Name: Courgette and Ricotta Falafel Burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta; 2 cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; pinch cayenne pepper; 2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1 cup shredded courgette (zucchini); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. divided; 4 hamburger buns; 1 cup frisee lettuce; 4 slices tomato; 4 slices red onion; 4 slices cheese of choice (I used provolone)

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Falafel meets zucchini fritter in this recipe mash up. Courgette and Ricotta Falafel Burgers are healthy, delicious, and perfect for a #MeatlessMonday meal!

I’m on a quest for a good veggie burger. I see all those recipes on Pinterest and they look…well…dry. That’s the last thing you want to give a meat eater when you hand them a “burger” for dinner; a dry, bean filled, tasteless burger.

Now, I am making assumptions here as I haven’t actually MADE the recipes I see on Pinterest, but going by looks, I’m not really sure that’s what the hubs would enjoy on our #meatfree Mondays. Granted, he has been more than a good sport as I try to create delicious meals for Mondays, so he might be up to a few more #burgerfails, but I’m just not gonna do that to him.

I love him too much to serve him a bland, dry, “burger” for dinner.

I’ve made a couple of #meatless burgers: Green Chile Quinoa Burgers and the Mushroom Swiss Mushroom Swiss Burgers. Both were tasty, moist, and delicious. I figured it was about time that I make another one. Because, you see, there’s always some kind of beans in the pantry.

This time, it was chickpeas that I meant to roast up but never got around to. So, they’ve been staring at me from the pantry. They’ve been begging me to use them. I can never turn down food when it speaks to me.

And speak to me they did while browsing Pinterest for dinner ideas. I was thinking of making something with zucchini. Then I thought about zucchini fritters, patties, and croquettes. Then it hit me. I loved the idea of zucchini and ricotta fritters. I had chickpeas. Why not make zucchini and ricotta chickpea burgers. No. Not burgers. Falafels!

But not zucchini. It’s such an awkward word to say. Zucchini and eggplant. Both not my faves to say. Aubergine and courgette! Not, those are some fancy words. Recipes with those in the title always make me want to stop and have a look. What fancy vittles are being cooked up with those lovely vegetables? I wonder if there’s a prettier word for the yellow squash. Hmm…

I still have yet to master the balance between just blended and ground to a paste. The initial fail? Totally too wet and had too much zucchini. You should have seen it. If you’re in my Instagram, then you probably DID see it. I tagged @SaucyQueen because we used her Saucy Everything to spice up the fail and make it more edible. But this batch? You still have to be careful when you flip them. As you can see, mine did crack because I wasn’t careful enough.

But, oh my word!! These were delicious! I honestly couldn’t get enough of them and couldn’t wait to have them for lunch the next day. They were super tasty the next day, too!!

What are you experiences with #meatfree burgers or veggie burgers?

Courgette and Ricotta Falafel Burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Falafel meets zucchini fritter in this recipe mash up. Courgette and Ricotta Falafel Burgers are healthy, delicious, and perfect for a #MeatlessMonday meal!

Ingredients

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded courgette (zucchini)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. divided
4 hamburger buns
1 cup frisee lettuce
4 slices tomato
4 slices red onion
4 slices cheese of choice (I used provolone)

Instructions

Place the first seven ingredients (ricotta through cayenne) in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a paste.
Add the chickpeas and pulse a few times before adding the shredded courgette. Pulse a few times more. Carefully grab a small handful and see if it sticks together. If not, pulse a few times more.
Pour the contents into a mixing bowl and stir to make sure it's thoroughly combined. Using your hands, mark an X on the mixture; dividing it into 4 portions.
Scoop out one portion and form it into a patty. If it still seems crumbly, add additional flour as needed to form patties.
Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook the patties 4 to 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown and crispy. Flip, top with cheese, and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
Place the buns on each of four plates. Top with a burger, onion, tomato, and frisee and serve.