Tag Archives: vegetarian

Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant & a Giveaway

NOTE: This contest is now CLOSED. The winner will be announced on Sunday, March 17. Thank you to everyone who participated!

I normally don’t do giveaways because, often times, they are simply a cheap tactic blogger use to get people to go on their site. However, if there’s a good cause or reason for the giveaway, then that is a different story.

Extra Gum contacted me about being a part of their Simple Swaps campaign. The idea is that you make simple swaps throughout your day that add up to a healthier life. For example, if you eat any one of their dessert-inspired gums instead of giving into a craving, you can save tons of fat and calories. Now, that is not to say you should replace all your meals with gum; you still need a healthy, balanced diet. But at midnight, when your late-night cravings kick in, you might consider a stick of gum instead of a carton of ice cream you don’t need.

I will give details for how to enter below, but first, I want to talk about my Simple Swaps with this Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant. Last week, I was craving some Eggplant Parmigiana. That stuff is heavenly, but it’s not too kind to my thighs. So instead, I crafted this Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant to fill me up and kick that craving in the butt without pushing me over the fat and calorie edge.

I stuffed a fresh baby eggplant with all kinds of delicious, hearty ingredients like a whole chopped Mediterranean Chickpea Burger, tangy black olives, and fresh spinach. Then, I made a few simple swaps to keep it flavorful but still good for you. Instead of a higher fat and calorie cheese like the typical mozzarella, I used reduced-fat feta. I love that stuff because a) it doesn’t taste reduced fat at all and b) a little goes a long way, so you save major calories. Then, I used a light marinara sauce that cuts out all the sugar you’d typically find in a jarred sauce.

Put it all together and you’ve got one filling, nutritious, and dare I say meaty meal that will satisfy even my unruly Eggplant Parmigiana cravings. Not to mention, you can make it in just 30 minutes.

This is a healthy swap that won’t feel like a swap at all. In fact, it’s more like a treat. It’s bursting with robust flavors, it’s filling, and it’s even got cheese. Talk about a dream come true.

My Healthy Cookie recipes are all about making simple swaps. You trade one ingredient for something healthier, so you retain the integrity and deliciousness of the original recipe while doing something better for yourself. If you’re ready to make some Simple Swaps in your life, then this Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant is the perfect place to start.

Stuffed Mediterranean Eggplant
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

1 baby eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 Morningstar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Burger
¼ cup light marinara sauce, like Ragu (60 calories per ½ cup or less)
2 tbsp. black olives
2 tbsp. reduced-fat feta, divided
2 cups fresh spinach
¼ tsp. minced garlic
Pinch salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
Place the eggplant skin side-down on the baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, place the burger on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Flip and microwave 30 seconds more. Chop into small chunks.
Let eggplant cool just enough to work with. Use a spoon to scoop out the innards, leaving a thin layer inside so the shell is sturdy. Chop eggplant innards into chunks.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the eggplant chunks, burger chunks, sauce, olives, 1 tbsp. feta, spinach, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes until well-combined. Scoop back into the eggplant shells (pile it high!).
Bake for 5 minutes then sprinkle remaining feta on top and bake another 5-10 minutes or until hot in the center. Enjoy.

NOTE: This contest is now CLOSED. The winner will be announced on Sunday, March 17. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Now, on to the giveaway. In order to get you guys moving towards healthier choices, Extra was kind enough to provide me with a big tote bag filled with a month’s supply of their delicious gum in assorted mouthwatering flavors and a $40 giftcard to Whole Foods.

I will select one winner via random.org on Saturday, March 15. I will then announce the winner on Sunday, March 16’s The Weekender post and also via Facebook & Twitter and email the lucky duck themselves. Then, I’ll just need the winner to send me their address so I can ship the tote bag full of goodies their way.

You have until Friday, March 15 at midnight to enter, so good luck! No entries will be accepted after that.

