Bean Feast

So yesterday I was cleaning out my pantry at 3 AM ('cause I'm psycho like that) and during that task I established that I apparently am obsessed with buying beans.

The Bean Inventory

7 cans of black beans
7 cans of cannelini beans
7 cans of garbanzo beans
5 cans red kidney beans
5 cans pinquitos beans
1 can butter beans

That is a lot of freaking beans.

So yeah I need to make some bean dishes.

Today for breakfast...


Shelly's Chickpea Patties

1 (15 oz. can) Chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans, Ceci), rinsed & drained
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Almond Flour/Meal*
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Olive Oil for sauteing

Place beans and egg in a mini food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until smooth. Spoon into bowl and mix remaining ingredients in. The mixture will be kind of moist.


Form into patties (9-10 half dollar size) and saute about 5 minutes carefully flip, flatten and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more. Serve with a dollop of Shelly's Greek Sauce. Leftovers heat up great.

You can serve the Chickpea Patties for breakfast like I did as is. For lunch on a bed of Mixed Greens or for dinner as a side to BBQ'd Kabobs. For parties pre-op (former bread eating life) I used to place one in a mini pita pocket with some greens and a dollop of Greek Sauce.

These are straight out of my childhood. They are Sicilian (panelle di ceci) and are a popular street food (sandwiched in bread) in Palermo near where my family is from. They are similar to Falafel so if you like those you will like these. Sicilian cuisine is highly influenced by Persian, Spanish and Greek cuisine as a result of a long history of invasions.

*FYI: Almond meal and flour are both just ground up almonds. Almond flour is most often made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made either with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency is like corn meal. I mostly make my own by whizzing raw almonds (skin on) in my mini food processor but this time I had a bag of Almond Meal and used that.


Shelly's Greek Sauce

3 1/2 oz. Fage Greek Yogurt (I use 2%)
2 Tablespoons Tahini (find in the peanut butter section)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, chopped
1/2 of a Cucumber, roughly chopped
1 Green Onion, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon Greek Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Whiz all ingredients together in a mini food processor. Great sauce for Chickpea Patties, Kabobs, Veggies.


Highlights of the Day:

* So that's 1 can of beans down and 31 cans to go ;)

* I've been looking for a pink scarf forever and I found one just like a blue one I own and love and it was on clearance. Woot.

* Helping out with a catering gig this weekend that will bring me to the beach but won't take up the whole day so I see a beach walk and picnic with my Mum in my future. That makes me glow with happiness. Planning the menu. Mmmm I'm thinking my Italian Bean Salad. YES! another can.

Listening to: "Circus" Britney Spears I like this song. Go Britney getting your life back on track.