It is always my goal to create flavorful, filling, comforting food using easy and familiar ingredients. I don’t aim to please just vegans or health enthusiasts, but everyone — meat-eaters and non-vegans included. Seriously, do you have to be a vegan to love veggies, potatoes or pasta? Nope!

I also don’t believe mealtime should require a million ingredients or steps. A short ingredient list doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. I have a few recipes that use chickpeas in different ways with completely different flavor combinations. I never realized how versatile and delicious they could be until I wrote my book.

These are my best-loved patties to date and make the most delicious burgers. They are flavored with teriyaki sauce, sweet caramelized onions, toasted sesame seeds, and garlic. They are so hearty and chewy, and they don’t fall apart. Be sure to use quick-cooking oats (not old-fashioned) — they are crucial to the texture and binding. For a spicier burger patty, add in the red pepper flakes. If not, increase the black pepper to 3⁄4 teaspoon.

Teriyaki Patties

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Makes 6 large patties

1⁄2 cup (90g) dry brown jasmine or long-grain rice

1⁄4 teaspoon (2g) fine salt

1⁄2 packed cup (80g) finely diced red onion

1⁄2 cup (120g) Sesame Teriyaki Sauce or store-bought

3 tablespoons (27g) toasted sesame seeds

2 teaspoons (8g) garlic powder

1⁄2 teaspoon (2g) ground black pepper

1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon (0.5 to 1g) red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1⁄2 cups cooked (255g)

6 tablespoons (60g) brown rice flour

3⁄4 cup (75g) gluten-free quick-cooking oats

Optional: buns, lettuce, tomato slices, and any burger toppings desired, for serving

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Add the rice, 1 cup (240g) water, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt to a medium pot and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until all the water is gone. Remove from the heat (keep covered), and let it steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and leave uncovered for 15 minutes to cool.

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Meanwhile, add the onion and 3 tablespoons (45g) water to a pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender. Once the water is gone, stir the onions constantly for a couple of minutes to brown them. Add the onions to a food processor, along with the teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, garlic powder, black pepper, and, if desired, red pepper flakes. Pulse to combine the spices with the sauce and break up the onions a bit, but not puree them. Add the chickpeas and pulse several times to break up the chickpeas into tiny pieces, but do not puree them. Add the cooled rice, rice flour, and oats, and pulse several times until it all comes together into sticky chunks. You want the mixture to hold together but do not want to overmix it.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Use a 1⁄2-cup measuring cup to scoop out the chickpea mixture, pressing it into the cup to flatten it. Plop the patty out into your hand, shape into a ball, and place on the prepared pan. Press down until the chickpea mixture is 1 inch thick, and shape the edges into a round patty. Repeat the procedure with the remaining chickpea mixture to get 6 patties total.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, flip them over, and bake 10 more minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. The patties firm up on the insides a lot as they cool.

To serve, I like to dress buns with lots of teriyaki sauce, lettuce, and extra sesame seeds, but choose whatever toppings you prefer. Store leftover patties in the fridge wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight container. These reheat well in the microwave and also in the oven on low heat.

Nutrition per patty: 191 calories | 3.8g fat | 6.5g protein | 33.3g carbs | 3.8g fiber | 3.8g sugar | 513mg sodium

TIP: If you make my homemade teriyaki sauce, make it the day before or early in the day so that it is chilled and thickened. If you don’t have chickpeas on hand, white beans of any kind will work.

Sesame Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce. Jennifer Causey

This teriyaki sauce — a longtime reader favorite — really perks up plain rice or veggies! Made with fresh ginger, garlic, chives, and toasted sesame seeds, it is so much better and fresher than commercial versions. It definitely becomes the star of any dish you serve it on! My favorite way to serve this is over brown rice, peas, and carrots, and top with extra chives and sesame seeds.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 3 minutes

Makes 1 1⁄4 cups

3⁄4 cup (180g) coconut aminos

1⁄4 cup + 2 tablespoons (100g) pure maple syrup

1⁄2 packed tablespoon (8g) minced ginger

1 teaspoon (4g) minced garlic

1 tablespoon (3g) finely choppedfresh chives

1⁄2 tablespoon (5g) toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon (10g) brown rice flour

1⁄16 to 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

METHOD

Add the coconut aminos, maple syrup, 1⁄4 cup (60g) water, ginger, garlic, chives, and sesame seeds to a small pot, and whisk together well. Add the brown rice flour, whisking until there are no lumps. Add the cayenne. Turn the heat to medium, and bring to a low boil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken, whisking around the edges a couple of times while it cooks. Be careful not to cook it too long or it will get too thick once cooled.

Remove from the heat, and let cool for 5 minutes. It should have a syrup consistency as it cools. If it’s not a syrup consistency after a few minutes of cooling, cook just a couple more minutes. This can be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge, and then reheat on low on the stove.

Nutrition per 1⁄4 cup: 104 calories | 0.6g fat | 0.4g protein | 23g carbs | 0.3g fiber | 12g sugar | 43mg sodium

Excerpted from The Vegan 8 by Brandi Doming. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from TI Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

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