Bean Burgers

No picture with this post, mostly because my recent batch of bean burgers were consumed on two pieces of whole wheat bread spread with Dijon mustard. Not the most photogenic - but darn tasty!

My bean burgers always start with the same three ingredients: chickpeas, dry oatmeal and prepared oatmeal. After that, anything goes! Here's the recipe for my last "not-ready-for-its-closeup" batch:

Olive Tapenade Bean Burgers
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, with a little bit of the oil
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, prepared and cooled
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, unprepared (dry)
2 tbsp. roasted and salted sunflower seeds
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. flaxseed
cornmeal or breadcrumbs, as needed

Combine all the ingredients (except the cornmeal/breadcrumbs) in a food processor and pulse until combined and the chickpeas are still a little chunky. If the mixture is too wet, add just enough of the cornmeal/breadcrumbs to dry it out a little. Put the mixture in a covered bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Form the mixture into six patties of equal size and put them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake the patties for 20-25 minutes or until they set and brown slightly. Serve on whole wheat buns or bread slices and top as desired.