Here’s a veggie burger with the lot – a nutty, golden patty topped with crisp spinach and red onion, all wrapped in a healthy wholegrain bun. We bet this lemon and herb flavoured burger, served with lashings of sweet chilli sauce, won’t just be the choice of vegetarians.

Helen’s recommendation: Give the bread a miss (too think) and eat the burger with salad or wrapped in some mountain bread in portions that suit your individual needs.  This portion could easily last 2 meals, depending on the tightness of your Lap Band.

Preparation Time

25 – 55 minutes

Cooking Time

10 minutes

Makes

1

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 wholegrain bread roll, split
• 1 1/2 tbs sweet chilli sauce (optional)
• Baby spinach leaves, to serve
• 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced

• Pumpkin & chickpea patty

• 130g Kent pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 x 125g can Edgell chickpeas, rinsed, drained, coarsely mashed
• 1 1/2 tbs fresh wholegrain breadcrumbs (made from day-old wholegrain bread)
• 1 tbs dry-roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 egg white, lightly whisked
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon rind

Method

1. To make the pumpkin & chickpea patty, cook the pumpkin in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until almost tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to coarsely mash. Add the chickpeas, breadcrumbs, walnut, chives, egg white and lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix until combined. Shape into a 2.5cm-thick, 9cm-diameter patty. Place on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
2. Heat the oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patty for 4 minutes each side or until heated through.
3. Meanwhile, preheat grill on high. Place the roll, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Cook under grill for 2 minutes or until toasted.
4. Place the bread roll base on a serving plate. Spread with half the sweet chilli sauce, if desired. Top with the pumpkin & chickpea patty, spinach and onion. Top with remaining bread roll and serve, with the remaining sweet chilli sauce if desired.

Notes

• Tip: Don’t overcook the pumpkin in step 1 – it should still be slightly undercooked before draining and mashing. If you cook it too much, the patty will be soft and may fall apart during cooking in step 2.
• Time plan tip: Prepare this recipe to the end of step 1 up to 1 day ahead. Continue from step 2, 10 minutes before serving.
• Burger-night tip: To make extra burgers, simply multiply the quantity of each ingredient by the number of burgers you want, then follow the steps above.

Source

Good Taste – January 2008, Good Taste – January 2008, Page 64, Recipe by Anneka Manning