5. Slowly add and mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well. Pour the batter in a greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until you can stick a knife in and it comes out decently clean. 

6. I added walnuts to the top after it was finished, feel free to do so as well as chocolate chips! Boom!

Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl

I've been making smoothie bowls for years - usually by blending your typical banana, frozen berries or mango, and acai powder. However I've recently cut out bananas for the most part just to lower the sugar content in my breakfasts. Now I'm replacing with sweet potato! It may sound weird, but omg it comes out amazing and so smooth. And it keeps my constant craving for french fries to a minimum...win win. Read below for the contents of this bowl above!

Ingredients:

- 3/4-1 cup of roasted or steamed sweet potato (I always buy a few from the store, roast them, and save in the fridge for up to a week)

- 1 cup of frozen berries

- 1 teaspoon of peanut butter

- 1 teaspoon maca

- Splash of any kind of nut milk 

- Add any toppings you want - whatever I have stocked is what I add! In the photo I have fresh blackberries, a teaspoon of chia seeds, a teaspoon of ground flax meal, a teaspoon of hemp seeds, and a teaspoon of raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Blend everything!!! Add more or less milk while blending depending on the consistency you want. Definitely use it for sure - if you don't, the smoothie will come out super cakey and thick...not really a smoothie

2. Add your toppings and boooom!

Homemade Whole Wheat Gnocchi

Who isn't a carbivore?? Making homemade pasta definitely takes practice to get the correct kinds of flour and ratios down, but I think I did alright for my first try - recipe belowwwww!

Ingredients:

- 2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes (came out to a tad bit more than a cup once I boiled and mashed them)

- 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour + more to keep from sticking to your surface

Directions:

1. Boil a pot of water and peel the skin off of potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces and drop into pot. Lower heat to medium-high

2. Once potatoes are soft enough (check with a fork), drain and mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher until completely mashed

3. Add the whole wheat flour to the mashed potatoes. Knead the dough on a cutting board. Add more flour if the dough is too moist or if it's sticking to the board (I haven't tested any other kinds of flour, but my advice is to start with a little flour in the beginning, and then gradually add more and gauge based on how moist the dough ball still is).

4. Pull off chunks of the dough and begin to roll into the shape of a long and thin sausage. Cut off small pieces with a knife - this will be the size of your gnocchi!

5. Boil some water again and once heated, drop those cute lil gnocc's into the water and lower to medium heat. It should only take a few minutes - once the gnocchi begins to float at the top of the pot, they are ready! Drain the water, dress up with whateva sauce and fixings and EATTTT!

1 cup of mashed potatoes with 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, kneaded and ready to cut.

oh mah gah they are adorable

Snickadoodle Cookies

I found this recipe thanks to @cleaneatsbytay and boy oh boy was this a good one. The first time I made them at home and froze them to take to my parents' house for Christmas. I made another batch at their house a few days later and I'm just trying to keep myself from eating the entire tray. They are so soft and pillowy and I think I could lay my head on these and fall asleep. Dead. Read below for the recipe!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cup almond flour

- 1 tablespoon coconut flour

- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar

- 1/2 cup almond butta

- 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce

- 2 tablespoons nut milk of your choice

- 1 tablespoon maple syrup

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 tablespoon flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Make the flax egg and move aside so it sets.

2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, add the flax egg, and stir that bad boy.

3. Spray a large cookie sheet. Create golf ball size pieces of dough and lay on the sheet. Flatten them a bit with your hands.

4. Leave in oven for 10 minutes - they will be super gooey but transfer them to a cooling rack so they cool/harden a bit.

5. Sprinkle more cinnamon and coconut sugar on top for that added bang. ENJOYYYY!

Mesrop's Famous Foul

Ask any Middle Eastern family - foul is an absolute breakfast staple. It can be a bit heavier, but if you make a whole portion, split it up and it can last for multiple breakfasts! Let's face it though, there is no such thing as portion control within the Armenian eating lifestyle and that's totally fine with me. There are several variations of this dish, but naturally my dad's is the best I've had. What can I say? READ BELOW!

Ingredients:

- Can of fava beans, drained and rinsed

- 1/4 cup of tahini

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- A drizzle of EVOO

- Juice from half a lemon

- 1 tablespoon cumin

- Dash of salt

Steps:

1. Pour rinsed fava beans in a pot and fill with water to the top until boiling. Drain and rinse the beans again - this will get all the salt off.