Here’s how to enter:

Leave one comment telling me one or two Simple Swaps you make in your life to be healthier. Please leave your email address so I can contact you.
For an additional entry, leave a SEPARATE comment telling me what your favorite Healthy Cookie recipe is that you’ve made or want to try (click the link to see all my Healthy Cookie recipes). Please leave your email address so I can contact you.

*That means no more than 2 entries per person.

That’s it! Feel free to tell your friends, and make sure you like Smart Cookie on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to stay updated with the giveaway.

Disclosure: I received product within a gift bag as part of the Simple Swaps challenge with Extra® gum. All opinions are my own.

Spinach-Artichoke Calzone

It’s no secret that spinach artichoke dip is one of the most delicious dippable delicacies ever created. Why do you think almost every restaurant has it on their appetizer menus? We Americans gobble the gooey stuff up like it’s our job.

Side note: Another word that needs to be added to the dictionary – dippable.

I’ve got a sublime recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip that I turn to time and time again. There is just no beating it; I haven’t even found a restaurant that can top it. However, as much as I love me some spinach artichoke dip, I would get sick of it if I ate dip day after day. Luckily, there’s a lot more one can do with the deliciousness of spinach-artichoke dip than serve it in a bowl with chips.

Take this giant, super-stuffed Spinach Artichoke Calzone for example. I get all the flavors and components I adore from my favorite dip in the form of a big, fat, hearty calzone. This baby looks innocent enough on the outside with its golden brown crust, but break in, and oodles of gooey, creamy cheesy filling flow out like lava from an overstuffed volcano. It’s a beautiful site.

The filling is good enough to eat on its own with three kinds of cheese, garlic, onion, spinach, tangy artichokes, and fresh herbs. It tastes just like heavenly spinach artichoke dip, but that ricotta gives it the signature calzone-filling taste and feel. Encased in a crisp crust, it’s like you get your favorite appetizer turned into a full-blown meal. And holy crow, this recipe yields one big, honkin’ calzone, enough for at least two people to stuff their tummies with. But you know what I say, go big or go home!

If you love spinach artichoke dip then you have simply got to try this calzone, no if, ands, or buts about it. Even if you don’t do much cooking, you still don’t have an excuse not to try this because all you have to do is mix some ingredients together in a bowl and stuff it inside store-bought dough. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Don’t call the pizzeria tonight; this calzone is even better than anything you could get from a restaurant, I guarantee it!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

If you want to use homemade dough, go for it!
Fresh is key: fresh spinach, fresh garlic, fresh herbs. Using those good quality ingredients is what makes this calzone a step-up from what you’d get at a sub-par pizzeria, and it takes the calzone from good to amazing.
If you want more spinach artichoke heaven, try my dip recipe, my Spinach Artichoke Veggie Burgers, or my Spinach Artichoke Nachos.
You have GOT to watch this while cooking. Covering it in aluminum foil will keep it from burning, but once you remove the foil, it browns very quickly.

Spinach Artichoke Calzones
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Store-bought pizza dough or your favorite recipe
Flour, for dusting
5 tbsp. butter, melted
marinara sauce, for dipping

For the filling

1 32-oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped yellow onion or 1 chopped shallot
3 generous cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped into small chunks
1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 2 tbsp. of the melted butter OR place a pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
Place all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together until thoroughly combined. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Flour a working surface and roll out dough into a circle as thin as you can make it without it tearing. Carefully transfer to baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and spread filling out on the top of half the calzone, leaving about 1 -2 inches at the edge plain. Use more or less filling depending on your preference, but you will want more than you think you do; it’s deceiving.
Fold half the dough over top the filling like you’re making a pierogie or taco and pinch the edges together well. Brush remaining melted butter over top.
Wrap the edges in aluminum foil, leaving only the center uncovered, and bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until set and starting to brown. A knife inserted in the center should feel hot when you pull it out. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown all around.
Slice and enjoy. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Healthy Cookie: Double Bean Enchilada Soup

I didn’t think I’d be interested in enchilada soup of any kind when my mom made it for dinner a few nights ago. Her version was made with chicken, so I couldn’t have eaten it even if I wanted to. But when I walked through the door after getting home from the gym, my stomach growling like a ticked-off grizzly bear, all I could smell was the intoxicating scent of that soup, and I wanted it.

