Here’s a summer bonus! Vege-burgers with a twist. Easy to make, just put it all in your food processor.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas (garbanzos) – that’s a 15oz can
- 1/3 c red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove or 3 small, chopped
- 1 t cumin, coarsely ground
- 3/4 t salt
- 1 t turmeric
- 1 t sumac
- 2 T ground sesame seed (grind in your spice grinder)
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped (including all but toughest stems)
- juice and zest of one large lemon
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T orange juice (optional)
- 1/4 c breadcrumbs
Here’s the process
- If you are cooking the garbanzos, you’ll need about 1/2 cup dry for about 1 1/2 cups cooked.
- Toast and set aside 4 slices of whole wheat bread.
- Toss in your food processor: red onion, garlic, spices (salt, cumin, turmeric, sumac, ground sesame seed, and chopped cilantro
- Add 1/2 of the cooked garbanzos and puree
- Add the other 1/2 of the garbanzos and pulse to coarsely grind
- Turn the mix into a big bowl
- Tear the toast into ~1″ pieces and pulse to coarse breadcrumbs in the food processor
- Add the breadcrumbs to everything else, mix it all up, and test for seasoning. You may want to add more salt, lemon, etc. The sumac is a lemony flavor.
- Play with adding other herbs or spices such as parsley instead of cilantro, harissa, paprika or smoked paprika, or limes instead of lemons.
About 1/4 cup mix for each burger. On a hot griddle or skillet, usually 4 minutes on the 1st side and 3 on the 2nd at medium works well. If the pan is nice and hot you won’t need much (if any) oil.
Extras or you made a lot: I use a big deep wooden spoon to mold the burgers, and put them on a parchment-sheeted cookie sheet for quick freezing and storing in an old yogurt tub, with a layer of parchment between each burger.
Fabulous on big buns with fresh lettuce, tomato, cuke, sproats, and whatever else pleases you: ketchup, mustard, worchester sauce, salsa, chutney, melted gruyere, mozzerella, etc.
