Quick & Simple Chickpea Patties

I had an epiphany the other day -- I don't need meat at every meal. That statement may seem silly to a lot of you, but I always thought that in order to feel adequetly full at the end of a meal, a meat-based protein was needed. You see, I was doing it all wrong before. I would create a vegetarian or vegan meal, usually some sort of large salad and I would still be hungry by the time my plate was clean. The problem was that I didn't replace my meat protein with a non-meat protein -- I just ate your typical salad vegetables. Solely eating veggies can certainly work, but for me, I would need a lot. And a lot of filling, dense veggies and so I turn to beans.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans are a big favorite of mine and my goodness are they versatile. I often use them to make homemade hummus and baked, spiced chickpeas and now I have a new favorite: chickpea patties. These little gems are so quick to put together and are quite filling. And the recipe is easy to tweak; use whatever savory spice you're craving. I wanted a little kick to mine, so red pepper and garlic powder were my spices of choice, but curry would be a nice addition as well. This basic recipe would work well with most types of beans, so I'll be trying black bean patties soon, too.

Quick & Simple Chickpea Patties, serves 2 (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian)

Adapted from a recipe found in Hannaford Supermarket's magazine

1 15 oz can of rinsed, drained chickpeas
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh chives
1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
1 egg, or egg substitute
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Put the first six ingredients in a small food processor and blend until a paste forms. Put the olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, meanwhile, form the paste into patties and cook on both sides (should make four), about five minutes on each side.

Enjoy in a sandwich, top with salsa, chutney; they're even good plain.