the elusive allergen-free, gluten-free, AND vegan burger

I thought veggie/vegan burgers were out of the question for me.  I soooo wanted to be able to enjoy eating burgers and sandwiches with my friends and girlfriend (who would eat a cheeseburger everyday if I'd let her).  I had pretty much forgotten about them, resigning myself to eating portobella mushroom caps instead of burgery things, but a vegan friend of mine shared this recipe with me, which I then adapted for my own needs. 

ORIGINAL:
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup veggie broth
2 cloves garlic
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1/8 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
(1/2 cup vital wheat gluten) - can't have
(1/2 cup bread crumbs) - can't have



MY VERSION OF AF, GF, Vegan BURGERS:
1 cup drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (these are already cooked...if you want to use dried chickpeas, soak them in water over night)

1/4 to 1/3 cup water with 1/2 a vegan bouillon cube (I do this simply because most prepackaged veggie broth has additives I don't like and tastes like ASS.  The "Rapunzel" brand vegan bouillon cubes are really excellent...look for them at Whole Foods).
1 clove minced garlic (it's too garlicky with 2 cloves in my opinion)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup corn crumbs (these are surprisingly easy to find in any grocery that has a gluten free section...they're an excellent substitute for bread crumbs in all sorts of recipes)
1/8 cup tapioca flour (If the batter still seems too wet, keep adding flour by the tbsp until it can be clumped into a ball or patty shape...you shouldn't be able to pour this burger batter into a pan like pancakes) 
salt and pepper to taste

First, mash the chickpeas either by hand with a potato masher or in a food processor.  A few chunks are okay...the consistency isn't going to be exactly like a burger, so resign yourself to that before you start.  Then just mix everything else together.  It's going to be sticky, like bread dough that is too wet to knead.  That's okay...just make sure ALL the tapioca flour is incorporated.   Form a burger-sized patty and fry it in a hot pan with a thin layer of olive oil.  It takes about 7 minutes to cook (3.5 mins on each side).  If you're grilling outside, I'd recommend frying them enough so they're no longer sticky/they have a thin crusty layer and then throw them on the grill for a few minutes (I have yet to grill them, so you might want to play it safe and put tin foil under them so they don't crumble into the coals or something).

These burgers are tasty and dense...this recipe makes 2-3 medium sized patties.  Stick them between your favorite GF/AF bun, two slices of allowed bread, or just eat them with a fork and knife sans bready products.  I LOVE to eat these with a few slices of fresh tomato, bean sprouts, spinach, and spicy mayo.  Sometimes I cheat and eat the vegan mayo that has soybean oil in it, but if this is no good, google a recipe for cashew mayo and make it yourself (or, if you aren't vegan and can eat eggs, just eat the regular stuff).  All I do to make spicy mayo is mix about 2 tbsp of veganaise/cashew mayo with about 1 tsp of Sriracha sauce (otherwise known as Spicy Rooster sauce).  This stuff is bright red and hella spicy, but it's soooo delicious.  I love spicy foods, so keep that in mind when you're adding the chili powder to the burger batter.

Enjoy!