Vegetable Protein - Vegetarian Rissoles

While it's still controversial which one is better, most recent study shows one definite advantage of vegetable protein over meat protein is that plant protein can help lower blood pressure. Those who consume a lot of vegetable protein have lower blood pressure.
Researchers at Imperial College London did a survey on nearly 4700 people from the UK, the US, Japan and China. They found that the more vegetable protein the subjects said they had, the lower their blood pressure.The report published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine suggested vegetarians tend to be lighter than non-vegetarians, and that the amino acids and magnesium found in plant protein may play roles in lowering blood pressure.
Since the study shows plant protein has some benefits that meat protein lacks, it is recommended we add some amounts of vegetable protein in our diet for better health. Good sources of vegetable protein include whole grains such as corn, wheat, oats, milo, barley, soy products such as tofu, soy milk, nuts and seeds like peas, chickpeas, beans, peanuts, almonds, pipe nuts etc. A well balanced diet including certain amounts of plant protein is definitely better than a diet that gets dietary protein from meat only.
So just to get you off to a great start with some vegetable protein here is a recipe I used for Christmas Day.

Ingredients (makes 16 small or 8 large)
200g Dried Chickpeas
2 large Cloves of Garlic crushed (or 1Tsp minced garlic)
1 Large Carrot
1 Red Onion
1 60cm Stick of Celery
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
50ml Skim milk
1/2 Cup Dried Breadcrumbs
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Mint
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Soak chickpeas overnight or till nearly twice the size. Drain.
   
2. Place the rinsed & drained chickpeas into a pot of cold water - bring to boil - simmer till cooked but not mushy. Drain - cool.
3. In a blender add the roughly chopped ingredients - carrot, onion, celery, garlic.
4. Quickly pulse about 3-5 times - till resembles large crushed nuts.
5. Add chickpeas, fresh & dried herbs, milk and pulse again till combined - now looking like crushed peanuts consistency.
6. Pour into a bowl and add the egg, breadcrumbs , salt and pepper if you like and massage till well mixed.
   
7. Form into rissoles or large patties if you prefer. NOTE: you may need to add a little water to help with forming the rissoles/patties. 
8. Place on wax cooking paper on a tray. Cool in fridge till ready to bake or a minimum of 1 hour.
9. Bake in a preheated 200 Degree Celsius oven - till golden & slightly browned.

Serve with Salad and Sweet Chilli dipping sauce or other sauce you prefer.
If you're interested in the "Guide to Becoming Vegetarian" eBook you can get it here at http://goinveggie.com