Tag: meal prep

Har har har. It’s a terrible joke, but like I said yesterday, if I had a chance to cook something ultra-healthy for a fat dude like our commander in chief (It’s Ok to Call Him Fat, he is.) who loves a fast food hamburger, I’d definitely make him eat a fat chick-pea burger!

Not only are these babies vegan, they’re also gluten free, but you would never know it! This hearty burger gets its smoky, tangy flavor from vegan Worcestershire (I use Kroger brand! I KNOW, right?!) , Apple cider vinegar, Louisiana hot sauce, and Liquid Smoke, along with a hefty spice injection of paprika and ground chipotle pepper.

Oh yeah, and beyond the obvious health benefits of swapping your ground chuck for chickpeas, oatmeal, flaxseed and veggies, this is a SUPER CHEAP pantry recipe to throw together. These nutritional powerhouses ring up at only about $.50 a piece, so making these will really make you feel good about yourself in more ways than one!

The real genius of this recipe (if I do say so myself) is the use of quick oats and flax eggs to act as vegan, gluten free binders! If you’ve never worked with flax eggs, don’t sweat. Here’s how I break it down:

1 Tablespoon of milled flaxseed+2 Tablespoons of water+5 minutes to set= 1 flax egg

But don’t worry, if you’re all like, “eww gross/what the heck is that/do I really have to buy a special ingredient??,” you can just use a regular old egg, if you’re not vegan, that is!

Once your prep is out of the way, sauté your veg with a few little sprigs of fresh thyme. If your herb garden is already done for the season, feel free to substitute with 1/4 tsp of the dried stuff! Start with just your onions and sauté with thyme and kosher salt until translucent. Then, add your peppers until soft, followed by garlic for one hot minute, watching carefully to avoid burning!

Remove fresh thyme sprigs from the pan and then dump this gorgeous veg into a mixing bowl, along with your chickpeas, spices, flax egg, and liquid ingredients. Mash it up until a loose batter forms.

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, let’s add those oats and mash the whole thing until it resembles the WEIRDEST cookie dough known to man.

Now (and this is where that beverage is gonna come in handy), pop the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes, until the oats have fully absorbed all of the flavors and the dough has stiffened enough to form into four FAT patties.

Place cookies, er, I mean, patties onto parchment paper or silicone pad on a large baking sheet and bake at 400 deg for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Remove from oven and build your burger how you like it. I chose bbq sauce and cheddar cheese with a sliver of romaine on my famous homemade brioche buns, but you do you boo!

Did you make this and LOVE it? Let me know! Hit me up on IG @Plated_With_Pride !

THE FAT CHICK-PEA BURGER RECIPE!

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 flax egg (1 tbsp milled flaxseed+2 tbsp water), or 1 egg

½ cup quick cooking oats

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp dried)

1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce

½ tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp ground black pepper

 ¼ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp ground chipotle pepper (optional)

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1. Combine flaxseed and water to create flax eggs, set aside.
2. Heat skillet to medium, sauté onions and thyme with kosher salt until translucent.
3. Add bell peppers and cook until soft.
4. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Remove thyme from pan and combine vegetables in large mixing bowl with flax eggs, chick peas, spices, and wet ingredients, mash until a loose batter forms.
6. Continuing mashing and add oats until thoroughly combined.
7. Place mixing bowl in refrigerator to set for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 400 deg
9. Form dough into 4 large patties
10. Bake for 35 minutes, flipping halfway
11. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy the burger of your own creation!