Falafel Potato Burgers

This is NOT especially a substitute hamburger, more like a potato patty with a middle eastern flair. But it is filling and works well in pita with tahini, tomatoes, lettuce, etc (or dh likes his with ketchup...oh well). If you want a richer flavor, you could add an egg and some zippy spices; we use this for fasting days when we are looking for low key vegan foods so it is deliberately pretty mild. (The kids also prefer it this way anyway...and eat theirs with ketchup as well - it's dh's fault!) I do sometimes add rosemary, basil, a splash of olive oil, etc...this is more of a 'base' recipe to which you can add on. Also good with sauteed mushrooms and onions, baked potato-type toppings, or spaghetti sauce on it...be creative! :o) I leave out the powdered milk when we want to go fully vegan and truthfully have never noticed a difference one way or the other so don't worry if you don't include it. You can also shaped them into balls instead of patties and serve with tahini sauce (sesame seed dressing) for appetizers.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 6-8 patties

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup  chopped onion
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 2  tablespoons  oil
• 2  cups  cooked garbanzo beans
• 2  potatoes, cooked
• 2  tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon powdered milk
• 2  teaspoons soy sauce
•  salt (optional)
• 1  tablespoon  chopped parsley (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
•  other  spices, to personal taste (optional)

Directions

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Mash or puree garbanzos and potatoes together.
3. Add sauteed onion, tahini, lemon juice, milk powder, soy sauce, and other spices as desired.
4. Shape into patties and place on greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 for 10 min on each side (they will be very soft when turning the first time) Alternately, you can pan fry them in a little oil (I use olive oil) if you prefer them golden and crispier on the outside.
6. Serve in pita with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.