Chili Chickpea Burger!

I day dreamed about this recipe a few weeks ago and knew I had to make it. But the combination of flavors just seemed so weird to me. Why on earth would I be daydreaming about chili on top of a chickpea patty, served on, not a bun...but a bagel?...And yet, I couldn't stop myself from drooling over the idea. So, I decided to head to the store and pick up some vegetarian chili to create this concoction. The chickpea patties were ready to go, since I usually make a batch of them and freeze them for the week. I would say the patties are probably the hardest part of this recipe (and they're not even hard to make). Okay, so here we go!

Chili Chickpea Burger

1 to 2 Chickpea Patties (depending on size)
1 can of Vegetarian/Vegan Chili
1 to 2 slices of tomatoes
1 Bagel or Bun
A few slices of Avocado
A few sprinkles of Daiya Cheese

Slice your tomatoes and avocado and set aside. For the chickpea patties I take two cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drain and rinse them, then mash them up like potatoes. I add shredded carrots (sometimes other veggies), ground flax seed, and seasoning. You can use whatever seasoning you like. For this batch, I used cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder. Use your hands and really massage the chickpeas, veggies, and seasonings together and start forming your patties. Take one of your patties, place in a heated pan, and cook until your patty until it gets a little brown. While your patty is heating up, remove chili from can, and heat that in a small pot. When everything is all set to go, you can start layering your goodies. Take your chickpea patty and lay it on top of the bottom half of your toasted or non-toasted bagel. Then add your chili on top. Next, add a few sprinkles of daiya cheese...now you can leave the cheese as is, but I wanted a more melted chili cheese flavor, so I popped my bottom bagel, patty, chili, and cheese into the microwave for a few seconds to let the cheese melt a little. On the half of your bagel you can layer your tomato and avocado slices. Now take both halves and smoosh them together and take a gigantic bite. Yum! 

Caution: If you heated your bottom half to melt the cheese, it will be hot, so be careful...I learned the hard way.lol 

Hope you enjoy! :-)