On the Go Meals: Patties

When out and about, it is really tempting to buy something from a takeout place. Without a table and chair, its not so comfortable always to open up a boxed lunch and eat something like a chicken thigh and salad, something messy that requires both fork and knife to eat.

My husband works in a job where he doesn't get time to sit down for a meal; he often has to eat in bites while standing. Food that requires a fork and knife and is not suitable for my husband's lunch habits. I've had to come up with creative solutions for a fork free meal for my husband's lunches. I will be making a series of posts called "On the Go Meals".

My favorite on-the-go food is patties. These patties are very versatile, can be either baked or fried, and require no utensils with which to eat them. I serve patties as a meal on their own; they fulfill all the nutritional requirements of a meal.

To make patties I combine a protein, starch, and vegetable. Ideas of proteins are tuna fish, other ground fish, mashed beans, chicken, chop meat. For a vegetable, any will do. Grated carrots, grated zucchini, corn, chopped broccoli, sauted greens are just some of the many ideas.

Mix equal amounts protein and vegetable in a big bowl. Add an egg or two to bind, and then add some starch. Starches that work well in patties are grated potatoes, steel cut oats, corn meal, flour, bread crumbs, etc.

You'll want the consistency to be that of a thick cookie dough. If the starch added is not binding the patty together well enough, add some extra flour or bread crumbs.

Add seasoning. Salt, ketchup, garlic, onion, herbs, mustard, soy sauce. The choice is endless.

I prefer to fry the patties in oil, but baking then also works.

Heat up a skillet and add whichever oil you prefer to use for frying. Form patties in your hands, making sure that they are not crumbly. Fry them on a medium high heat until medium brown, then flip until both sides are cooked.

Enjoy!

Tip: Try first frying one or two patties. If you find that those patties are falling apart while frying, add an extra egg and/or a binder like flour or breadcrumbs.

The patties I made for my husband's lunch yesterday were made from hake and onion ground in my food processor. I added chopped corriander, shredded zucchini, rolled oats, bread crumbs, whole grain sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and eggs.

They tasted delicious!

Do you ever make patties? What do you put in your patties?