Chickpea-chili veggie burgers

Can you believe I’ve never had a veggie burger on this blog? Then again, I’m not much of a burger person to begin with, so maybe it’s not that surprising. All I had to see, though, was the word "chickpea," and I knew this Urban Vegan recipe was for me. If you have any special kind of chili powder on hand, like ancho or chipotle, now’s the time to use it. If for some reason you don’t have chili powder at all, I’m betting this would also be good with paprika in its place. Maybe even garam masala, for an Indian chana-burger?! Ooh, I’ll have to give that a shot sometime...

15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 slices stale whole grain bread, crumbled
Up to 4 Tbsp vegetable broth or water
Up to 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 whole grain buns, split and toasted
Burger toppings, as desired

Place the chickpeas, red pepper, onion, garlic, chili powder, salt, and 1 Tbsp olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. (I also threw in a teaspoon of my homemade vegan bouillon just to give it an extra herby kick, but it’s not required.) By the way, if you don’t have roasted red peppers on hand, or if you don’t want to open a jar for just 2 Tbsp, feel free to use raw red pepper.



Process, adding enough veggie broth or water to get the mixture smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the crumbled bread. (If you don’t have stale bread, just toast two fresh slices before crumbling.)



Process until fairly smooth, adding more broth or water if needed. Dough should be sticky but malleable. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough oats so that you can pick up the dough in your hands without it sticking (I actually ended up using just over 3/4 cup). Refrigerate the mixture for one hour.



Remove the dough from the fridge and form into six (big!) patties. Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add three patties and cook, turning once, until each side is golden (probably 5-6 minutes total). Transfer cooked burgers to a plate, heat the other 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, and cook the three remaining patties.



Serve on toasted buns (or lettuce leaves) with any accoutrements you wish. Fries would be the natural choice for a side dish, but I made a warm corn-and-pea salad and savory pesto muffins as accompaniments. I ate my burger with black olive tapenade, making it feel kind of Italianesque (some Tuscan white bean dip would do the same trick). Topped with salsa or guacamole, this could become una hamburguesa mexicana. If you try my garam masala suggestion, I’d have it with Indian spice hummus. Or you can go the classic ketchup and mustard route; it’s up to you!



Yield: 6 patties. Per patty (without bun): 192 calories, 6.7g fat (1g sat), 28.6g carbs, 5g fiber, 5.6g protein.

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Tidy joes (vegan sloppy joes)
Roasted potato wraps w/black bean hummus
Curried tempeh-mango salad

Cauliflower-chickpea tagine

Among the recent proliferation of vegan food bloggers’ cookbooks, my favorite is that of Urban Vegan Dynise Balcavage. I’ve already made eight of her recipes since getting the book a few weeks ago, and I have a couple dozen more marked down to try. Both her writing style and her ethnic food sensibilities are reminiscient of my own, so it’s been a joy to read her cookbook like a novel (I tend to do that). This is my adaptation of Dynise’s cauliflower-chickpea tagine, a simple but elegant Moroccan dish perfect for a cold winter weeknight.

(As the tagine simmers, be sure to cook up some whole wheat couscous to serve with it. Bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup couscous, cover the pan, and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve.)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp harissa (optional)
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds



In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. If necessary, add a pinch of salt to slow down the cooking.



Add all remaining ingredients except the almonds...



...and stir to combine.



Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for about an hour, or until vegetables are tender.



Serve with cooked whole wheat couscous and top with almonds before eating. The cauliflower breaks down and absorbs the aromatic spices, and the golden raisins and hint of cinnamon are a sweet complement to the more piquant flavors of the dish. It manages to be both exotic and homey at the same time. I loved it!



Yield: 5 servings. Per serving (without couscous): 253 calories, 6.5g fat (.5g sat), 43.9g carbs, 11g fiber, 9.5g protein.

