Chickpea Patties: A Simple, Freezer-Friendly Family Meal

I love the idea of something I can make by throwing a bunch of ingredients together in one big bowl without a gazillion steps. And, now that Penelope is eating solid foods, I especially love those things I can make that all three of us can eat. These chickpea patties are a hit on all accounts.

Flavorful and delicious, they are a mix of garbanzo beans, lemon juice, and cilantro, served with fresh avocado slices and a dollop of Greek yogurt. (I always wanted to use that word in a recipe because it sounds so damn fancy). We ate these for dinner, and Penelope loved them! And mama loves that she doesn’t have to cook separately for her because, well, let’s face it: ain’t nobody got time for that.

An egg is used to bind the patties, and if you have a little one under a year old like us, you can do what we did and just use the yolks. My recipe also uses almond flour instead of regular flour.

I loved that she could enjoy these with us! The only thing I did separately for her, is to make her patties before adding the salt (since it is important to watch baby’s salt intake). But other than that, she enjoyed everything else the same way we did: cilantro and all.

I tried them with her first putting a half of a patty mashed up with the avocado and yogurt:

Once I knew she liked it, she just grabbed the other half and helped herself:

And as for us? BIG hit. I had the intention of freezing some but between the 3 of us, we had them for lunch over the next several days so they never made it into the freezer (next time I’ll make more).

We even ate them on top of our lunch salads:

Ok, here is that recipe!

PunkWife’s Chickpea Patties

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup sliced scallions
• 1 clove garlic
• 2/3 cup cilantro
• 1 cup almond flour*
• 1 large egg**
• 4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt (added after you made patties for baby, if baby will be eating these)
• 1/2 cup olive oil (for the skillet)

*You may use regular flour if you are concerned with a possible nut allergy. Check with your pediatrician if you are unsure.

**You can use 2 egg yolks if you are concerned about a possible egg allergy. Check with your pediatrician if you are unsure.

Directions: Place chickpeas, scallions, garlic, and cilantro together in a food processor or blender and pulse until a paste forms. Add flour, egg yolks, lemon juice, and pepper, pulsing until blended. (*Note: If you do not have a food processor or blender, no worries. Chop everything as small as you can, and find another way to mash the beans. You can use a masher, or do like the old people used to do when making wine and just put them in a barrel and stomp all over them. Can you just let me know if you do this and promise not to invite me over for dinner? Thanks. So then, toss everything in a big bowl, grab a mixing spoon, and put some elbow grease into it until everything is blended. Bonus points for you, because you actually got a workout in and probably burned off the calories you’ll consume while eating the meal before you actually even eat it. Win-win. I will end this ridiculous side note now.)

Once everything is mixed, spoon out enough to make a small patty and shape with your hand. Make as many as you would like for your baby.

Now, add the salt into the remaining mix and make the patties for the adults in the house.

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium skillet and cook all the patties until they are golden brown on both sides. Repeat until all patties are cooked, adding oil as needed.

That’s it! Serve with a dollop (there’s that word again) of Greek yogurt and sliced avocado, or on top of a salad, or, if you’re having a carb attack, on a bun. Mash up for baby with the yogurt and avocado or let them help themselves to the patty, depending on the stage your baby is at. And freeze the rest for later!