Join me on a mini-vacation with flavors from Antigua, Barbados, and Bahamas.
Thyme, peppers, onions, lime, paprika.
From bright, hearty, baked chickpea patties to a macaroni pie loaded with creamy, cheezy sauce and veggies, your tastebuds will sing and dance the night away.
This dinner tasted nothing like what I would usually make, which made for a fun and happy adventure!
Ingredients
PATTIES
- 1 slice dry whole wheat bread, ground into breadcrumbs
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 whole carrot, roughly chopped
- 1/4 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp thyme
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil to brush on the burgers before baking, or to fry (optional)
MACARONI PIE
- 1/2 pound elbow pasta
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- 16 oz package silken tofu
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 8 oz package vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegan butter or olive oil to grease pan
Directions
MAKE THE PATTIES
Place the bread in a food processor and blitz it into breadcrumbs. Then add in all the ingredients (except olive oil) and blend until everything is well incorporated but it’s not complete mush. You will need to scrape down the sides a few times. If it’s really dry, you can add 1/2 tsp of water at a time until it comes together, but you don’t want it to be too wet.
Form into four round patties and set in the fridge to firm up for 2 hours.
MAKE THE MACARONI PIE
Cook pasta according to package directions, but a couple of minutes less than recommended. Drain the water and coat the pasta in the vegan butter. Let it cool while you make the sauce.
In a separate bowl, mash up the tofu into a puree. Add the onion, green pepper, turmeric, thyme, salt, pepper, HALF the paprika, and HALF of the cheese.
Mix the pasta into this tofu veggie sauce.
Grease an 8×8″ or 6×10″ baking dish with olive oil and spread the pasta mixture in evenly.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and paprika over the top.
BAKE TOGETHER
Remove the patties from the fridge. Brush the top of each burger with a bit of olive oil (optional) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. For a crispier, more browned pattie, fry for a few minutes on each side in some hot olive oil.
Bake the macaroni pie (and the patties, if you’re not frying them) at 375F for 35 minutes or until they are a nice golden color.
Enjoy with your favorite burger fixings and a side salad.
Inspiration
“Know that whatever you do, you will disappoint someone. That’s ok. Just don’t disappoint yourself.” – Michelle Maros
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