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Moroccan harira stew
Chickpea lentil slow-cooker stew
5-minute chickpea couscous

Moroccan harira stew

I know it’s summer, but when I stumbled upon this recipe, I was intrigued. Yes, it’s hot out, but this harira (stew) has so many fresh ingredients and flavors that it doesn’t taste heavy. A tadouira is a mixture of flour, tomato paste, and cilantro, and is used as a thickener here. Vermicelli are tiny noodles (commonly used in Indian desserts, actually), but if you can’t find them, just take some Italian vermicelli or angel hair pasta and break it into small, 1/2-inch pieces.

For the harira:
1/2 cup green lentils
1T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cinnamon stick
15-oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
2 cups vegetable broth
15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup vermicelli

For the tadouira:
2T all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2T lemon juice
1T tomato paste

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add lentils, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, parsley, cilantro, ginger, and cinnamon stick and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.



Stir in the tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes more.



Stir in the broth, chickpeas, lentils, reserved tomato liquid, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.



Meanwhile, make the tadouira by whisking the flour with 1 cup water in a small bowl. Whisk in the cilantro, lemon juice, and tomato paste.



When the harira is almost done, stir in the tadouira and vermicelli and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the noodles are soft. Season with salt to taste, and remove the cinnamon stick before serving.



As far as I’m concerned, you just can’t go wrong with these ingredients. I love this combination of vegetables and legumes, and the fresh herbs really brighten up the earthier components. I’m sure you could make it in a slow cooker, too. No matter what season it is, I LOVE ethnic comfort food!



Yield: 6 servings. Per serving: 238 calories, 4g fat (.6g sat), 44g carbs, 8g fiber, 9.3g protein.

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Chickpea lentil slow-cooker stew
Three-bean vegan chili

Chickpea lentil slow-cooker stew

"Now you post a slow-cooker recipe?" I know, it’s late April (already, jeez) and the days are finally sunny and warmer again. But in KC we’re still waking up to some 40-degree mornings, so this isn’t completely out of place. I rarely use my slow cooker, which is really a shame. The problem is that since I work 9-5, in general I can only make recipes that cook for 8-10 hours, as opposed to shorter durations. Besides this limitation, I also don’t tend to plan far enough ahead to prep the night before. But when I spotted this recipe in a Whole Foods email newsletter, it sounded too perfect to pass up. Chickpeas and lentils with Indian flavors? It was made for me, I tell you. I removed the olives, added more spices, and bulked it up with potatoes and diced tomatoes to make it even better.

2T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
1T garlic paste (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
2 tsp ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red lentils (masoor dal)
14-oz. can diced tomatoes w/green chiles
28-oz. can tomato purée
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro, optional

The night before...
As you chop your vegetables, get some basmati rice going. (It's not a required accompaniment, since it is more of a stew than a curry, but I liked having some rice to go with it.) Let cool and refrigerate when done. Sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté for another 2 minutes or so. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric...



...and stir to combine. Add the potato and sesame seeds, stir again to combine, and remove from the heat. Let cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate.



Go ahead and set out your lentils and cans of chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato purée, and vegetable broth so it’s all ready to go the next morning. If you don’t have canned broth, dissolve a veggie bouillon cube in 2 cups hot water, let cool, then refrigerate.



The morning of...
Mist the bowl of your slow cooker with cooking spray, or use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup. Combine the vegetable mixture, chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, tomato purée, and vegetable broth in the bowl. Cover and set to cook on low. If your slow cooker has settings like mine that allow you to select the number of hours you want, you can set it for either 8 or 10, depending on when you want to eat.



8-10 hours later...
When you get home from work (or get back from doing whatever you did all day), stir the yogurt into the stew. Cook on low for 15 more minutes as you reheat your rice. The yogurt adds just the slightest hint of creaminess.



Season with salt to taste, then ladle the stew into a bowl, top with a bit of rice, sprinkle with cilantro if you’ve got it, and serve.



The lentils dissolve almost completely, acting as a natural thickener. The tender chickpeas and potatoes play off each other perfectly against the mild sweetness of the tomato, and the sesame seeds add a nice, unexpected little crunch. It was hearty and filling—a delicious meal to come home to (and to eat for lunch all week).



