Chickpea Burgers

Wow! I have a new recipe for you! First, I did really great last week with a new exercise routine. I'm doing the Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30. Last week was just a test run and I did the video 4 out of the 5 planned days. Not bad.

It's brutal, but you can do anything for 20 minutes. Right? This week I add the food component and I'm setting a goal to run my 2 miles a day as well. I'll let you know how it goes. Needless to say, I think I'll be sleeping really good.

This recipe comes from the free 30 day menu that came with the exercise DVD.

And, no, the pasta salad isn't part of the menu from Jillian, but I only had 1/3 cup of it.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pitas, 6-inch whole-wheat (I used the Whole Grain Thin Bun instead)
Burger
1 can garbanzo (chickpeas) beans, rinsed
4 scallions
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon oregano, fresh, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sauce
1/2 cup yogurt, low-fat plain
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup parsley, flat-leaf, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the ingredients for the burgers in a food processor. Pulse, stopping to scape down the sides as needed, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (This was the hardest part for me because I don't have a food processor and my blender didn't work very well because it is pasty.

Once it is well mixed and pasty, form into 4 patties. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and crips, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Place burgers on the bread of choice and top with the sauce.

I thought they were really good, but I think I'll increase the amount of spices to give it a bit more kick. Maybe add some red pepper flakes. :)

339 calories, 16 g fat, 53 g Carbs, 9 g fiber, 15 g protein