Appetite for Reduction_ 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [50]
They’re now ready to serve; try some of the suggestions above.
INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT
Chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo flour or simply as besan in the Indian culinary world, is just what it sounds like: ground, dried chickpeas. It’s easy to find in the gluten-free section of most well-stocked supermarkets; a popular brand is Bob’s Red Mill. They also make a garbanzo-fava blend that would work just fine, also available in many Indian and Israeli markets. If you absolutely cannot or do not want to use it in this recipe, regular old flour will work just fine.
Chipotle Lentil Burgers
MAKES 6 BURGERS • ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(⅛ RECIPE):
Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 15
Total fat: 1.5 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 23 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 510 mg
Vitamin A: 15%
Vitamin C: 20%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 20%
Burgers with a smoky, spicy kick! Serve these topped with your favorite salsa alongside some OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings (page 59). Or, if you want some added heat, smash up a chipotle in ¼ cup of ketchup. These have a firm, bready exterior and a softer interior; they’re not trying to replicate meat, they’re veggie burgers! Lots of recipes in this book aren’t finicky, but this one you need to follow to the letter. To get the texture right you have to use store-bought bread crumbs and canned lentils; otherwise you’ll be messing with the dry and wet ingredient ratio too much.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into medium dice
½ pound zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced ½ inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped (stems and leaves)
1 (15-ounce) can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed (1¼ cups)
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup chipotles, seeds removed, with adobe sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
First, we’re going to sauté some veggies. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick pan, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, cilantro, and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes, until the zucchini is soft.
TIP
To get these done in a half-hour, assemble everything else while the zucchini is cooking.
Transfer the zucchini mixture to a food processor. Add all the other ingredients except for ½ cup of the bread crumbs. Did you hear me? Reserve ½ cup of the bread crumbs! Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be a little texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Preheat the pan (the same one you already used to sauté in is fine) over medium heat. Add the remaining ½ cup of bread crumbs to the burger mixture and use a fork to thoroughly combine.
Divide the burger mixture into six equal pieces. An easy way to do this is divide it in half, then divide each half into three basically equal portions. You can do that right in the mixing bowl if it’s large enough.
Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Form the burger portions into patties (see tip) and cook for about 12 minutes, flipping the burgers often, until they are nicely browned on both sides. Use cooking spray as necessary. Do three at a time for best results.
They taste great served immediately but they’re also excellent at room temperature, so don’t be afraid to stuff one into a sandwich and take it for lunch.
TIP
Don’t be too OCD about getting the seeds out of the chipotles, just do your best. The more seeds there are the spicier this will be, so I prefer to remove them so I can use more of the chipotles and get more flavor without burning off my beautiful face.
INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT
Precooked lentils aren’t all that common yet, but their presence on the