Chickpea Mushroom Protein Mixture, 6 Ways!

• Add the walnuts, mushrooms, and garlic cloves to a food processor and process until chopped into a coarse mixture. Add the spices, chickpeas, tomato paste, lime zest, and 1 to 2 teaspoons oil, if using. Add optional nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and fresh herbs if using.

• Process until most of the chickpeas are broken down and the mixture is evenly mixed, leaving some partially whole for texture. If the processor is not picking up everything, use a spatula to move the mixture around, and process again. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of oil or water, though there is usually enough moisture from the mushrooms and chickpeas.

• Remove the mixture from the food processor. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in an ice cube tray or scooped into single portions with a cookie scoop to use later. Freeze the portions, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. See the recipes below for ways to use it!

Make smash burger tacos.

• Add about 2 tablespoons or more of the mixture onto a 6” tortilla, depending on the size of the tortilla, and spread evenly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Place the tortilla burger-side-down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, pressing the tortilla so the mixture sticks. Cook until the mixture turns golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add a few drops of oil around the edges for extra crispiness, if desired. Flip and cook 1 to 2 more minutes until the tortilla is golden and slightly puffed. Remove and repeat for as many chickpea mushroom smash burger tacos as you like. Serve with pico de gallo, hot sauce, sour cream, and lime juice, and enjoy!

Or make folded smash burger tacos.

• If you’re worried about the mixture sticking to your pan, make folded tacos instead! Add about 2 tablespoons or more of the mixture onto one half of a 6” tortilla, depending on the size of the tortilla, and spread evenly. Fold in half, and stick it closed. Repeat for as many tacos as you like.

• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Place the tacos in the pan, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until golden, pressing to keep it from opening under the heat of the pan. Flip the taco, and cook another few minutes on the other side, so it’s golden on both sides. Serve with pico de gallo, hot sauce, sour cream, and lime juice, and enjoy!

• Flour your surface. Take about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the paratha dough and roll into a ball, then roll out into a 6” to 8” inch circle, where the edges are a little thinner than the middle. Depending on the size of your paratha, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the chickpea mushroom mixture in the center. If the mixture is too moist, coat it lightly with flour before placing on the paratha.

• Flatten out the chickpea mushroom mixture a little bit, then sprinkle on the spices and press them into the mixture.

• Fold over the flatbread into kind of a dumpling, then seal, flatten gently, and roll out carefully, sprinkling on more flour, as needed. Roll with a light hand, since the filling will be on the moist side. After rolling out, use your hands to dust off any extra flour. See the video for details. 

• Cook on a skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until the paratha starts to puff a little bit. Than, flip it over and spread on a few drops of oil, pressing to cook evenly until golden brown spots form. Flip and repeat with the oil on the other side. 

• Serve with non-dairy yogurt sprinkled with cumin, cayenne, and salt as well as sides of Indian pickle, chutney, or a side salad. 

• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a pinch of the salt, and cook until the onion turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpea mushroom mixture and break it up with a spatula, then drizzle on the remaining teaspoon of oil. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring, and reduce the heat, if the mixture starts to scorch.

• Add Cajun seasoning, thyme, bell pepper, and another pinch of the salt, and cook 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the hot sauce and a splash of water to deglaze the pan. Add the cooked rice and remaining salt. Mix well, cover, and cook 1 minute or so to heat through. Let the mixture sit off of the heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then fluff. Garnish with green onion and lime juice, and serve and enjoy! Serve as-is, with vegan sausages, with a side salad, or however else you like!

• Add all of the burger patty ingredients to a bowl, and mix really well. Add more breadcrumbs, if the mixture is too moist to shape into a sturdy patty.

• Pan fry the burger patty 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on one side. Then, flip it and brush with some barbecue sauce or ketchup mixed with hot sauce. Cook another few minutes, until golden, then flip again, brush the BBQ sauce or ketchup-hot sauce mixture on the other side, and cook another couple of minutes to sear. Flip one more time, cook a few minutes, and serve. Adding the sauce/glaze keeps the patties moist and prevents them drying out while cooking.

• To bake, bake at 400° F (205° C) for 10 to 15 minutes, add glaze, then bake another 10 minutes.

• Serve with burger fixings or on a salad.

• Mix the filling ingredients together well, adding a little flour, if it’s too moist. Warm the tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 15 to 30 seconds, so they’re more pliable. You can also warm them on a warm skillet  for 5 to 10 seconds per side.

• Once the tortillas are pliable, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling to one side of the tortilla, and roll it up tightly. Repeat for all of the tortillas, then brush a little bit of water onto the edges and bake or pan fry. The water helps the tortillas seal.

• To bake, preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the taquitos on your baking sheet seam-side-down. Brush with a little oil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

• To pan fry, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil to the pan, then place the taquitos seam-side-down. Pan fry until they’re sealed on the underside. Then, flip them every 15 to 30 seconds, and cook until they’re golden brown on all sides.

• Serve with guacamole, pico de gallo, marinara, or other dips or sauces of choice.

Make the falafel balls.

• Mix the chickpea mixture with spices, herbs, and sesame seeds. Add flour, if needed, so that you can shape the mixture into sturdy balls that you can pan fry or air fry.

• To pan fry, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the falafel balls and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook so they get golden brown on most of the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes total. 

• To air fry, brush them with the oil, and cook at at 370° F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce.

• Add the tahini, salt, and lemon juice to a bowl, and mix well. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing between additions. The tahini will first thicken up, then it will start to loosen up and become creamy. Adjust the consistency with the water based on the creamy consistency that you like.

• Serve the chickpea mushroom falafel in warmed pita or naan. You can warm the pita/naan over a gas flame or in the microwaves. Add the chickpea balls and some lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, tahini sauce, and a drizzle of lemon juice. These can also be served as a snack with the tahini sauce as a dip.