Chick Pea Burger (Southwest Style)
From All-Creatures.org Vegan - Vegetarian Recipe Book: How Mary and Frank and Friends Eat

"We are dedicated to cruelty-free living through a vegetarian - vegan lifestyle. Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!"

Ingredients

2 cups Chick Peas, cooked or canned
1 Onion, medium size, peeled
1 - 6-oz. can Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Oats, rolled quick
1/2 cup Corn Flour (whole grain masa)
2 tsp. Cumin, ground
2 tsp. Chili Powder
2 tsp. Cilantro, dried leaves
2 tsp. Sweet Basil, dried leaves
Cayenne Pepper or Hot Sauce, to taste

(To enlarge the photo of the Chick Pea Burger (Southwest Style), click on the photo or link)

Preparation

Chick pea burgers (southwest style) is a quick and easy vegan recipe (about 30 minutes to be ready to serve), providing the chick peas are canned or have been precooked. This recipe will make eight bun-sized burgers.

If you have a powerful food processor, all the ingredients can be added to the container with the bottom cutting blade and run on high speed until smooth. It may take some stopping and spoon mixing to get everything to blend in properly if it is not powerful enough.

An alternative method is to place all the ingredients, except the flour and oats, into the container of a high speed blender, cover and run the blender at high speed until all the ingredients are smooth. Place the corn flour and oats in a mixing bowl and add the ingredients from the blender and mix well to ensure that everything is uniformly mixed together.

If the chick pea burger mixture is not stiff enough to form a burger, add an additional tablespoon of oats and mix again to obtain the desired thickness. Repeat if necessary.

We like to use a round "ice cream" scoop to form the burgers, because it helps make uniform sized patties.

If you are planning to bake the chick pea burgers, place the 8 scoops of the chick pea burger mix in a 9" X 13" glass baking pan arranged as the symbols on an "8" playing card.  If there is any left over mix, place a little extra on each of the scoops, and then flatten them into patties.

If you are planning to cook the burgers on a grill, it is best to place 4 scoops of the mix on each of 2 square pieces of wax paper and flatten them as above, and place each set of 4 burgers on a plate and place the plates in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to grill them. This will firm the burgers and make them easier to remove from the wax paper and cook on a grill.

The chick pea burgers can be baked in the microwave oven on high heat in about 10-12 minutes, or they can be baked in a conventional oven in about twice the time at 350 degrees F. Check them for firmness to ensure they don't over cook.

The patties can be eaten as is, or they can be placed on a bun or roll in a traditional burger manner with your favorite fixings. We like to use salsa on these southwest style chick pea burgers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients Information

Basil, Sweet Dried

Chick Peas or Garbanzos, Canned

Chili Powder

Cilantro, Dried Leaves

Corn Masa Flour

Cumin, ground

Oats, Rolled

Onions, Yellow

Pepper - Hot Red, ground (Cayenne)

Pepper Sauce - Hot Red

Tomato Paste

Utensils and Equipment Information

Baking Pan, Glass

Bowls, Stainless Steel Mixing

Food Processor

Knives

Measuring Cups, Dry

Measuring Cup, Liquid

Measuring Spoons

Spoon, Large Mixing

Vita-Mix

The above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31): 'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV) Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!