Falafel Burgers

You know when there are some times when it seems everything goes wrong with all you do, no matter what you do? Well, this past week it was like this with me. Nothing was coming out right, with everything I tried something seemed to hold me back and I could not get 100% of it, even in the kitchen I had a few disappointments. And that is why I haven’t come here for a while… not much inspiration to sit and write, or cook.
Of course I have been cooking, as I need to feed everyone in the house, but not many complex recipes came out of the kitchen in the past few days, I decided to keep it simple and get happy with what I could!
So, I just hope things get better from now on. Sorry about the rant, and now lets keep cooking, shall we?
As I said, I did cook a few things last week, and still have a good amount of recipes and pictures to share here, but mostly I kept things easy, pasta salads, wraps, jell-o for dessert, see, easy, but tasty nonetheless!
One recipe I tried and really enjoyed was for Falafel Burgers that came on this month’s issue of Cooking Light. Super easy to make, and I liked everything about it, especially the use of one of my favorite ingredients: chickpeas!
They tasted great, the parsley and garlic came through without being overpowering, as did the cumin (I omitted the coriander). The texture was also very pleasant; falafels have a coarser texture due to the use of soaked chickpeas, but since this recipe calls for canned chickpeas the burgers turned out smooth and creamy inside, contrasting with the nice crunch that the bread crumbs provided to the outside.
I really liked these and will definitely be making them again! I love chickpeas and this was a delicious way of using it. And I know this may not sound good but… I actually liked these better than the falafels I once got at a local Mediterranean store. Good for me; I can have them anytime I want!
The magazine showed these being served in pita breads together with lettuce, tomatoes, and a tahini sauce, but I just skipped all that and we had ours with vegetables and rice. But in case you would like to see the full recipe, take a look here.
Hope you like them too!
Ana

Falafel Burgers (Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Combine 1 cup onion and next 7 ingredients (through 4 garlic cloves) in a food processor, and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Place bean mixture in a large bowl; stir in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in breadcrumbs.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and patties.