Of course, like I said, I couldn’t eat any because of the chicken. But I instantly decided I would make my own meatless version instead: Double Bean Enchilada Soup. I’m so glad I did too, because that wonderful aroma of the soup my mother mad would have haunted me forever if I never got to try it.

My soup is just slightly tweaked with two kinds of hearty beans taking on the role of protein in place of chicken. I also added some green chiles, which bring serious heat to the table. Make sure you have a big ol’ glass of water at the ready. The heat might slow you down, but the delicious, warm flavors will keep you pressing on, inhaling spoonful after spoonful in a state of soup-induced euphoria.

I can’t even explain how good this soup is, especially because one big fat cupful is less than 130 calories. Seriously? Yes, seriously. I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn’t made it. This soup is so hearty and thick from the cornmeal, singing with saucy Mexican flavors, and it’s even got some creamy American cheese. Can all that goodness come with a teeny-tiny calorie count? Yes, sir!

This is officially my favorite low-cal soup ever. Why? Because it doesn’t taste like a really good low-cal soup; it just tastes like a really good soup period. I also adore how quick and easy it is; no day-long simmering required. Make it in under 30 minutes with just a few ingredients.

If you don’t have this Double Bean Enchilada Soup for dinner tonight, then you’re missing out. Down a big bowlful, and you can feel satisfied without feeling an ounce of guilt.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Need your meat fix? Trade the beans for 2 cups shredded chicken.
All black beans or all kidney beans is fine if you only have one kind on hand.
Tailor this to meet your diet needs: use all vegetable stock if you’re a vegetarian instead of the combination I used.
Garnish with fresh cilantro if you like. I hate the stuff, but some people love it.
Red onion instead of yellow will kick this up even more.
You can skip the green chiles and use a can of Ro-tel instead, which will give you the heat plus diced tomatoes.

Double Bean Enchilada Soup
Adapted from Eat More of What You Love

Ingredients:

½ cup diced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup vegetable stock (or use all vegetable stock if vegetarian)
¾ cup enchilada sauce
¼ cup + 2 tbsp. cornmeal
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. diced green chiles, drained & rinsed
¾ cup black beans, drained & rinsed
½ cup kidney beans, drained & rinsed
4 slices 2% milk American cheese singles
Optional garnish: diced tomatoes, lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream

Directions:

Add about ¼ cup of chicken stock to a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Stir in both stocks, 1 cup water, and the enchilada sauce and bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the cornmeal with ¾ cup water in a small bowl. Once soup is boiling, whisk in cornmeal mixture, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Let simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in green chiles and beans. Let cook for another two minutes then stir in cheese until completely melted. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Healthy Cookie: Sweet Potato & Spinach Balls

I have very little self-control when it comes to delicious foods. Whether we’re talking about a basket of fries or a big bowl of mac and cheese, I just can’t put on the brakes. Unfortunately though, this predicament seems to only affect me around unhealthy, indulgent foods. Carrots or spinach? Not so much.

It figures that I have no problem inhaling inhuman quantities of foods that are bad for me, but I never have that problem with healthy stuff. Why can’t it be the other way around? Life is so very cruel. However, I did find an exception, a 100% healthy and good-for-me treat that I can eat dozens of without batting an eyelash: my Sweet Potato & Spinach Balls.

Oh man, I lose all self-control around these babies. Luckily, I don’t have to feel guilty gorging ‘em. Made with sweet potatoes, quinoa, fat-free ricotta, spinach, and more, these Sweet Potato & Spinach Balls are jammed-packed with nutrients. They’re hearty and rich in flavor, so they’ll fill you up and give you energy too.