2. Put beans back on the stove on a medium-high heat with a little bit of water at the bottom.

3. Let the beans get warm again and go down to a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and EVOO. Let it simmer for 5 minutes

4. Add the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and salt. Keep on the medium heat until it's of a stew/chili consistency.

5. Optional garnish and add-ons: it's sooo good with chopped tomato, cucumber, and toasted pita bread on the side. Always add parsley as well. Always. I'm dead...so good.

Loaded Pumpkin Oatmeal

It’s fall/winter (ugh) so naturally the only thing you’re seeing these days is pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin to feed our inner basic white girl. Why not start off your morning with the most creamy, dreamy, loaded pumpkin oatmeal?!?

Ingredients:

- ½ cup of oats

- ½ a banana, mashed

- 1 cup of plant milk of your choice

- ¼ cup of unsweetened canned pumpkin

- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice

- Dash of cinnamon

- ¼ teaspoon vanilla

- 1 date, chopped

- 1 teaspoon of maca/chaga/cordyceps/any other kind of protein or medicinal ‘shrooms you want in there!

- Pumpkin seeds, almond butter, dried cranberries, goji berries, cocoa nibs, nuts, agave nectar or anything that you want to garnish that bad boy

Steps:

1. Pour the oats and milk into a small pot over a medium-high heat for a couple minutes.

2. Once it’s heating up, turn down to a medium heat and add the mashed banana, pumpkin, all of the spices, protein and chopped date.

3. You’ll know it’s ready to go when it starts to boil a bit on the top – try not to let it heat for too long or else it will stick to the bottom of the pot.

4. Pour into a bowl and add all the extras you want. I used almond butter, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. Get as fancy as you want! Boom.

Easy Peasy Cashew Mac n Cheeeeese

If you're like me, any time there's mac n cheese at a family or friends get together, I want to face-plant into that platter of creamy goodness and eat it all to myself. HOWEVER there are so many other alternatives to avoid dairy in this popular cheat day dish that tastes just as good! Here's my version of mac n cheese (SANS CHEESE!)

- 2 cups of your fave pasta - I use all of Trader Joe's chickpea pasta options (all GF!)

- 1 cup of soaked cashews

- 1 tablespoon of tahini

- 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast

- 2 tablespoons of water (use a little more if you want the sauce to be a bit more runny)

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1/4 teaspoon cumin

- Pepper flakes (if you want to add some $P!c3)

- Dash of paprika (optional)

Steps-

1. Boil the pasta

2. Drain the soaked cashews and throw them in the blender with all other ingredients. Remember to add a little more/less water depending on the consistency that you want. 

3. Pour over the pasta and PRESTO - never feel deprived at a Super Bowl party anymore!

Ferrero Rocher Bites (Vegan and GF)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of dates

• 2/3 cup roasted hazelnuts (whole)

• 1/3 cup of roasted hazelnuts (pulsed a few times in food processor)

• ½ cup of oats

• 1/3 cup almond butter

• ¼ cup cacao

• 2 Tbsp almond milk

• 1 ¼ cup of melted dairy free baking chocolate

Steps:

1. Blend oats into a flour.

2. Put everything in the blender except for the hazelnuts until you get a doughy texture.

3. Tear pieces of dough and roll into small balls. Place a whole roasted hazelnut in the middle of each truffle and freeze for 30 minutes.

4. Start melting your chocolate over the stove and add in the ground hazelnuts to the chocolate.

5. Once truffles are frozen, dip into the chocolate and make sure you get the hazelnut crumbs in there too. Freeze for 2 hours and ENJOY.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (Vegan and GF)

Ingredients:

For the crust-

• 1 cup walnuts or almonds

• 1 cup dates

• 2 Tbsp oats

For the cheesecake-

• I cup of soaked cashews

• ½ pumpkin puree

• 2 Tbsp plant milk of your choice

• 3 Tbsp of maple syrup

• ½ tsp of cinnamon or pumpkin spice

• ¼ tsp vanilla

Steps:

1. Blend all the crust ingredients until you get a sticky crumble. Place parchment paper on a sheet and press crumble into the sheet in a square. Place in the freezer for 45 minutes or until hardened.

