Chickpea and Veggie Burgers
Who needs a big bun o’ meat when you can have a bun or wrap filled with chickpeas, veggies, and seeds. Feel free to vary the beans, veggies, and seeds to those you happen to have on hand.
Ingredients
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, finely grated
1 onion, small, finely grated
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, raw
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 handful basil or coriander, fresh and chopped
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder, low sodium, crumbled
Directions
Preheat oven to 425oF. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Place all ingredients in a food processor or with a hand-held blender for 5-10 seconds, until the mixture is fairly coarse. Push the mixture down with a spatula and blend for a further 10 seconds. (If using a food processor, use the grating blades to grate the carrot and onion right into the mixture.)
Remove the blades from the processor, wet your hands under the cold water tap and shape the mixture into 20 small balls. (Or ~12 bun-size patties.) Place the balls on the prepared baking tray and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Serve with curried sweet potato rounds and salad.
Adapted from Dr Gillian McKeith, You Are What You Eat Cookbook.
Nutritional Value of Select Ingredients
Chickpeas – Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a great and inexpensive source of protein that is also low in fat. They are high in both soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps regulate the bowels, reduce blood cholesterol levels, and stabilize blood sugar. They also contain calcium, iron, magnesium, and beta-carotene.
Carrots – Carrots are one of the best sources of beta carotene, which balances the immune system and reduces the risk of many cancers. They also guard against cardiovascular disease, reduce inflammation, slow the aging process, and are great for digestion disorders. Contain fibre, calcium, iron, and many other vitamins and minerals.
Onions – Because they are high in sulfur, onions help lower cholesterol, inhibit cancerous tumor growth, help manage diabetes, and are an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal food that are also a blood tonic. Eat them daily – raw or cooked.
Sunflower Seeds – These seeds are great for those with high blood pressure, as they are very high in potassium and very low in sodium. They are high in protein, fibre, B vitamins, and vitamin E.
