Chickpea McNuggets

I usually form this garbanzo bean mixture into larger parries (to serve on a bun or salad), but the other night I tried shaping it into nugget-sized bites, instead.  When I put the plate down on the table, Jay jokingly asked if we were having Chicken McNuggets for dinner.  Of course, I would never serve such a thing, but I had to admit they did look a little similar.  And while they don't really taste at all like meat, they do have a fried, nugget-y feel to them.  They are especially delicious when dipped in ketchup or drizzled in Sriracha, and they are probably 1,000 times healthier than anything you can buy at McDonald's.

Chickpea McNuggets
Makes 3-4 servings

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 handful of spinach
1 egg
1 teaspoon curry powder
Dash of turmeric
A hefty pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.  Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Use a spoon to scoop nugget-sized patties on to the foil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping once, until patties are brown on the outside and firm.

Feel free to play around with this recipe!  You could easily sneak in other veggies instead of/in addition to the spinach.  (I think some shredded carrot might work well.)  You could also try different spices and dipping sauces to mix things up!

And just in case you are still consuming chicken nuggets, this nutritionfact.org video might make you think twice before you eat another one:

"Autopsy of Chicken Nuggets"

I'd eat a chickpea nugget over that any day!