Chickpea & Corn Burger (Vegan)


Being a real burger afficinado, there’s no way I couldn’t have fallen in love with this amazing began burger. This version of the popular comfort-food dish is simply divine – a crispy veggie patty with a smooth and almost creamy center that almost melts in your mouth. Chickpeas and corn make the base of this patties, the flavor profile being completed by parsley, cumin and coriander. To enjoy this patties at its best, I pared it with homemade vegan buns, pickled cucumbers tomato and onion slices. What a treat!

Ingredients (for 6 burgers):

Patties:

  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1 large can of corn
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp chili
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ bunch of parsley
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Burgers:

  • 6 buns
  • 6 patties
  • 1 tomato
  • ½ red onion
  • lettuce leaves
  • ketchup


Method:

  1. Spices. Using a mortar and pestle crush together cumin and coriander seeds to fine powder. Add paprika, chili, salt and garlic cloves and continue crushing until you form a paste.
  2. Mix the base ingredients. Add the chickpeas and corn to the bowl of a blender and pulse a few times until you form a rough paste.
  3. Seasoning. Add the paste from the mortar, flour and nutritional yeast and pulse until blended.
  4. Form the patties. Divide the composition into 6 balls. Refrigerate them for 30 minutes.
  5. Shape the patties. Dust each ball with flour and flatten them with your hands.
  6. Fry the patties. In a large skillet over medium heat heat about 4 Tbsp of oil. Carefully add the patties and cook them on each side until golden brown (for about 3 – 4 minutes). When cooked place them on a paper towel covered plate.
  7. Assemble the burgers. Cut each bun in half, drizzle some ketchup and garnich with picked cucumber slices, salad, tomato and red onion.

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas and Cherries (Vegan)


After years and years of research, I’ve finally found the perfect salad! I’m a huge fault-finder when it comes to salads, but I have to tell you that this salad is flawless. I make it maybe twice a week and I use use fresh ingredients picked from my own veggie garden. This salad is both satisfying and delicious, and tends to be the healthiest addiction I’ve ever had.

The base of this salad is bulgur, a protein-packed nutty cereal, as well as chickpeas, another great vegan protein source. This two protein packed ingredients turn this salad into a extremely hearty dish. I top the salad with fresh cucumbers, onion, aromatic herbs and sweet and juicy cherries, which transform this salad into a genuine culinary symphony. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this divine salad is also exclusively plant-based! Continue reading Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas and Cherries (Vegan)

Wild Garlic Hummus



Hummus is an oriental chickpea and tahini paste. It is hearty, smooth and creamy and it has a rich and nutty sesame seed flavor. It is a high-protein vegan spread and it’s also so easy to make. I’ve tried a myriad of recipes over the years, I played both with the ingredients and with the different techniques involved in preparing this simple yet delicious spread. I learnt two tricks which I use each time to get an incredibly creamy texture. I remove the skins of the chickpeas by squeezing them with my fingers – this extra step makes a smoother final product. The second trick is to start the hummus by mixing the tahini with lemon juice and olive oil, which creates a mayonnaise-like consistency emulsion. This two tricks make the difference between a regular and an over-the-top delicious hummus.

The version of hummus I bring you today is a velvety, flavorful and colorful hummus, a wild garlic hummus, to be more accurate. Wild garlic is a wonderful plant, it has a fresh garlicky taste and it is packed with nutrients, from carotenoids to vit A, vit C and vit B complex. I’m not a fan of the raw wild garlic, I find it too overpowering, so I blanch it for 40 seconds before using it, to temper its wild taste. Continue reading Wild Garlic Hummus

Baby Spinach Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Raw Zucchini Rolls

Chickpea saladSalad

I have to make a confession: I don’t like salads that much. I’ve never liked them and I never will. I frequently eat salads because it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not a big salad lover. Anyway, this chickpea salad is pretty decent. Almost tasty. Fine! It’s very tasty, even though it’s a salad. It has lots of bold flavors and lovely textures and it’s quite addictive, to be honest.

Continue reading Baby Spinach Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Raw Zucchini Rolls