on monday i was in a bind. i had a full house of kids and a hungry husband and nothing really prepared for dinner. so i looked in my fridge to see what i had to work with. sometimes my most favorite meals come from moments like this where i have to be resourceful and creative. i remember one of my cooking muses talking about how this patty, with a few adjustments, is a family favourite and decided to give it a try in my own way.

you’re going to make fun of me, but i don’t care. i used restaurant and weekend bbq leftovers because that’s how i roll on mondays. i had an excess of some chicken tikka, grilled fish and french fries, but not enough to make a meal. so i chopped up and mashed a few other stock items (chickpeas, onion, parsley..), mixed everything up (i kept the fish and chicken separate, relax!), molded the mixture into patties, coated them with bread crumbs, baked the bunch and voila - chicken and fish patties for a quick weeknight meal.

i’m a fan of these because i hate it when food goes to waste, and also because it’s a reinvention of food i already had. some people in my household prefer new “fresh” food everyday. in this case, i was able to oblige! check the recipe and make this next week.

breaded chicken or fish patties

all you need is…

• 1 cup chopped grilled chicken or fish (whatever amount you have works!)
• 1 cup of potato, any way you can swing it - boiled and mashed, fries chopped and mashed. just mash it!
• 1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed and mashed
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• 1/2 spanish onion, chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced (you can put more or less depending on your taste)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• bread crumbs or panko

and all you have to do is…

• pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• mix the chicken or fish, potato, chick peas, parsley, onion, lemon and garlic together in a bowl with a spoon.
• add in the salt and pepper to taste
• form the mashed mixture into patties. i used a 1/2 cup measuring spoon to ensure using the same amount of mixture each time. roll and squeeze the mixture in your hand, make it into a ball and then press to flatten.
• beat your egg in a bowl big enough to fit one patty at a time. coat your patty.
• dredge coated patty in bread crumbs.
• lay each coated patty onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• bake in the oven for 20 minutes flipping once, until the coating is crispy.

serve burger style, with all the fixings or for a lighter meal, serve with a salad and grilled veggies.

this recipe yields about 4-6 patties depending on how big or small you make yours. also, this recipe is a guide only. you can add more meat, more chick peas and potatoes, if you like. you can also add in chopped sun dried tomatoes, swap out parsley for cilantro, or use whatever else you have in the fridge. just keep the ratios so that you can easily form your patties. so, get creative and enjoy!

ps. im going to be at the halal food fest this sunday afternoon, and you can be sure i’m going to get more food than i can eat in one go. i just may make these or a version of them again next week! who’s with me?