Mushroom and chickpea patties: vegan & gluten-free recipe for all

Time:         prep. 5-7 mins
                   bak. 20 mins
                   cool. 20 mins
Difficulty:  very easy
Yields:       2 people
Cost:          low

If you try to avoid industrial meatballs (plant-based or not) for various reasons, you will love this recipe of mushroom and chickpea patties.
I know, as the world moves towards trans-humanism, talking about favoring home-cooked meals probably sounds very anachronistic; but I’m not giving up; I’m a supporter of the naturality of things, whatever they are: landscapes, emotions, sports, wrinkles and gray hair, even sugar instead of artificial sweeteners, and of course patties!
My job as a food engineer, would be to find the most profitable ‘mixture’ to entice the consumer to buy an irresistible, ready-to-eat food, made with various additives and invasive industrial processes, designed to imitate something that is not.
On the contrary, I have chosen to devote my knowledge to enticing people to self-produce a food, made with a few simple ingredients and through traditional and few production processes, without imitating anything; but ‘naturally’ amazing and healthy.

So, dear friends, if you want to bring to the table a succulent and healthy dinner, soak the dried chickpeas today, cook them tomorrow and create portions: one part to make mushroom and chickpea patties, another (if you want) for the preparation of a hummus dip, so as to enrich your meals and / or appetizers, and yet another part keep it for future occasions: having some ready-made legumes at hand is the first rule of a sustainable and economical cuisine.

Extra Tip

As I always stress, healthy, cheap and ethical cooking is not a mirage for those who also have a job: however, it can only be done with organization.
So cook in advance and do it right.
For example, knowing how to cook legumes could prove to be life-saving or at least… dinner-saving

Ingredients for mushroom and chickpea patties

400 g chestnut mushrooms
300 g chickpeas, already cooked and drained
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic, grated
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3-4 tablespoons of gluten-free breadcrumbs (or normal breadcrumbs if you if you are not celiac) or 2-3 tablespoons of corn, rice or chickpea flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Chilli, turmeric and cumin (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon evo oil for cooking
 

Directions

Wash the mushrooms quickly under running water and cut them into small pieces.
Cook them in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, use a food processor to puree the drained chickpeas, onion (fresh spring onions are also fine), garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper and spices.
When the mushrooms come to room temperature, add half of them together with the chickpea mixture and chop everything for about twenty seconds; then add the remaining mushrooms, but this time only stir, without pureeing: different textures on the palate are a nice gastronomic sensation.

This recipe is really tasty as it is, but if you want to add some cheese (vegan or not) it could become even more nutritious and delectable: if so, now is the right time to add it.
Turn on the oven and set it to 180 °C (to save energy, only use the oven when you have to bake at least 3-4 meals).
Start shaping the mushroom and chickpea patties and place them on the lightly oiled (or lined with baking paper) baking tray; if necessary, add more breadcrumbs, but you should know that the colder the mixture, the easier it is to handle: never use mushrooms or chickpeas when they are still hot!
Bake the patties for about 20 minutes.
As they are egg-less and gluten-free, the consistency of the patties is soft as soon as they come out of the oven, so I recommend that they rest for at least 20 minutes to firm up. If you want to eat them with a knife, wait until they have cooled completely.
 

Smart combos

These mushroom and chickpea patties are rich in protein, even though they are plant-based (you can read about the most protein-rich plant-based foods here), but also in carbohydrates, thanks to the chickpeas and breadcrumbs in the recipe.
For this reason I normally accompany them with seasonal vegetables rich in vitamins and mineral salts, seasoned with plenty of lemon juice (i.e vitamin C): this is to improve the absorption of iron; in particular women of fertile age, should pay attention to iron intake, so as to avoid the insidious and dangerous iron deficiency.
In the photo you see, together with the mushroom and chickpea meatballs, the Jerusalem artichoke and radicchio salad and a few slices of oven-roasted sweet potato; just to enrich the dish with colors and flavors.

Enjoy your meal and good revolution to all

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