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The superfood sandwiches you want to eat, like now – Metro US

The superfood sandwiches you want to eat, like now

The superfood sandwiches you want to eat, like now
Fair Winds Press

Two excellent New Year’s resolutions:

Eat healthy.
Eat more sandwiches.

Belmont-based food writer Katie Chudy’s book, “Superfood Sandwiches,” could be an excellent pairing for both. The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts trained personal chef, who owns The Skinny Beet catering co with her husband, Richard, managed to stack a whole slew of superfoods into her recipe roster of delish sounding sammies. Think: tumeric rubbed turkey gyros and swiss chard, fennel and walnut sandwiches.

RELATED:Seaweed is 2015’s superfood star (recipes)

“The book was developed out of personal necessity,” she says. “Like most people, I work long hours and needed a convenient way to eat properly — meaning lots of veggies, fruits, grains and proteins — or superfoods.”

Superfoods are foods that exhibit noteworthy nutritional value when they’re not busy fighting crime. Likely you’re already familiar with the commonplace labeling of acai berries and kale, and of course, superfood du jour, seaweed.

Chudy says the sandwiches in her book are budget-friendly and while they may sound complex, can be assembled “fast, like 10 minutes or less.”

“Superfoods are changing the way we eat,” says Chudy. “They shift focus from things to eliminate from the diet, and focuses more on what should be in our diets.”

Chudy will be signing copies of “Superfood Sandwiches” and demoing at Trident Booksellers at 338 Newbury Street, on Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.

If you can’t wait until then, she’s shared her recipe the Sweet Potato Falafels pictured above (drool) for your own kitchen explorations.

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SWEET POTATO “FALAFEL” SANDWICH
YIELD: 4 sandwiches

Ever since my introduction to falafel, I’ve been trying to make different versions of this much-loved Middle Eastern fritter. A fun play off of it, this recipe relies on sweet potatoes instead of chickpeas as a base. I use familiar and traditional falafel spices and herbs, which keeps it similar but results in something very different. Because these falafel aren’t fried, they can be softer than a regular falafel, but adding cucumber to the sandwich helps give it crunch.

2 cups (220 g) diced sweet potato
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons (12 g) chopped scallion
¼ cup (4 g) fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
½ to ¾ cup (60 to 90 g) chickpea flour, divided
4 buns
¾ cup (180 g) Greek yogurt
Sliced cucumber, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC, or gas mark 5). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the sweet potatoes with the oil and salt in a small bowl and lay on the baking sheet. Roast until the potatoes are soft and light brown, 25 to 30 minutes, then cool slightly. Add the sweet potatoes, cumin, scallion, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and ½ cup (60 g) of the chickpea flour to a food processor, and coarsely chop until it begins to come together. It should look like cookie batter. If it does not hold its shape, add the remaining ¼ cup (30 g) flour. Form the dough into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Place on the baking sheet and bake until they start to brown a little, flipping them halfway, if needed, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, split the buns in half and toast until warm, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread the buns with the yogurt. Add a couple of the falafel balls to each bun, and garnish with the cilantro and cucumber.