I’ve got to say, these sweet potato-filled cuties are just as addicting as cake pops or chocolate truffles. It ain’t often I pick something healthy over treats like that, but in the case of these Sweet Potato Spinach Balls, I would .They’re chewy, lightly crisped on the outside, and creamy all at once. For something so simple, they are crazy flavorful. Serve them up at a party, give ‘em to the kids as a snack, or make a delicious lunch for yourself. Everybody will love these sweet and savory bites.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Kale would be wonderful in place of spinach.
Try some delicious dip for these balls like marinara sauce or Alfredo sauce.
Got leftovers? Just keep them in the fridge and heat ‘em up when you’re hungry. They taste just as delicious several days later as they did when you first made them.

Sweet Potato & Spinach Balls
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2 cups cooked quinoa rice blend
4 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup fat-free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup egg substitute, like Egg Beaters
½ tsp. salt
Red pepper flakes, to taste (I used 3 good shakes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray liberally with nonstick spray.
Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels. Use a fork to poke holes in the tops of the potatoes. Cook in microwave on high for 6 minutes. Flip potatoes and microwave for another 6-8 minutes, or until tender (stick a knife through the center of the potato to test). Slice potatoes in half and let cool for a few minutes before removing and discarding skins.
Place the potatoes a large mixing bowl and use a large fork to mash them up. Add all remaining ingredients and thoroughly mix together until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Be sure to break up the chunks of ricotta.
Use your hands to roll tablespoons of potato mixture into balls. Be gentle; the mixture will be soft and sticky. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake 20-30 minutes or until just beginning to brown. They should be sturdy when you poke them. Carefully remove from tray and enjoy.

Spinach Artichoke Veggie Burgers

I don’t know why Spinach Artichoke Dip is so awesome, but it is. Spinach, cheese, and artichokes are all tasty components, but nothing blow-your-mind amazing. For some reason though, when you bring all that together and morph it into a hot and creamy dip, you get what can only be described as addictive molten bliss, and it fits on a chip nonetheless.

Because Spinart Dip is such a fantastic, crowd-pleasing favorite, I also love to enjoy it in other non-dip forms like Spinach Artichoke Nachos, Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese, or even Spinach Artichoke Pizza. The problem with all of that stuff is that none of it has a significant amount of nutrients. Can’t I have the goodness of Spinart Dip and get something healthy out of it besides a few strands of spinach?

Alas, we can have it all, so save your regret-filled songs, Adele. With my Spinach-Artichoke Veggie Burgers, we get every delectable bit of Spinart Dip in the form of a hearty, nutrient-rich veggie burger. That’s a double-win, like when you get an extra bag of chips for free from the vending machine.

Each burger is loaded with three kinds of cheese, fresh spinach, tangy artichoke hearts, brown rice, chickpeas, and a little bit of heat, evoking all the flavors of a good Spinart Dip while filling you up and giving you the nutrients you need. These babies are hearty, flavorful, and gobble-‘em-right-up good. You’ll inhale every last crumb, but you won’t have to feel as guilty as you would downing a whole bowl of dip.

Embrace the burger, my friends.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

For extra heat, switch out the Monterey jack with pepper jack cheese.
Fresh spinach saves you time, and it tastes better. You don’t have to thaw it or squeeze it dry.
You don’t really need a bun for these burgers; they’re that good.
You can substitute the Egg Beaters with 2 whole eggs.
The burgers will be a bit more “wet” than a meat burger; that’s normal.

Spinach-Artichoke Veggie Burgers

By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

2 16-oz. can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed
3 generous cups fresh spinach
2 cups cooked & drained brown rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ cup Egg Beaters
2 ½ tsp. minced garlic
Dash red pepper flakes
½ tsp. salt
Ro-tel, for garnish, drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray liberally with nonstick spray.
Place the chickpeas and artichoke hearts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it starts to break down into small chunks. Add the spinach and continue to pulse a few times more so it’s smoother but still a bit chunky.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together the chickpea mixture with all the remaining ingredients until well-combined, making sure to break up all the flour. If you like, you may reserve some cheese to top the burgers with later.
Form burger mixture into big, thick patties (about 1 cup’s worth). Pack it together tight and place on baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brown. Top with extra cheese and Rotel if you like.

