Cannellini Beans – the other white “meat”
| August 30, 2010 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
The other day, in search of a different type of veggie burger and some new dinner inspiration, I dumped a can of cannellini beans into a bowl and mashed them together with some lemon juice, fresh cilantro, and a little EVOO.
The result was so surprising and delicious that I immediately called EC. “I think I just found the perfect vegetarian ‘chicken’!” I exclaimed.
His reaction was a skeptical one. “Does it actually taste like chicken?” he asked.
Well of course it does! I wanted to insist. I mean, it’s a white patty with a texture that maybe even looks a little bit like chicken if I squint at it from just the right angle. So what if my memory of chicken’s taste is a little fuzzy from not having eaten it in over 13 years…or that I hadn’t actually added any type of chicken-like seasoning to it – this was the real deal.
The next night EC came over for dinner and my recipe was put to the test. I eagerly watched as he took a bite of his ‘chicken’ patty sandwich, barely waiting for him to finish chewing before asking him what he thought.
“It’s good!” was his only response. “Yeah, but does it taste like chicken??” I insisted.
At that he paused, put down his sandwich, and with a smile he turned to me and said simply: “No.”
Not quite the answer I was hoping for, but I have to at least love him for his honesty. So it doesn’t really taste like chicken. Even so, this light, summery patty is a perfect veggie meat alternative. It’s delicious and super easy to make. And no matter what anyone says, it’ll always be “chik’n” to me.
Lemon Cilantro Cannellini Bean Burgers (aka Veggie Chik’n)
Makes 4 – 6 patties
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup oatbran
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (preferably local, organic and not from a certain farm in Iowa)
- 2 TBS of lemon juice (more if you like it really lemony)
- 1 tsp garlic
- A generous drizzle of olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1.) Dump all your ingredients into a small to medium-sized bowl.
2.) Take out your handy-dandy mashing implement and mash everything together until well mixed. But don’t puree it — you want to still have some full/partially full beans in the mix. You also want the mixture to be moist, but not so wet that it isn’t able to stick together.
3.) Take a big handful and shape it into a patty.
4.) Place patties in a lightly greased frying pan and cook over medium heat for 4 – 5 minutes until bottom is brown. Flip and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
And voila! Lemon cilantro cannellini chik’n patties!
Serve on a bun, over a salad, with marinated veggies, or in your favorite pasta recipe.
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A couple of additional things:
1.) This past week, I’ve been playing around with the look of the site. So if you’ve been reading these posts in a reader or email, take a quick minute to actually go to the site and let me know what you think!
2.) Tomorrow is the last day of August! Which means if you’ve tried The Core and haven’t let me know yet, please leave a comment here or shoot me an email by midnight on the 31st. I only know of a couple of you who have done it, so at this point your odds of winning my “fabulous” prize are pretty good! 
3.) And finally, on a completely unrelated note… I know I talk a lot about public health and marathon running and eating beans instead of chicken, but just so that there’s no false perceptions out there about me, I figured I’d show you the inside of my freezer. Overall, I think I eat pretty healthy, but I do strongly believe in allowing yourself to indulge. Most nights after dinner, I treat myself to some of dessert. And I’m not just talking about indulging in a square of chocolate…
Along with a couple hidden bags of frozen veggies, the only thing inside my freezer:
The Seagrams belongs to EC, but the ice cream is all mine. I’ve got a slight problem – I can’t pass up a sale on ice cream. What can I say…it just goes against my very nature. 
1) The burgers look like chicken to me! I like beans better than chicken, so it’s not a tough sell. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
2) I love the new header. I want to change mine, but I am afraid to play with anything and mess it up. The site changes look great.
3) You are not the only one who can’t pass up an ice cream sale. It’s my absolute favorite after dinner treat. I always keep ice cream in the freezer…and I really need to try the S’Mores flavor!
Becky´s last post ..A New Routine
Thanks!! If you’re thinking about changing around your site at all, I’d recommend downloading the Theme Test Drive plug-in. Have you heard of it? It lets you play with a new theme so that only you (the administrator) can see it. Everyone else just sees your old site. It’s really neat because if the theme has editable options, you can even change those around. I was able to make a lot of the changes on my site without anyone knowing using that, and then once I activated it I just had to make a couple quick fixes.
And the S’mores flavor is really good! Lots of mini marshmallows and graham crackers mixed in
Those look so much better than the Boca Chik’n patties I buy. I tried making taco “meat” with kidney beans… it wasn’t pretty.
Also, I did the core in my buildings weight room yesterday and am sore. I think you actually need to change the room to “The SORE.”
hahaha I’m totally going to start referring to it as the Sore from now on!
And I was actually thinking about the Boca Chik’n patties when I was eating them. They may not have quite as much chicken taste, but I think they’re way better.
I think your site looks great!
And these bean burgers sound delicious, regardless of whether or not they really taste like chicken! I love bean burgers, but have never tried making them with any kind of white bean. Can’t wait to give it a shot!
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self´s last post ..Body Metaphors
Those “chicken” burgers look delicious! I’m having another BBQ this weekend and I’m always looking to add to my vegetarian menu. Yum! And I love the new header! One of my friends is working on a new one for me too!
lizzy´s last post ..Weekend in Pictures Mostly
I am definitely digging the new look, the sidebar is clean and easy to navigate.
Your freezer would look like mine if I had more room. Everyone needs a chance to let their hair down.
