I am reading the book, "A Complaint Free World" by Will Bowen (www.acomplaintfreeworld.org), so I'm not going to complain about how busy I've been. I also won't do so because I took a vow of honesty a few years ago, and although I've been busy (as have you, most likely), to say that I haven't posted because of that wouldn't quite be true. But, I'm sorry to have been gone so long. I missed writing. I missed hearing from readers that they like the blog. I like to think of life as a pendulum - everything comes and goes, peaceful times are followed by stressful times and then we're back to peace. Or should be. There's work we can all do to bring more of what we want into our lives, but not everything is totally under our control - or, at least, not for most of us. There may be some highly evolved people with enough experience and self-discipline to reach amazing states (watch "Man on Wire", the film about Philippe Petit, the man who walked on a wire he strung between the World Trade Center for a sense of what I'm talking about).
But wait, you're thinking, where's the recipe for the chick pea patties? Okay, I'll stop the philosophizing right now, and get to it. And, because it seems my son Harry's allergic to eggs, I'll post it the way I used to make it, but also add tips for making it without eggs.
These patties disappear from sight so quickly once they've hit my table that I'd be embarrassed to serve them to company for fear they'd think I otherwise starve my family! The recipe makes quite a lot because over the years I've had to make more and more to keep certain people in my house from looking sadly at an empty platter - they may have be full but they aren't ready to stop eating! (I know, I know, not a good habit.) Adjust as necessary, or make as is and have leftovers for lunch or another dinner (the patties can be frozen, too).
olive oil
6 cups chickpeas (canned or cooked)
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup of flour - wheat, spelt, or if using a gluten-free mix, also a bit of xantham gum
vegetables: your choice of grated carrot, kale, spinach, celery, onions, garlic - about two cups
3 t cumin
1 1/2 t dried thyme
1 1/2 t dried basil
1 t coriander
1 t dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Grind chickpeas in a food processor or mash with a potato masher. Mix in other ingredients. Let mixture set in the 'fridge for a half hour or more. Then form into patties and saute in olive oil until golden brown.
There's two ways to go egg-free. One is with chia seeds and the other with flax seeds. So far I've tried the chia seeds. The patties were more crumbly, but the taste was excellent. I took 9 T of chia seeds and mixed it with 27 T of warm water (so, the ration is 1:3). It forms a gel in about 15 minutes, which can then be mixed with the batter in lieu of eggs. According to the Post Punk Kitchen (www.theppk.com), I T of flax seeds mixed with 3 T water, replaces 1 egg - like the chia seeds, this mixture will also form a gel.
BTW, if you're not familiar with them, both chia and flax seeds are very healthy and can easily be added to other foods to boost nutrition. Chia are rich in Omega 3s, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins. It's suspected that chia give the Tarahumara the energy to be the world's best long-distance runners. Flax seeds are also high in Omega 3s, fiber, and lignans (which have antioxidant properties). Both can be added to cereal, smoothies, and baked goods. Because of their high fiber content, don't overdue it - a couple of tablespoons a day is probably a good upper limit, and make sure to drink plenty of water when having any high-fiber food. Chia should always be soaked before using so that they form a gel. Just use the ratio above. Flax seeds should be purchased and stored whole, in the freezer. I grind what I use each day in a coffee grinder (used specifically for that purpose).
That's all for today! Next up: the update on Harry's diet and why I should be spending even more time than usual shopping for and cooking healthy food!
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