Yield: 8 servings. Per serving: 311 calories, 7.4g fat (1.1g sat), 52.8g carbs, 9.2g fiber, 12.3g protein.

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Creamy chickpea soup
Three-bean vegan chili
White bean garlic soup

Indian spice hummus

Can you believe that for all the chickpea adoration and hummus exaltation this blog is packed with, I have never posted a recipe for hummus? Me neither. Clearly it’s time.

Needless to say, there are practically an infinite number of ways to prepare hummus. Not only can the base ingredients be altered a bit, but you can make it any flavor under the sun. Plain, garlic, olive, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, chile pepper, the list goes on. You can also craft hummus with the essences of many different regions’ cuisines—Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Greek, Egyptian, Spanish, Moroccan, you name it. This is my favorite type to make, a vibrant golden hummus infused with the opulent spices of India.

1 can chickpeas, drained
2-3 cloves garlic
2T lemon juice
3T tahini
1T curry powder
1 tsp cumin seed, or 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
Salt to taste

Put the chickpeas, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.



Pulse to combine. Turn on the food processor, stream in 1/4 cup cold water, and blend until semi-smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the tahini and all the spices (but no salt). If you’ve never tried it, I recommend picking up some Madras curry powder. It’s so much more aromatic and deeply flavored than supermarket varieties.



Pulse together. Turn the processor back on and stream in another 1/4 cup or so of cold water as it’s running. Stop and scrape down the sides again, then turn back on and purée for at least 3 minutes. Yes, it’s a long time, but trust me. After that, give it a taste, then add salt to your liking (I usually put in about a teaspoon) and purée for another 30 seconds.



Transfer the hummus to a bowl or container and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. The longer it sits, the more intense the flavors become—and that's a good thing. The fragrant spices are enhanced by the punch of garlic and the mellow tahini in the background. Garnish it with a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. This may be the first hummus recipe I've posted, but it will not be the last.



Yield: about 2 cups. Per 1/4 cup: 96 calories, 4g fat (trace sat), 13g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g protein.

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Tuscan white bean dip

Creamy chickpea soup

I never really bothered to try cooking with dry beans. I know, everyone sings their praises and insists that canned beans pale in comparison, but the convenience factor is really invaluable (especially after I bought a case – yes, a case – of canned chickpeas from Wild Oats). That said, I’ve always intended to cook with dry beans when I had the time, the inclination, and the right recipe. So on Sunday, when I had several free hours, a craving for chickpeas (what else is new), and an enticing recipe from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Vegetarian that required dry beans in order to utilize the cooking liquid, I gave it a go. It’s 95% hands-off, but you will need a good 3- to 4-hour window of free time.

1 lb dry chickpeas
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1T lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika to garnish (optional)

FIRST, SOAK THE BEANS... Rinse the dry beans and put them in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold water by about two inches. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then turn the heat off entirely, put the lid on, and walk away for two hours.

NEXT, COOK THE BEANS... Drain the beans in a colander and put them back in the pot. Add two quarts (8 cups) of water (or sub vegetable broth for half the liquid). Bring to a boil again, uncovered, then turn the heat down to low, put the lid on, and walk away for 1-2 hours.



When you come back, it’s go time. Throw in the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne. Blend until smooth, however you want—in batches in a food processor, in batches in a blender, or all once with a hand blender (easiest!).



So creamy! Sample a bite, and add salt and pepper till it tastes best to you. Ladle into a bowl, dust with a sprinkle of paprika, and enjoy. It’s velvety, filling, and nutritious, and it's even better the next day.



Yield: 6-8 servings. Per serving (6): 301 calories, 9.3g fat (1.2 sat), 42.6g carbs, 12g fiber, 14.6g protein.
Per serving (8): 226 calories, 7g fat (.9g sat), 32g carbs, 9g fiber, 11g protein

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Three-bean vegan chili
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Indian & Moroccan at home

A couple months ago, my friend Henry and I took a vegetarian Indian cooking class, and vowed to soon recreate the dishes we saw made that night. It took us a few weeks, but on Saturday, we did just that. On the menu was kofta curry and dal mahkani with basmati rice and naan, and we concurred that our dishes were better than the ones made in class.

