Chickpea Meatloaf Patties + Book Review: The Colorful Family Table

Chickpea Meatloaf Patties: flavorful, easy, and so much fun to eat. The reaction to my photos of these patties was overwhelmingly positive, and I have now secured permission to reprint these recipes from The Colorful Family Table by Ilene Godofsky Moreno, published by Benbella Vegan Books. Check out the recipe for the Chickpea Meatloaf Patties + a Book Review of The Colorful Family Table below. Thank you, Benbella Vegan, for sending us this plant based cookbook to enjoy and review.* Links on this site may be affiliate or Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Book Review: The Colorful Family Table

The cookbook, filled with over 90 plant-based recipes, offers something for everyone. The recipes use ordinary ingredients and are easy to follow. We fell in love with Ilene’s first cookbook, The Colorful Kitchen, a couple of years ago, and have been cooking recipes from it since. Read our Colorful Kitchen Cookbook HERE. We know we are going to love the recipes in this cookbook. 

The Layout

“The Colorful Family Table: Seasonal Plant-Based Recipes for the Whole Family” is designed around family and the seasons. The recipes are arranged by season rather than by meal categories, which is unique and exciting. I love that when I flip to the Spring section, it highlights spring veggies. This layout is especially helpful if you belong to a CSA (Community Support Agriculture) or Produce Subscription Service, where you don’t always get to select your produce.

The Recipes

From The Colorful Family Table, we’ve already tried the Tofu “Fried Chicken” & Gravy (p 93), the Easy Skillet Hash (p 78), the incredibly delicious 10-Minute Gravy (p 230), and the Chickpea Meatloaf Burgers (p 102) – twice! The recipes do include oil, so some of the methods need to be adjusted to omit oil (e.g., water or vegetable broth saute; bake on parchment paper, etc.). We find it easy to eliminate the oil and adjust the cooking. Still, if you are following a whole food plant-based diet and are not comfortable making those accommodations, this cookbook might be one you borrow from your local library first to try out the recipes before purchasing it to add to your library. 

We are so excited to be sharing the Chickpea Meatloaf Patties recipe with you. Chickpeas are a staple in our home, and we know you love them too since you’ve made recipes like our Chickpea Dill Salad, our Chickpea “Crab” Cakes, and our Chickpea Gyros some of the most viewed recipes on our site. So, grab a couple of cans of chickpeas and let’s get cookin’! 

Chickpea Meatloaf Patties

Chickpea Meatloaf Burgers (Excerpt from The Colorful Family Table, Ilene Goofsky Moreno, BenBella Books, Inc.)                 

 Makes: 8 burgers

Flax “Eggs”

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 6 tablespoons warm water

Burgers

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (*we omitted the oil in this recipe)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced button or cremini
• mushrooms
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Glaze

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider
• vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Serve With

• Burger buns
• Mixed greens

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the flax “eggs” by stirring the ground flaxseed and warm water together in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes before using it.

3. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms, and sauté for 10 minutes, until tender.

4. In a large bowl, use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas until mostly smooth (or pulse them in a food processor). Add the sautéed vegetables, flax “eggs,” oats, breadcrumbs, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed.

5. Wet your hands and use about 1/2 cup of the mixture to form each patty (8 burgers total). Place the burgers on the baking sheet.

6. Bake for 25 minutes. While the burgers bake, prepare the glaze by stirring together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the burgers. Brush the glaze over the burgers. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

7. Serve on buns with mixed greens or your favorite toppings.

The VegInspired Way

We omitted the oil in this recipe because we are following a whole food plant based way of eating. The recipe is for burger patties, but we enjoyed them without the bun, with a nice heaping pile of mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and the 10-Minute Gravy (recipe below) from The Colorful Family Table Cookbook, and a serving of sauteed spinach. It was a hearty, comforting meal that satisfied every bit of our comfort food cravings. 

10-Minute Gravy

10-Minute Gravy (Excerpt from The Colorful Family Table, Ilene Goofsky Moreno, BenBella Books, Inc.) 

Makes: 4 servings

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (we omit this)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan on the stove.

2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer, whisking every 30 seconds, for about 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens up.

The VegInspired Way

We omitted the oil in the gravy recipe, and we did not blend it the second time, and it worked out okay. I guess it depends on your preference and how smooth you like your gravy. Either way, it was an excellent gravy for mashed potatoes (and the meatloaf burgers and tofu recipes too).

The Colorful Family Table Cookbook

Our overall feelings about this cookbook are positive. We enjoyed the recipes and have a list of recipes we want to make as the spring produce starts appearing in grocery stores and farm stands. The method for preparing the tofu in the Tofu “Fried Chicken” recipe was easy and delish, and we like the gravy. We have already started brainstorming other uses (perhaps a breakfast-sausage-flavored version for biscuits or English muffins?!).

If you grab yourself a copy of this book, be sure to tag us on Instagram or Facebook, and we can have a cook-along!

Until Next Time; Eat More Plants!

XO,

Kathy

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