Mini Cauliflower Crust Broccoli Quiches

The coveted cauliflower crust ain’t just for pizza, my friends. We’re taking it to a whole new level today, expanding cauliflower crusts to the realms of brunch and appetizers. Because here at Smart Cookie, we think and eat outside the box, or in this case, outside the pizza.

My Mini Cauliflower Crust Broccoli Quiches are going to change the way you think about healthy brunch foods. When you go to a brunch, your healthy eating options usually include fruit, water, and maybe a nice floral arrangement. You’d likely see some quiche, but you wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole because regular quiche is several hundred calories per slice.

But guess what? My Cauliflower Crust Quiches will cost you around 200 calories for the ENTIRE RECIPE. Now, unless you have ten stomachs like me, I highly doubt you’ll need the whole recipe to satisfy you, so think of how guiltlessly you can gorge.

You can have as many of these crispy-crusted quiches with their tender filling, fresh basil, and melted mozzarella as you like; they won’t bite you in the butt after (or go straight to your butt, for that matter). They’re darn delicious and surprisingly filling thanks to the protein-packed eggs and fiber-rich crusts.

The magical cauliflower crust does it again!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

Find my classic Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe here.
My version of the cauliflower crust is much better for you than the majority of other cauliflower crust recipes because they use gobs of mozzarella cheese, which totally defeats the purpose of making it healthier than traditional crusts, and I use fat-free ricotta, a healthier low-cal alternative.
Can’t find the low-fat cheese sticks I used? Sub in a sprinkle of parmesan instead.
I imagine you could make this recipe into a full-sized quiche, but I’ll have to test that and get back to you.
Use fresh basil. The flavor is incomparable. I am the first to admit, I HATE chopping fresh herbs, but once I taste the finale product, I know it was well worth it.

Mini Cauliflower Crust Broccoli Quiches
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

For the Crust

1 small head cauliflower, chopped
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. fat-free ricotta cheese
¼ cup Egg Beaters

For the Filling

1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 bag Green Giant Broccoli Steamers
½ tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 50-calorie light mozzarella cheese stick (like Sargento), pulled into strings and finely chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Place cauliflower in a large microwave-safe dish. Fill halfway with water then cover and microwave until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower until it resembles the size and texture of rice. Use papers towels to squeeze dry as much as you can.
In a medium bowl, mix together cauliflower, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, ricotta, and Egg Beaters until evenly combined. Make sure you break up the clumps of ricotta well.
Press about a tablespoon of cauliflower mixture into each cup of the muffin tin, shaping it to the cup in an even layer. Bake until set and just starting to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook broccoli according to packaged direction. Chop or puree in food processor to make smaller if you like.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Egg Beaters, broccoli, garlic, salt, and parmesan. When the crusts are done prebaking, spoon about 2 tsp. of egg mixture into each crust so that they are 2/3-full. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until quiches are puffed and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. During the last few minutes of cooking, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over top and let melt.
Let quiches sit for one minute before using a fork to gently twist and loosen the quiches. Then use the fork and your fingers to carefully transfer the quiches to a plate and serve. Garnish with fresh basil.

General Tso’s Chickpea Patties

Ironically, you probably think it’s unamerican that I don’t like Chinese take-out or Asian food in general. I’m not talking authentic stuff; I’ve never had that. I’m talking chain restaurants and sushi joints that churn out the Americanized versions of Asian cuisine.

It seems like everybody I know loves some good sushi or Chinese in a little white take-out box. But as for me, if I’m getting take-out, I’d much prefer pizza or a big fat pile of cheese fries.

