Chickpea Burgers

My love for the garbanzo is never ending. Today, I sculpted the little treasures into burgers that can be served on a bun or on a bed of fresh greens. Chickpeas are higher in protein per serving than soy beans and by nature are gluten free.

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper, spices
Garbanzo flour ( I use Bob's red Mill)

Oil for frying

A note about the ingredients: This is only a basic recipe for you to start with. If you prefer green bell peppers, switch out the red. Don't like peppers at all? Don't use them. Add cajun spices or curry powder for a different tasting burger. The chickpeas base can be flavored in any way desired. Regular all purpose flour can be used in place of the garbanzo flour, but then your burger will no longer be gluten free.

Warm up a large skillet on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of oil. Saute  the diced vegetables until they are softened. Add salt, pepper and desired spices. Set aside to cool off a bit.

In the meantime, mash the chickpeas with a fork or use a food processor, until they mushy but not quite even in texture.

Before

After: Next time I think I will mash them a little more.

Add your vegetables to your chickpea mash and stir together with your hands until  the mixture is even. Add the garbanzo flour in tablespoon increments until the mixture begins to hold together. Depending on the moisture of your vegetables, about 1/2 a cup of flour will be necessary. Form a patty in your hands. If it holds together you are ready to cook it; if not add a little more of the flour until you have a good consistency. This takes a little trial and error. If unsure about the right consistency, fry a small one up and see if it holds together in the pan.

Wipe your now cool skillet down with a paper towel to clean it off and place it back on medium heat. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom and once the oil is warm (drop a little mash in and see if the oil sizzles), add your patties. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until each side is golden brown. Carefully remove with a spatula from the frying pan unto paper towels to absorb excess oil. 

Next time I make these I might try to bake them instead by placing them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, spraying them lightly with a little oil, and baking in a 375 oven until brown.

Veggie Potato Pancakes

Whether you call them potato pancakes or latkes, there is no denying that these dense cakes are filling and delicious. I updated this old recipe by adding sauteed vegetables and by using garbanzo flour. Chick pea flour is higher in protein than wheat flour and has the added bonus of being gluten free.

Ingredients

4 large red potatoes, peeled
1 small head of broccoli, florets removed and chopped small
1 medium size onion, diced
3 or more cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped(optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & pepper
About 1/2 cup of garbanzo flour
Oil for frying

Start out by cooking your veggies in a pan with a very small amount of oil on medium heat until they are softened. Set aside.

Grate your peeled potatoes with a cheese grater or a food processor. Squeeze out any excess liquid immediately.

Mix the vegetables and spices of choice with the shredded potatoes. Add about half a cup of garbanzo flour and form into patties with your hands. If mixture does not hold together fairly well, add some more flour. Warm a skillet on medium heat and add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Place your patties in the pan and use a spatula to flatten them slightly. Fry your pancakes for about 5 minutes on each side. They should turn a nice golden color. Serve with ketchup, chili sauce, or apple sauce.

Hummus

I am a very big fan of the chick pea and I will eat them cold in salads,  cooked in chana masala or mashed into hummus. I have to confess that this is the first time I have made my own hummus. What was I waiting for? Making your own hummus is easy to do and the end result is far superior in flavor to anything you will find in a grocery store.

Ingredients

1 can of chick peas, drained
2-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 tsps of roasted tahini paste (sesame paste)
Lemon juice (one half or one whole lemon)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Place chickpeas and garlic in a food processor and pulse until a thick chunky paste forms. Add tahini and lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Now run your processor on continuous and drizzle in about 1/4 cup of olive oil until your hummus has the consistency desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables and or crackers.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

What do you do with the very ripe bananas on your counter? Make banana muffins of course! This delightful muffin is light, moist and chocolatey. The recipe comes from  my new friend Micaela, who makes them gluten free with the substitution of Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour for regular AP flour. Micaela tells me that this is a very forgiving recipe and can handle pretty much any substitution. Next time I might try using corn oil instead of the Earth Balance.

I have posted her original recipe with vegan subs in the parenthesis. Enjoy!

3 lg bananas

1 1/2 c flour 

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c butter (1 Earth Balance stick)

2 egg (2 Tbsp ground golden flaxseed mixed in 6 Tbsp water)

1/4 c sour cream (1/4 cup rice milk with a couple drops of lemon juice to sour it)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup vegan chocolate chips or nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. cream together butter and sugar

3. add sour cream, eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla

4. mix all dry ingredients and add to mixture

5. pour batter into greased muffin tins or lined with baking cups

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until muffins are golden brown and spring back to the touch

7. ENJOY!!!!!