Chickpea "Meatballs"

Guess what I'm having on meatless Monday tomorrow.

Meatballs!

No, I'm not crazy.

These so called meatballs are far from what you're used to.  With no meat, and not even a drop of dairy, I'm not even sure it's fair to call them meatballs at all.   But I did anyway, because, c'mon, who doesn't like a good oxymoron?

Chickpea "Meatballs"


You need:
1 carrot, sliced
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup crushed corn flakes (or sub a different cereal)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour


What to do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Microwave carrot slices with a little water for 2 minutes.  Mash carrots and chickpeas (I always do it with a fork).  Add the salsa and corn flakes, and continue mashing until incorporated.  Add in flour.  Add more salsa is mixture is too thick, and more flour if it seems too liquidy.  Form into small balls and place onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.

I'm not kidding when i say that these are they easiest veggie meatballs ever.  Forget cutting and chopping vegetables for hours, these babies are ready in 45 minutes tops.  And might I mention they taste like the product of endless work, which, let's face it, is sort of a good thing as long as you didn't actually slave away in the kitchen all day.

 It's always nice when it appears that you did way more work that what actually happened, right?

As a side note:  Does anyone else celebrate meatless mondays?  I highly reccommend it if you don't already.  Trying to consume no meat one day a week has really opened me up to all the possibilities of vegetarian and vegan cuisine.  From tofu to quinoa, I bet you'll be surprised by all the delicious dishes you can create without using a single animal product.  It's truly amazing!

Black Bean and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

I love how every veggie burger tastes different.

I bet I could have one three days in a row and not get tired of them at all because each one tastes different.  Some are sweeter, some more savoury.  It all depends on what's in the burger and how it's cooked.

For example, this veggie burger isn't even a veggie burger at all!  Sure, it's vegetarian and has prunes, carrots, and onions, but really, the stars in these burgers are black beans and rice (that's right, yet another recipe that goes against my bean hatred)

I've actually never mastered a real veggie burger.  You know, the kind that actually looks like a burger - with grill marks and all - and is packed with vegetables.  But, these burgers might actually be better than the frozen kinds you buy at Trader Joes.

And I'm not even a vegetarian.

Black Bean and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
(you can find the original recipe here)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey (or agave)
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp hoisin
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 cup uncooked)
• 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed and diced
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup carrots, finely diced
• 1/4-1/2 cup wheat bran
• 6 prunes, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• cracked pepper
• 1 tsp cumin

1. In a small bowl combine soy, honey, molasses, and hoisin to make basting sauce.
2. In a large bowl combine diced black beans and cooked rice.
3. Pour oil into skillet.  Saute onions and garlic on medium heat until soft and the pan is dry.
4. Add onions, carrots, 1/4 cup wheat bran, minced prunes, and spices to bean mixture.  Stir to combine.
5. Evaluate how well your veggie mixture holds into patties.  If the mixture seems too dry or chunky, add basting sauce by the teaspoon until moist enough to stick.  If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit more oat bran.
6. Shape veggie mixture into 4-6 patties and place on squares of wax paper.  Chill patties at least one hour (i chilled for less, because of short time, and they sort of fell apart, but still tasted fine)
7. To cook, brush patties with basting sauce and place on a hot grill or skillet.  Cook about 5 minutes then bast again and gently flip.
8. Cook about 5 more minutes and then gently remove burgers to serving plate.  

Whether you're a vegetarian or just like a good non-meat burger once in a while you should definitely add these burgers to your list of recipes to try.  Remember, sometimes just because something doesn't look good, doesn't mean it can't taste great!