inverted veggie burgers

Due to inferno summer temperatures, I prefer to run in the evening around 6:30 or 7:00 pm. However, recently I have attempted mid-morning runs. I noticed that instead of dinner on my mind, dreams of a hearty, satisfying lunch motivate me on my morning runs. On this day, I planned ahead a bit and decided BEFORE running that I was finally going to try my hand at homemade veggie burgers. I almost always keep a can of chickpeas in my pantry and I just so happened to have the remaining ingredients on hand. I could hardly wait to get out and complete my 2.5 mile run today. I have to admit, I ran quite a bit faster than usual this morning.

After cooling down (recovering) and stretching, I got right into the kitchen and started chopping, mixing, and frying. The recipe is simple to follow and virtually flawless. I used and adapted Heidi Swanson’s recipe found on her blog 101 Cookbooks. The only additions I made were adding chopped arugula to the batter and of course a bit more seasoning (ie. Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and freshly ground black pepper).

Garbanzo Bean Burgers
. 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
. 2 large eggs
. 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
. 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
. 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
. Zest of 1/2 lemon
. Several dashes of Tabasco
. 1/2 cup sprouts, such as arugula, alfalfa, broccoli,
. 1/2 cup toasted whole-grain bread crumbs (I used GF bread)
. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for frying

Method
Combine the drained garbanzo beans, eggs, and salt in a food processor and puree until mixture is the consistency of thick, chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the parsley, onion, lemon zest and Tabasco. Add the bread crumbs and stir until blended. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes while the pan is heating so the crumbs absorb some of the moisture. You should be able to easily form the mixture into patties after this time.

Preheat a large frying pan (I used a large cast iron skillet) with the olive oil over medium low heat. Add as many patties as you can without crowding. Cover the pan and cook them for 5-10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. If necessary, turn up the heat slightly if they are not browning. Flip the patties over and cook for another 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the patties from the skillet and cool on a wire rack and cook any remaining patties.

Carefully cut each patty in half with a long, serrated knife. Add your favorite fillings.

The filling options for this inverted burger are endless. I used the remaining pesto sauce (recipe) I made earlier this week, sliced avocado, tomato, spinach and arugula. Other ideas would be cheese of any kind, sliced cucumbers, sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled veggies, and onions.