2. Blend all cheesecake ingredients and until you get a creamy smooth texture. Pour on top of crust and smooth out.

3. Freeze for 2 hours and EAT.

Vegan and GF Snicker’s Bars

Ingredients:

For the caramel-

• 1 cup dates

• ¼ cup of water

• ¼ Tbsp maple syrup

For the cookie portion-

• ½ almonds

• ¾ oats

• 1 Tbsp oil of your choice

• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

Final touches:

• Almonds and peanuts chopped

• 1 cup of dairy free baking chocolate melted

Steps:

1. Blend all caramel ingredients until you get your smooth caramel paste and set aside.

2. Blend all cookie ingredients until you get a dough mixture.

3. Line a square pan with parchment paper and spread out the dough so that it’s flat on the pan ½-1 cm thick. Freeze for 45 minutes or until hardened.

4. Layer the caramel on top of the hardened cookie crust. Sprinkle the extra chopped almonds and peanuts over the caramel. Drizzle the chocolate on top of all of that. Boom.

5. Freeze for 2 hours and have your mind blown.

Seedy Everythang Bagels from @cleaneatsbytay

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups almond flour

• ¼ flax meal

• 1 Tbsp coconut flour

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 4 Tbsp of chia seeds + ½ cup of water

• 3 Tbsp almond milk

• Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the chia seeds with the water in a small bowl and set aside to let bind.

2. Combine all ingredients except for seasoning in a mixing bowl and stir. Add in the thickened chia seed mixture

3. Grab a chunk of the dough and flatten and create a hole in the middle and place on a sprayed baking sheet. If you have a doughnut pan, spray and use that.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

5. Remove and let those bad boys cool. Shake on that everything bagel seasoning for a kick! Keeps for a few days in the fridge. I ate mine for breakfast in the mornings with almond butter and mixed berries.

Crispy AF Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas

• 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp zaatar

• ½ tsp cumin

• Hot pepper flakes

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 300

2. Mix all ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet. Place in oven for 12-15 minutes or until desired crispy-ness. oooooo

Vegan and Gluten-Free ZA!

Ingredients:

For the crust-

• 3 cups of oat flour

• 4 tsp baking soda

• 1 ½ cups of almond milk or water (any liquid will work)

• ¼ olive oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and mix all ingredients together 

2. Spray a baking pan or sheet and spread out the dough to the thickness of your liking

3. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes or depending on how thick your crust is or how crispy you want it

For the vegan cheese:

• ½ cup of cashews, soaked and drained

• 1 cup any plant-based milk

• 1 Tbsp of tahini

• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Steps:

1. Blend all ingredients until it’s a thick liquid

2. Place in fridge for 2 hours so it hardens a bit

3. Put mixture over a low heat sauce pan to thicken the cheese to make it gooier.

Pizza Directions:

After the crust has cooled, spread the cheese on top and add whatever veggies you want. I used zucchini and tomatoes and sprinkled basil and oregano for added taste. Bake pizza for another 10-12 minutes.

Veggie Buddha Bowl

There’s a million different variations of what consists of a Buddha Bowl. Here’s my clean-out-the-fridge-because-I’m-going-out-of-town bowl…

Ingredients:

• Handful of chopped spinach

• Shredded carrot

• Chopped cucumber

• Cherry tomatoes

• Edamame

• Chopped red pepper

• Trader Joe’s chickpea fusilli pasta

• Dab of homemade hummus (recipe below)

• Homemade kale pesto (recipe below)

Steps:

1. Do I need to elaborate? THROW IT ALL IN AND MAKE IT LOOK GRAMMABLE!

Homemade Hum Hum

Ingredients:

• Can of drained and rinsed chickpeas

• ¼ cup of tahini

• 1 Tbsp of olive oil

• Juice of one lemon

• Clove of garlic

• Paprika

Steps:

1. Blend and boom. Sprinkle the paprika on top for that added flavah flav.

Vegan and Oil-Free Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of basil
• ¼ cup of pine nuts
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast
• Juice from half a lemon
• 2 Tbsp of water

Steps:

1. You guessed it…BLEND BABY and add a bit more water to the mixture little by little if it’s too dry.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 cup of diced fingerling potatoes (or any kind of your choice)
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tomato
• Nutritional yeast
• Basil 
• Oregano
• Hot pepper flakes

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350, boil the quinoa, and start chopping the veggies.
2. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and stick in the oven for 10-12 minutes to roast.
3. Sautee the shrooms, zucchini, and tomato over a medium skillet until softened.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa, roasted potatoes, and sauteed veggies and mix together. Add the nutritional yeast, basil, oregano, and hot peppers flakes to your liking. This is where you get creative.
5. Cut the tops of all the bell peppers and place on a baking sheet and carefully stuff the peppers with that fire mixture.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bell peppers soften.
7. Remove from oven and add more spices or drizzle with sriracha for that added heat!