So imagine my surprise when my mother made a lightened version of General Tso’s Chicken last week from the cookbook Eat More of What You Love, and it smelled intoxicatingly good to my nostrils. I couldn’t believe a dish I would normally turn my nose up at was now enticing me, but I could not ignore the urges. Unfortunately, I couldn’t try any actual chicken, being vegetarian and all, but I did sample some of the broccoli coated in flavorful sauce.

Dang, was that stuff good! It didn’t taste light at all; in fact, it tasted and smelled like it was straight out of a restaurant.

Immediately, I felt compelled to develop a vegetarian-friendly version, but when I suggested the idea to Mother Cookie, she replied, “How do you make a vegetarian version of General Tso’s CHICKEN?” Okay, so that was a roadblock, but a small one indeed. I played around with protein-replacements for the chicken, and then it hit me: little protein-packed patties made with chickpeas, brown rice, scallions, water chestnuts, and more good stuff.

I never thought I’d find a Chinese take-out-inspired meal so delicious, but General Tso’s Chickpea Patties proved me wrong. It is so flavorful and filling, plus the tantalizing smell while it’s cooking will convince you that you’re sitting and waiting for dinner at your favorite Chinese restaurant. The best part is that it’s light, low-calorie, and good for you, something you will not believe when you taste it. Don’t tell whoever you’re feeding this to that it’s healthy. I swear to ganache they’ll never know.

Loaded with tender, fresh broccoli and covered in a complex, sweet and savory sauce, this meal will make you slap somebody out of excitement. And those chickpea burgers are even better than chicken. No, I’m not just saying that because I’m a vegetarian. They’re hearty, golden brown, and delectable, plus they’re perfectly complimented by the sauce.

This is a meal you can’t miss. Put down the take-out menu, put away your fat pants, and get in the kitchen.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

If you’ve just got to have this dish with chicken, you can find the original recipe in Eat More of What You Love.
This dish comfortably serves 2 or 3, so if you’re looking to feed more, you can easily double it.
The chickpea patties in this are versatile. You can make them on their own, add some cheese, and gobble ‘em up!
There’s a lot of directions here, but this is actually an easy recipe you can make quickly.

General Tso’s Chickpea Patties
Adapted from Eat More of What You Love

Yield – 2-3 servings
Ingredients:

For the Patties

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
¼ cup Egg Beaters
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
3 tbsp. chopped fresh scallions

For the sauce and broccoli

3 cups broccoli small florets
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
6 teaspoons cornstarch
6 packets no-calorie Sweetener (I used Splenda)
1 ½ tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 ½ tsp. ketchup
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup sliced onion

Directions:

Place the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl. Add ¼ cup water then cover and cook in microwave on high for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Place chickpeas and water chestnuts in a food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped, but still textured.
Pour chickpea mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add all the other patty ingredients and mix well until everything is evenly distributed and well-combined. It will be pretty wet and goopy, but if you think it’s too much so, add a tablespoon more of flour.
Bring a large skillet to medium-low heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out a ball of the chickpea patty mixture (it should be about a ¼ cup’s worth) and drop it only the skillet. It should sizzle (if not, wait a few minutes before adding more). Push the ball down slightly with the back of a spatula so it flattens out to the size and thickness of a slider.
Let cook on each side until golden brown, about 4 patties at a time, flipping in between. Transfer to a plate and cover with tinfoil to keep them warm.
While the patties cook, start on the sauce. Bring a large skillet or wok to medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together all sauce ingredients (minus the broccoli) in a medium bowl. Pour the sauce into skillet and let cook until thickened and clear, whisking every now and then. Ladle about a quarter of the sauce out and into a separate bowl.
Fold in the broccoli until evenly coated then let cook until broccoli is hot and tender, another two minutes. Place the chickpea patties on top and drizzle with remaining sauce. Serve immediately.

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This is a meal you can’t miss. Put down the take-out menu, put away your fat pants, and get in the kitchen.

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