I need to try more white beans, the black bean is getting all my attention:)
Nichole´s last post ..Ovaltine A crummy commercial And Who’s the Big Winner- Mikey
Those look really yummy whether or not they taste like chicken! I love making vegetarian alternatives to some of my favorite meals (burgers are a big one!)
Theselooks so totally delish!!! I love trying new bean burgers. Also, meant to tell you the other day that I liked your header
Now I know why we’re friends. Besides the silly public health and running connection, of course. Our freezers look pretty identical! Ice cream is my biggest weakness, and that Smores flavor is amazing… and currently in my freezer too
Those bean burgers look delicious! I need to try them. Perhaps I’ll bring them to a tailgate this weekend? Yum!
And I love the new header. Catchy and easy to navigate!
Jen´s last post ..You can have my speed- but not my confidence
I always forget about Cannellini beans but they are so good. I love bean burgers – I’ll have to try these soon! Your new header is cute, btw!
Teri [a foodie stays fit]´s last post ..Tunes for Tuesday
A few things:
First off, I laughed when I saw that one of the flavors you currently have in your freezer is Edy’s S’mores. I am currently OBSESSED with that flavor!! I find it so delicious, I LOVE the graham cracker bits throughout the ice cream and although I’m sure the marshmallows are chock-full of chemicals that keeps them soft, even in the freezer, it is currently my favorite flavor. Brett went out and bought me 2 cartons of it the other day when I ran out, bringing the number of ice cream cartons that I have in my freezer up to 5. I think my roommates hate that my ice cream takes up our entire freezer while they both share one pint of ben and jerry’s that somehow seems to last for weeks. odd.
Second, I think your “chik’n patties” look delicious!! I think we should make them this weekend! I think it’s really funny how some people really can be fooled by veggie meat. At my office the admin. assistant orders groceries every week and last week I asked her if she could order some veggie burgers and chik’n patties for lunches and when I came into the kitchen today I was dismayed to see that the box of chik’n patties was empty and multiple people were eating them! So then one of the girls commented on how good “this chicken is!” and I started laughing. Not ONE person who was eating them even looked at the box and they all thought it was real chicken! The silly thing is, once they found out it wasn’t one of the girls said, “ewww that’s gross” and stopped eating it, even though she was just previously commenting on how good it was. So silly.
Aren’t cannellini beans great?? I’m very impressed by your bean “chicken” burgers – I never would have though to use them to make a burger. (I also see you’re a fan of shopping at Stop & Shop
I buy tons of their canned beans so I see that logo on my shelves all the time). Once of my favorite things to do with cannellini beans is to puree them with garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan and use it as a sauce “alfredo” pasta. Your burgers are definitely going on my “MAKE SOON” list 
BTW, I love your new header. The picture mosaic is very creative, and it must have taken a lot of work!
I am always looking for new ways to incorporate beans in my diet and this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Bekah @ runtrackmind´s last post ..Long And Winding Road
Those look wonderful. I have only made those kind of patties with black beans before and would love to try something new!
Something else you might like–I think it was on Carrots and Cake a long time ago–Chickpea patties! Chickpeas, parsley, and middle eastern spices (cumin, etc) they might have even been better than black bean burgers for me
I’ve tried chickpea patties before and didn’t like them much because they were too dry. BUT I’ve never tried a recipe from CNC, and chances are they came out dry because of something I did wrong. So I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
haha who cares if it tastes like chicken- it sounds like it tastes GOOD!
And I love that you want to share your indulgences. I think sometimes food bloggers paint this picture of a ‘rosy healthy lifestyle’ when it’s not all perfect! Myself included…I’m going to try & document my indulgences too
Danielle (Runs on Green)´s last post ..Diary of a Dietetics Student
theyre so thick!!! cannellini beans are fantastic. i love having a variety of beans in the cupboard and cannellini beans are definitely tasty pods of protein
i loved seeing you mix the ingredients together and i still cant get over how thick they turned out!! <3
Totally found your blog at the right time! Those veggie patties sound awesome – and totally look like chicken
Those really do look like chicken patties!
I love ice cream, too. And frozen yogurt. But my fiance doesn’t eat dairy so I know it’s all mine. Even though they are a horrible deal, I usually end up buying the pint-sized containers to keep myself reigned in.
On your new layout – I really love your header and how ‘clean’ and ‘crisp’ the color scheme feels. The place to click to comment was a little hard to find.
Thanks for the tip about the Theme Test Drive plug-in that you mentioned in an earlier comment. I’ll have to try that out!
Lizz @ Leading the Good Life´s last post ..Mud Run 5K Race Recap
I’m loving the post title! I bet I would looove those burgers regardless of if they taste like chicken or not. And at home we have a freezer specifically devoted to ice cream!! It’s intense.
Megan @ The Oatmeal Diaries´s last post ..birthday sundae!
I’ve made these twice, and they are fantastic!! By far the best bean burgers I have ever made.
[...] simple and quick to make. Meals that make it into my regular rotation include black bean burgers, cannellini bean burgers, tempeh lettuce and tomato (TLT) sandwiches, quinoa salads (cook in vegetable broth for added [...]
Going to give this a try. I’d like to stop eating heavy, greasy foods ad definitely would like to eat more vegetables. I have a “thing” for snap peas these days. Btw I can’t pass up a sale on ice cream either!!
D