Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

As much as I love middle Eastern food, I've always been intimidated by it. I love falafels, but for the longest time I had no idea what was actually IN a falafel patty. Will has been deployed to Iraq multiple times, and there were a couple of instances when he was able to leave the base with the translators and have some of the local food. He praised it to the skies, and when I suggested trying a falafel pita recipe I found, Will practically started salivating on the spot. It was surprisingly easy, and this dish definitely fits in with my "healthy eating" week before Thanksgiving.
Source: Cooking Light, November 2003

Ingredients:

• Falafel:
• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4  cup  chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  large egg
• 1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• Sauce:
• 1/2  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  tahini (sesame-seed paste)
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• Remaining ingredients:
• 4  (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half
• 8  curly leaf lettuce leaves
• 16  (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

Directions:

1. To prepare falafel, place first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process mixture until smooth.

2. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, and shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until patties are browned.

4. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 garlic clove, stirring mixture with a whisk.

5. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini sauce into each pita half.

6. Fill each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 2 patties.