Braised vegetables with falafel and yogurt sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) onions, sliced
• 2 large yellow, red or orange peppers, seeded and sliced
• 250 g (8½ oz) courgettes
• 300 ml (10 fl oz) vegetable stock, preferably home-made light or rich
• 340 g (12 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• salt and pepper
• fresh mint sprigs to garnish
• Falafel
• 2 cans chickpeas, about 400 g each, drained and rinsed
• 8 spring onions, chopped
• 6 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped the fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• Yogurt sauce
• ½ cucumber, grated
• 85 g (3 oz) watercress leaves, finely shredded
• 85 g (3 oz) rocket, finely shredded
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• grated zest of 1 lime
• 200 g (7 oz) plain low-fat yogurt

Preparation:

1. Brush a shallow baking dish or tin with a little oil. 
2. Put the chickpeas in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash them, then mix in the spring onions, parsley, fresh and ground coriander, and seasoning to taste. 
3. Alternatively, mix the ingredients in a food processor. 
4. With your hands, shape the mixture into 24 balls slightly larger than walnuts, placing them in the greased dish or tin. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6). 
6. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. 
7. Add the garlic, onions, and peppers. 
8. Stir well, then cover and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
9. Stir in the courgettes and stock. 
10. Bring to the boil, then cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Place the falafel in the oven at the same time. 
11. Cook for 20 minutes.
12. Add the tomatoes to the casserole and stir. 
13. Cover and return it to the oven. 
14. Use a spoon and fork to turn the falafel, taking care not to break them. 
15. Cook the casserole and falafel for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the falafel are crisp and lightly browned.
16. Meanwhile, to make the yogurt sauce, squeeze the cucumber in handfuls to remove excess moisture.
17.  Put it into a bowl. Stir in the watercress, rocket, mint, lime zest and yogurt. 
18. Add seasoning to taste and transfer to a serving dish. 
19. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
20. Transfer the falafel to a serving dish. 
21. Taste the casserole for seasoning, garnish with mint sprigs and serve with the falafel and yogurt sauce.