Sprouted Garbanzo Burgers

Here is another recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking, which I am enjoying so much that I am basically cooking my way through it this summer. These burgers are delicious - my husband and I ate them just about every day last week (the recipe makes 12) and never grew tired of them. I sprouted the garbanzos myself, which is an extra step that certainly changes the texture and taste of the beans, but I'm not sure it has enough impact to offset the amount of time and effort sprouting takes. I've heard that you can buy sprouted beans at, say, Whole Foods, or equivalent stores, but I have not found them. If you are feeling ambitious or experimental, as I was, here is a link to some good directions on sprouting. You can also just use cooked or canned garbanzos with excellent results.

2 1/2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans, or canned garbanzos, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 onion, chopped
grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 cup micro sprouts, such as alfalfa, broccoli or onion
1 cup toasted whole grain bread crumbs (Ian's, a brand you can find at WF or elsewhere makes a good whole wheat bread crumb, or you can toast and pulse day old bread in the food processor)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until tender, about 10 minutes. If you are using canned beans, jump right in. Combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor and puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so that the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2 inch thick patties. Err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can add more bread crumbs to firm it up a bit, or, conversely, add a bit of water or egg to moisten it. After the patties are formed, you can decide to either cook them, or store them, placed on a plate lined with parchment and wrapped with spastic wrap. Then, you can cook just as many as you need, and store the rest this way, or even freeze them for later use.

To cook, heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add up to 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties, and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties.

Top with whatever fillings you'd like. We enjoyed these open face on a piece of toasted crusty bread with some lemon mayonnaise, avocado, red onion, and sprouts.

Swordfish Sicilian-style

It has been a little difficult for me to continually find vegetarian recipes to share here. So, pardon me if occasionally, items transgress into the world of meat-eating. Here is a lovely swordfish recipe my husband found in the Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook. We tried it two weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised. The stuffing is savoury enough that I felt I would enjoy it with some sort of poultry, but the mild flavour and substantial texture of swordfish are a good foil.

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion

1 pinch of saffron threads

3 anchovies (rinse them if they are packed in oil)

2 oranges

1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 Tbs. chopped parsley

1 tsp. chopped oregano

salt and pepper

bay leaves

This stuffing recipe is for 2 pounds of swordfish which is far too much for only two people. I usually figure 6 oz. of meat/person as a serving. So if you are making this for two, halve the stuffing recipe and purchase a 12 oz. swordfish steak. The swordfish should be cut into 1/8 thick slices about 4 x 6 inches for rolling.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Toss the bread crumbs with 2 Tbs. olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven stirring occasionally until they are golden brown - about 15 minutes. Dice the onion and saute it on medium-low with the saffron and another 2 Tbs. olive oil. Cook until the onion is soft. Chop the rinsed anchovy coarsely. Squeeze 1/4 cup juice from one of the oranges and pour it over the currants or raisin to plump them. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet on medium or medium-high unitl golden stirring continuously to prevent burning.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onion, anchovies, currants (with their juice), pine nuts, chopped parsely and oregano. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste. The stuffing should be assertive, but you want to take care not to over-salt as it already contains anchovies.

Lay out the swordfish slices and season both sides with salt and peper. Spoon about 2 Tbs. of stuffing onto each slice and roll it up. Arrange each roll, flap side down, in an oiled baking dish just big enough to hold all of them snugly.

Cut the remaining orange into half-moons or smiles :) and with a bay leaf, wedge it between each roll. Drizzle olive oil over the fish and bake the dish for 15 minutes. The rolls will be opaque and firm to the touch when finished.

We ate this dish with a simple roasted vegetable and a plain risotto. It could also be nice with a salad and a simple pasta.