Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers

I am working on liking beans and legumes. I didn't have many of these nutrient wonders growing up, and even after I bought a good supply to start incorporating into my diet, they sat in my cupboard and were, ummm, passed over for weeks. I don't really think they are scary or anything, but how do I fix them so they taste good? I'm beginning to get that question answered.

It was Rachel Ray that introduced me to the idea of baking chickpeas for a crunchy snack. I tried this out at a dinner party with friends and they were a big hit! My sense of adventure began to gather steam, and lately I've been searching for creative ways to regularly get these powerhouse legumes on our menu.

So, I was super excited to see a delish recipe in the April 2010 issue of Experience Life magazine for Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers! Reading through the list of ingredients, I knew it would be a hit with hubby.  We both love anything with cumin in it, and although he LOVES middle eastern cuisin, I'm still learning little by little to embrace it. This recipe is a real winner on both fronts and very economical too! It makes about 12 patties.

What you need:

• 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1/8 t cinnamon
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t minced fresh ginger
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 c cooked brown rice
• 3 T finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 c minced flat leaf parsely

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Drain & rinse the chickpeas and season with a splash of lemon juice and salt.
3. Combine the chickpeas, all the spices, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, add the rice, bell pepper and parsley into the chickpea mixture and mix well.
5. With wet hands, shape into 1/4 inch thick patties about 3 inches in diameter.
6. Place the patties on the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the outside begins to get crispy.
7. Serve on a ciabatta roll with garnishments of your choice.

Bon appetit!
Cheryl

P.S.  Nutrtional Info per burger:  3 g protein, 1 g fat, 18 g carbs, 89 calories