Happy Independence Day! Yep, that’s right Independence Day, not Happy 4th of July. Let’s call this holiday what it represents with it’s  Declaration of Independence. This day means so much to me, obviously, just look at the name of my blog. On this day thirteen little colonies joined together to create a new nation – The United States of America.

And these Spicy Chickpea Burgers from Running on Real Food, really embody this holiday with great bold flavor and just the right punch of spiciness.

Ingredients:

• Can of chickpeas
• Red onion
• Small zucchini
• Cilantro
• Red wine vinegar
• Sriracha sauce
• Natural peanut butter
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Sea salt
• Quick oats (gluten free)
• Olive oil

The directions were easy to follow. I’ve been working on my fork mashing skills so the chickpeas did not present a problem for me. But, I might recommend, a quick pulse or two in the food processor. It might be quicker.

I was a bit worried that these burgers would be too spicy with the 2 teaspoons of black pepper along with the tablespoon of sriracha, but they were perfectly balanced.

And, I loved that the directions told you get in there and mix it up with your hands. This is really the only way to get all those fantastic ingredients to blend together.

Grade: A

A for availability. All the ingredients were in my pantry and refrigerator. I also checked out Kroger, Harris Teeter and Food Lion and all carried the ingredients for this recipe.

A for cost. All the ingredients in this recipe were very affordable. Definitely a cost friendly meal.

A for directions. No questions came to mind as I worked though the easy to follow directions.

A for taste. Five testers participated in this taste test. Here are some of their comments:

“Perfectly spiced. Great balance of flavors.”

“Moister than expected.”

“I’m normally not a huge fan of chickpeas, but this was delicious!”

“Great texture, perfect amount of spice!”

“Love the flavor and the possibilities in this recipe.”

Be on the look out for our next test kitchen recipe.

Please make sure that all of your ingredients are gluten free. Just because ingredients are listed  does not insinuate that they are gluten free. Please make sure you choose the appropriate ingredients for your audience of tasters. Kroger has a wonderful list on their website (71 pages) of all the gluten free items in their stores.