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.