First Dinner in Jaipur

India is a whole new world. I'm in love with the people and the culture so far and it will only get better from here. The streets are zoos both literally and figuratively...but I'm not kidding, there are cows, goats, and camels actually roaming the streets with no intentions except to not get hit by the crazy motorcyclists. Traffic laws don't exist and it's really just a free for all - I love it. Michelle and I had a very long couple days in transit (all made better by our food crawl in the Dubai airport). Jaipur is the first stop and there's a beautiful restaurant in our hotel where we had our first dinner. Since about half of the people in India are vegetarian, I knew that coming here would be my version of Mecca. I normally never have to look at a menu for more than a few minutes because of limited vegetarian/vegan options, but I seriously spent 10 minutes devouring over the details of every single option on this menu. I don't think I'll ever leave here.

Naturally, there was falafel on the menu. The dish was titled "Lebanese Mezze Experience." Mezze is a small portion of several dishes all surrounded by the grain. In this case, the menu said it was hummus, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh with the falafel and pita. If food is labeled as "experience" on the menu, then I'm pretty sure it's a given that it'll be in my mouth at some point.

The consensus: seriously so good. This has been the best international falafel I've had this summer so far. Very fresh and soft on the inside with lots of spices added to the mix. I obviously loved it with the hummus as well. The atmosphere was great too, food service in India is unreal. I feel way too pampered because there are always at least 3 people waiting on us and constantly check in to make sure that we have everything we need. Needless to say, the Lebanese Mezze Experience was quite the experience and this had to be the most satisfying meal after 2 days in transit. More to come...

The Last Supper in Lisbon

Our 2 weeks in Portugal is sadly coming to an end, and Michelle and I have really fallen in love with this country. Its history is so immense and rich, with beautiful cathedrals on nearly every street corner of every city, the easygoing culture, and truly hospitable and welcoming people. We ended back in Lisbon for a couple more days where we are flying out of and stayed with our same Airbnb host as the last time. Naturally we had a night out in Bairro Alto to celebrate our time here, and I'm now nursing a bottle of water at the airport. Before arriving at the airport however, I made one final stop and I'm sure it's a no-brainer guessing where that might be. 

Our Airbnb was about 10 minutes north of Rossio Square in walking distance, and all along his street line small grocery stores and fast food restaurants. We've had to constantly walk by a small restaurant called Comida Halal (talk about a blending of cultures...) and the small pictures of the food on the menu had me salivating from the beginning. I thought that this would be the best option at 10:30 in the morning before heading to the airport so I pulled the trigger. 

Comida Halal had mostly kebab and fish wraps, but also had falafel on the menu, as well as Portuguese pastries and desserts, coffee, and alcohol. It's nice to have options. The man behind the counter was very sweet and looked of Middle Eastern descent, not speaking much English. Nevertheless, I ordered a falafel wrap which came with lettuce, tomato, carrots, and onion for 3 Euro. So cheap for a great amount of food. 

The consensus: very good! A little dry because again, no hummus, but the falafel was definitely made from chick peas which is my jam. Presentation featured below, one bite taken before realizing to take a picture. The atmosphere was also nice with a couple of tables inside, as well as a few tables on the sidewalk which we noticed is always flooded with people post drinking all night. In this case, it was the morning after meal and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. 

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places or consulting TripAdvisor enough, but the restaurants that do have falafel in this first month of travels have been touristy and not very authentic in terms of ingredients and what the falafel comes with. It's been hard to find any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean influenced restaurants that would be more authentic, but I've been in Western Europe and Northern Africa for the majority of my time, so not necessarily falafel hubs. I haven't had any hummus in over 30 days and I could seriously cry. I'm about to board a flight with a layover in Dubai however, so we'll see what I can find before a week and a half experiencing the Golden Triangle - Jaipur, Agra, and Dehli, India!! See yall in Asia where I'll finally be in possession of a cellular device, hallelujah!

Lisbon - First Meal in Portugal

I chose Portugal for my next adventure because I've wanted to go to Lisbon forever and have heard nothing but great things about it. I also wanted to experience how Portugal is similar and different to Spain in terms of language, food, and culture. We were originally going to be in Portugal for about 5 days and only go to Lisbon, Aveiro for a day trip, and then Porto, then head to Greece for a week, but instead decided to extend our time here for almost 2 weeks and really see the whole country and get a taste of its culture - it's about quality, not quantity.

