Tag Archives: garbanzo beans

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

16 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Bloggerific, Burgers, Grilling, Healthy, Main Dish, Uncategorized

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Let’s talk about these sweet potato burgers. When I first saw these online, I became SOOOO excited, and made them as soon as I could.

And I was super disappointed as soon as I ate mine. People kept telling me they were great and asking why I hated them so much.

And then I realized…

It was just one of those days where I really wanted a burger. A big, juicy, MEATY burger. The sweet/veggie thing wasn’t cutting it for me that day. Once I realized this, I concluded that these burgers are actually quite delicious.

If you are vegetarian, definitely try these! But for me, I think I prefer sweet potato fries with beefy burgers.

Recipe
Sweet Potato Burgers
Adapted from Healthy Happy Life

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
  • 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled/baked/mashed (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tsp maple or agave syrup
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup wheat flour
  • plentiful Panko crumbs
  • olive oil for pan
  • For burgers: avocado, hummus, English Muffins, arugula, olive oil, pepper

Peel sweet potatoes, cut into cubes/chunks, and then bake or microwave until softened. Pour drained beans into mixing bowl.

Mash beans and potato together. Mash in lemon-pepper seasoning, flour and agave. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist but you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs to thicken the mixture if needed. If you want, add an egg or egg whites to the mixture to help form the patty.

Freeze patties to firm them up. Preheat your grill to medium. Once the patties are firm, grill ’em up until they are nice and browned.

Transfer cooked patties to plate. Cool for a few minutes. Serve on toasted bun with hummus, avocado and spinach. Makes 7-8 large patties.

*Note – you can make these in a pan with a little bit of olive oil, but I didn’t like them as much that way, they seemed a little more greasy. You can keep the patties in the freezer for a week or two and they will still grill up great.

Sweet Potato Hummus

17 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Bloggerific, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Side Dish

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After making this, I doubt I will ever buy store bought hummus again. It is far too easy to make your own, and far more satisfying! Spicy Sriracha really takes this recipe up a notch. It doesn’t make the hummus super spicy, but it balances the sweet potato and other flavors in this hummus.

Recipe
Sweet Potato Hummus
(Makes about 4 cups hummus, recipe originally from Power Foods)

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz), rinsed until no foam appears and then drained well
  • 1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/8 C tahini sauce (can use up to 1/4 cup, I liked it with a little less)
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top of hummus
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  • salt, fresh ground black pepper, and SRIRACHA to taste
  • water for thinning, 2-4 T
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika or Sumac for garnish (optional)
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Place in microwave-safe bowl, cover with vented lid or cling wrap, and microwave on high until sweet potatoes are soft.  (About 10-12 minutes).
While sweet potatoes cook, drain garbanzo beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears.  Let garbanzos drain.
Put cooked sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, 2 T olive oil, ground cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper into food processor bowl, with processor fitted with steel blade.  Process until the mixture is fairly smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl a few times.  If the mixture seems too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of water until it is the consistency you want. Add a squirt of sriracha to spice things up a bit. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled , with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika if you wish.  Taste great with rice crackers, whole wheat pita triangles, veggie dippers, or whole grain chips.  Hummus will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Sweet Potato Hummus with rice crackers and veggie dippers

Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Easy, Healthy, Side Dish

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Healthy. Fast. And so easy. I made this dish for the first time while doing about 10 other things. So basically, you can make this with your eyes closed (I am not the world’s greatest multi-tasker).
What caught my eye originally was the mint. Now that summer is upon us, I have to find ways to use the herbs in my garden. Some herbs tend to do better than others…and as many of you know mint tends to grow so abundantly some almost consider it a weed (a very delicious one). The mint adds the perfect touch to this easy side dish. When the garbanzo beans come out of the oven hot and garlicky and smelling amazing, you almost want to just puree everything into hummus right there. Don’t do it though. Try it this way just this once and you won’t be disappointed.

Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon
(Makes 4-5 servings; recipe adapted from The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh.)

  • 2 cans (15 oz. can) chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 3/4 – 1 cup crumbled Feta
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • lemon wedges to squeeze over finished dish
Preheat oven to 375F.  Dump chickpeas into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears.  Let chickpeas drain at least 5 minutes.
Mix together the olive oil, finely minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and fresh ground black pepper.  Spray a large rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray (11 X 7 or slightly larger).  Put drained chickpeas into baking dish, add olive oil mixture and stir until the chickpeas are well coated with oil, then put in the oven and roast 15-18 minutes.
While chickpeas are roasting, wash mint, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and coarsely chop.  Crumble Feta.  Start to check chickpeas after 15 minutes, and as soon as they are hot and barely beginning to crisp on top remove from oven.
Spoon chickpeas into a serving dish.  Let chickpeas cool 5 minutes, then stir in crumbled Feta and chopped mint.  Season with more salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired.  Serve warm, with lemon wedges to squeeze over the finished dish.

Always Perfection @ Auntie Tricia’s

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Main Dish, Salad, Uncategorized

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Probably one of my favorite things is being invited over to my Aunt Tricia’s house. She is the Master Entertainer, her husband is the Ultimate Bartender, and her dogs are always ready to “clean” the dishes for her…if you know what I mean!

She always executes the perfect menu and everyone always has so much fun. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud to be related to her, and I hope one day I will be able to entertain like she does.

Below is a look at last week’s dinner…Recipes included!

Recipe
The Perfect Manhattan

Fill cocktail shaker 1/2 full with ice.

  • 2 shots knob creek bourbon
  • 1/2 shot red vermouth
  • dash of bitters…there are all sorts of flavors out there these days…
  • Shake 10 times and strain into a frozen martini glass. (I leave a little water on the glass before freezing, so I get a nice frost on the glass)
3 Luxardo brand cherries on a pick.  Add and enjoy!
Both Recipes below are from Ina Garten’s How Easy is That? Cookbook.

 

Recipe
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

  • 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
  • Toasted pita bread, for serving

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

Recipe
Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.