Kofta curry = fried balls of shredded vegetables swimming in an aromatic tomato sauce...



Dal makhani = lentils and kidney beans curried to perfection...



Add them together, and you get a nutritionally complete, richly spiced, and insanely delicious Indian meal.



Last night, I made another 5-minute dinner, this one with just three ingredients: extra couscous from last week, a jar of accidentally-vegan Moroccan tagine sauce from World Market, and (of course) more chickpeas.



I heated the chickpeas up in the sauce and served them over the couscous. Though technically “homemade,” it’s so easy, it feels like cheating.



Also, I bought myself an early Christmas present last week that recently arrived – a six-jar sampler pack of peanut butters from PB Loco! Asian curry spice, Sumatra cinnamon raisin, jungle banana, dark chocolate duo, white chocolate raspberry, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Aaahh! It’s going to be a peanut buttery winter.



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A vegan taste of India
Indian curried lentils

5-minute chickpea couscous

This is one of my very favorite weeknight meals – it’s simple, it contains some of my favorite flavors/ingredients, and it’s fast. Really, blink and you might miss it.

1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 1/4 cup water
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tahini
3-4T lemon juice
2T olive oil
2T hot water
1/2 tsp salt

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Throw in a dash each of salt and olive oil, then add the couscous.



Immediately take the pan off the heat and put a tight lid on it. Start a timer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl (or in my case, the tahini can, since I was using the last of it anyway), combine all remaining ingredients except chickpeas. Whisk (or shake in a closed container, like me) until smooth.

Even though it’s a little off-topic, check out my new mini-strainer! It’s the perfect size for one can of beans. Adorable.



By now, your timer has probably gone off, or is about to. When it does, take the lid off the pan and fluff up the couscous with a fork.



Fluff that couscous right into a large bowl, add the chickpeas, pour in the dressing, and toss to combine. And that’s it – I told you it was easy! For five minutes’ work, you have a savory, garlicky, sesame-y, lemony pasta studded with creamy chickpeas.

Psst...if you have a little extra time, this is also wonderful made with quinoa in place of the couscous.



Yield: 4 servings. Per serving: 395 calories, 12.7g fat (1.6g sat), 59g carbs, 10.8g fiber, 15.3g protein.

Three-bean vegan chili

I wasn’t kidding when I said I was determined to recreate the vegetarian chili I tried on the cruise. Not only did I do so, I believe that mine was even better. I based it loosely on a Vegetarian Times recipe, but tried to match the ingredients and heartiness of the cruise chili. It was a smashing success.

2T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
4+ cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can pinto (or kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can navy (white) beans, rinsed and drained
2T chili powder
2T ground cumin
1T brown sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup frozen corn



My favorite thing about this chili is the odd choice of beans. It sets it apart from other chilis, and really gives it a personality of its own.
Gawd I love beans.



Heat the oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the carrot, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook 2 minutes more. Add the garlic, and cook and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant.



Add 2 cups water and all remaining ingredients except corn, and season to taste with salt and pepper.



Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the corn and a scant 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 more minutes.



There is no better word to describe this chili than “hearty.” It’s so healthy, filling, and flavorful that it is as pleasing to an omnivore as to a vegan. Each bite is packed full of savory veggies, creamy beans, sweet corn, and a rich amalgamation of warm spices. I’m not the comfort food junkie that a lot of people are, but I can envision this chili warding off many a chill this winter.



Yield: 6-8 servings. Per serving (6): 320 calories, 5.7g fat (.7g sat), 54.2g carbs, 13.8g fiber, 15g protein.
Per serving (8): 240 calories, 4.3g fat (.5g sat), 40.6g carbs, 10.4g fiber, 11.3g protein.

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White bean garlic soup