We landed in Lisbon and took a subway right downtown to our Airbnb. Our host is the most down to earth guy, originally from Italy and now living in Lisbon, and told us about a few good places to eat and drink. We started walking towards the main squares downtown which are easy to locate because of the beautiful monuments and buildings surrounding them. Along the way, we stumbled upon a big park called Campo Martires de Patria in the Santa Justa neighborhood with trees, gardens, and benches, as well as food trucks and beer/sangria stands. This is what dreams are made of. Seriously in my element. Coming from more than 2 weeks in Morocco, we were ready for a different environment. It had a very hipster and young vibe and we definitely felt that we had hit the jackpot in terms of finding dinner.

One of the trucks, of course, boasted everything Middle Eastern including shawarma, gyros, and falafel plates...so happy! I ordered the plate and it came with tahini sauce, a side salad, and fries. I also got a sangria to drink as a pregame for the night out in Bairro Alto. Michelle tried to be sneaky and catch me in action (see below). Overall, 5 Euros bought me pretty good falafel, but not the best I've had. The sangria was great but I think we were just more excited about being able to finally have a drink in public without breaking any kind of social norms unlike the previous couple weeks. The atmosphere also played a role, it was Saturday evening and people were just beginning their night out to dinner and bars after. I just loved Lisbon as a city so much and I'm so glad we're going back for a couple more days before heading to India on Thursday, where I'll finally be reunited with a phone and my laptop! Hopefully I'll have a couple more falafel experiences to write about before then.

Essaouira, Morocco - Falafel Finally Found

Disclaimer: sorry that there are not going to be amazing pictures of falafel in this post, seen as I was mugged on our second to last night in Morocco in Marrakech and my phone was stolen. I literally lost thousands of pictures documenting this whole summer and won't have a new phone for 2 weeks. Text Michelle if anyone needs anything. But now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 

Before coming to Morocco, I originally thought that this country would be a falafel Mecca, since there is a heavy Middle Eastern and Arab influence. I thought I would have an overwhelming amount to eat and write about, but I've been proved wrong and I'm attributing the vast majority of my diet to tagine and couscous for the past two weeks (no complaints though). However, located on the western Atlantic coast of the country, Essaouira is a significant port city to the Moroccan economy, as well as a fun beach town that many Europeans spend their summer and holiday vacations in. Here, I finally found the buried treasure.

Exploring the squares and medinas in Morocco is like being on a game show called "Guess My Nationality." You really can't walk for more than a couple minutes without workers from the food stalls beckoning and approaching you to eat their food in 5 different languages. All we heard was "Hola! Bonjour! Ciao! Hello! Spain? Italy? France? Are you American? Nicki Minaj is that you?" Seriously, these people are aggressive and aren't afraid to pull your arm into their restaurant and proceed to shove 4 different menus in your face, all in different languages so you'll understand what you're ordering. Coming from the salesperson in me, I'll give it to them - they're smart, funny, and as annoying as they are, they have to make money somehow, and if I'm getting compared to famous pop stars, I guess it won't hurt to sit down for an inexpensive meal. 

There were several food stalls boasting falafel on big signs in the Essaouira medina, so I just had to choose the one that looked the most cleanly, because we all know to avoid street food in foreign countries. I stopped in front of one, and without fail, the only English speaking waiter approached me, handed me a menu, and started spouting off the day's specials...point of no return. He sat me down at a small table facing the medina and began making me a falafel wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber. Restaurants in the squares and medinas in every single city have very touristy/Western items on the menu such as pizza, paninis, hamburgers, and even pasta, so it was no surprise that the waiter added French fries on the side with the wrap, when there is virtually no relationship with the two at all. 

Overall, definitely not traditional falafel. Instead of chick peas or rice, it was made out of couscous, which I thought was hilarious, since couscous is such a Moroccan delicacy. It really had no flavor, no seasoning, and was pretty dry without hummus or baba ganoush to accompany it in the wrap. Falafel is pretty universally recognized, so it was understandable that they wanted to satisfy this market of people in Essaouira, even if it wasn't made by traditional standards. All in all, a bit of a disappointing experience, but what do you expect when these food stalls are ran by teenagers just looking to make a few dollars. It was filling though, and only cost 25 Dirham ($2.50 USD) so definitely a post-grad diet bargain. 

While I was hoping that Morocco would satisfy my falafel fascination, it just didn't cut it unfortunately. Let's see what Portugal has to offer.