Pipper’s Recipe Recommendations: A food holiday to celebrate all month!

recipe recommendationOctober 1 was World Vegetarian Day. But don’t worry if you missed it. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month and we have a recipe recommendation for you! Pipper and her friends were wondering who decides these things? The Tomato Council? The Rutabaga  Association? The National Zucchini League? “Hey, any reason to celebrate is good enough for me,” says Hilda.  Pipper and Mitzi agree that cooking up a batch of these scrumptious Dilled Chickpea Burgers with Spicy Yogurt Sauce is just the thing to feast on. By the way, Sophie read that chickpeas are a terrific source of magnesium, iron, phosphorus and fiber and also are packed with vitamin B9 or foliates, essential for recharging cells. Let’s hear it for vegetables with a special shout out for chickpeas.

Dilled Chickpea Burgers with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
4 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin

1.   Lightly mash up half the chickpeas in a bowl. Add dill, shallots, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice and mix.
2.   In a food processor, puree remaining chickpeas, tahini paste, salt, pepper and cumin.
3.   Add pureed mixture to mashed chickpeas. Form into 4 burgers, 1/2-inch thick.
4.   Over medium heat, lightly coat grill or non-stick pan with nonstick spray.
5.   Cook burgers until crispy and golden, about 5 minutes each side.

Spicy Yogurt Sauce
1 cup nonfat yogurt
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix together all ingredients.
Top with:     Spicy Yogurt Sauce and Tomato
Serve on:     Warmed Pita Bread

Recipes from The Great Big Burger Book, Jane Murphy and Elizabeth Yeh Singh, The Harvard Common Press

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