Chickpea Tahini Patties

Kay hates bean patties. I make all kinds of them. Black bean, kidney bean, navy bean, butter bean, etc. with Mexican flavors, Italian flavors, Indian flavors, etc. She doesn't like any of them. I make special sauces to put on them, buy special buns, it doesn't matter. I never get a good reaction when I make bean patties. Until this time. Not only did she not complain, she actual enjoyed them. I knew sooner or later I'd find something she would like. Apparently the secret was to stop relying on cookbooks and just throw together whatever I thought sounded good.

Chickpea Tahini Patties

1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb.)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup tahini

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon agave nectar

juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup water

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Peel the sweet potato and cut into one inch cubes. Place in a pot and add water just to cover. Boil until tender. Drain any remaining water.

Place all ingredients except for the bread crumbs into a food processor and puree. By hand, stir in the bread crumbs. Scoop up about a palm-full of the mixture and form it into a ball. Place the ball on an oiled baking sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping the patties half way through.

We ate these with a ketchup/mayonnaise mixture.

Kay: I liked these. I usually don't like bean patties but this one I really liked. I thought maybe the soy sauce should be cut down though. Other than that I thought they were really good. They would be a good substitute for hamburgers.

Mom (Dana): You can use the store bread crumbs but they won't be as chunky as the ones I make fresh so the amount might be different. Keep adding them until you can form the mixture into a ball.

These also warm up well. I know they don't look like much but they sure were tasty!