Note: I don't have a food processor and basically chop everything some
other way. For something like garbanzo beans, I kind of rub them and
separate them from their skins. I eat the skins as a snack and the
resulting beans are easy to put through a ricer. Or if I want a coarse
chop, I just use a knife. People own too many gadgets they never use, I
think. These days I try to live with less and save energy any way I
can. I don't let things cook too long on a stove. Anything that can get
covered and cook in a shorter amount of time gets a lid and a weight.
So I use a microwave rice steamer which works for several other grains
as well. Here's a trick. If your grain isn't done in the microwave and
you are worried about it boiling over, just let it cool and put it back
in once in and try a minute or two and then let steam work it's charm.
Never throw away liquid from canned or cooked beans. It will make a
tasty couscous or soup base. Try to cook several days at once. Cooking
a series of pastas in the same water, and maybe that water is broth
means several meals with less energy. Just as we try to save stuff,
sometimes we have to make hard decisions and throw stuff away. I felt
very sad tossing out watermelon rind. I knew how long it would take to
cook it down to make sugary preserves I probably shouldn't even eat or
even give away these health conscious day. Maybe once a season. Now
the once a season watermelon that gets its rind used is more likely to
be the rare seeded one, difficult to find these agribusiness days. Or
maybe I could grow my own and by some miracle it would survive getting
chomped by a critter. I somehow doubt it since even the orange hibiscus
in full bloom had a very definite chomp mark. The only way for produce
to survive my proximity to the woods is to grow things in such abundance
that the chipmunk/squirrel/raccoon/vole/etc.doesn't get around to it yet.
Garbanzo Burgers
Dear Galja,
Celebrate Memorial Day with a healthier type of burger! These tasty
golden patties are made with garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas.
Garbanzo beans have a delicious nutlike taste and texture, and are a
great alternative source of protein. You may choose to use canned or
dried beans for this recipe. The benefits of using canned beans is that
you can assemble them in no time at all if you use a food processor to
chop the ingredients. Serve them on whole-grain buns with all the fixings.
Another note: There are two basic kinds of garbanzo beans. If you are
cooking your own, you might want to find an Indian or Pakistani store
where you will invariably find the dried version of a smaller dark brown
chickpea with even better flavor than the regular beige kind. If you
use canned beans, leave out the salt. If curry powder is too hot for
you, use a mix of tumeric, garlic powder or fresh garlic, and paprika.
You can skip the soy sauce and use mushroom broth or steak sauce of some
kind.
Directions
Makes 6 4-inch patties
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small carrot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo
beans
1/2 cup cooked bulgur or brown rice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ***in
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander or cardamom
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup potato flour
vegetable oil spray
Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop and become
fragrant. Grind in a food processor or blender then transfer to a mixing
bowl.
Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
Chop beans in a food processor, using an on/off pulsing action, or by
hand using a potato masher. Leave some chunks. Add to vegetable mixture,
along with bulgur or brown rice, soy sauce, curry powder, ***in,
coriander, cayenne, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Stir in enough potato flour to form a stiff dough. Knead 30 seconds,
then form into patties.
Lightly spray a non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Cook patties
over medium heat until first side is lightly browned, then flip and cook
second side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side.
Per 4-inch patty:
130 calories
3.2 g fat
0.4 g saturated fat
22.5% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
6 g protein
20.7 g carbohydrate
1.3 g sugar
4.9 g fiber
430 mg sodium
45 mg calcium
2.3 mg iron
2.2 mg vitamin C
683 mcg beta-carotene
0.4 mg vitamin E
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