XTERRA Connect with Alexandra Lebrun

XTERRA Coach Alexandra Lebrun is a pharmacist and master nutritionist in constant pursuit of food that tastes good AND is good for you. Her latest challenge came from a friend, who asked if she had a “healthy” burger recipe.

“Good quality burgers do exist, like the one XTERRA athlete and chef Olivier Fellmann makes in Luxembourg with local organic beef, cheese, and a handmade bun,” said Lebrun.  “However, most “real” burger recipes really aren’t that healthy, even if you add a salad on the side instead of French fries."

The alternative, says Lebrun, is in Chickpeas – which are celebrated for their cardiovascular protection properties and low glycemic effects.

“Inspired by a falafel recipe I had been making out of Chickpeas, which are my passion, I found an ingredient combination that created really tasty patties with a great texture. Add in some mustard, tomatoes, salad, pickles, red onion and a piece of melted goat cheese and serve with sweet potatoes fries, and you’ve got a really interesting vegetarian dinner that’s quick and easy to make.”

Alex’s Chickpea Burgers Recipe

Ingredients

300-350 grams chickpeas already cooked (canned chickpeas)
100 grams raw or frozen small green peas
1/2 or 1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 good handful of parsley
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of wheat flour or potato starch
Salt and pepper
Other spices as you like: cumin, chili, turmeric

Ingredient Conversion Tool

Recipe

In a mixer, mix chickpeas, small green peas, red onion, garlic and olive oil
Mix everything, not too much, to get consistent dough
Add flour, more or less depend of texture and finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper, as you like
Put to heat enough olive oil in a pan so that the patties seize
Cook 5-10 minutes

Note: Eat in a burger or with a mixed salad, and you can use lentils or beans instead of chickpeas; and be sure to add more garlic and onion to your tastes.

“I love to have fun in the kitchen, and I love to make cookies, but I wanted a recipe that didn’t include gluten and dairy, so I just started experimenting,” said Lebrun. “After many not-so good attempts, I found a recipe that I really love, and I hope you’ll give it a try.”

And for dessert, cookies!

Alex’s Chocolate and Coconut Cookies Recipe  

Ingredients

75 grams of rice flour
75 grams of chestnut flour
75 grams organic vegetal oil (sesame or sunflower)
75 grams coconut oil
2 eggs
100 grams of whole and brown sugar (rapadura)
100 grams of chocolate (70% of cocoa) bar
60 grams of grated coconut

Prepare the dough

Add vegetal oils (sesame + coconut) into a bowl with brown sugar; coconut oil is solid at room temperature so I usually put on a wood stove or under sun behind a window; you can heat it to make it liquid but be careful very softly.
Add eggs one by one, two kind of flour and mix everything together.
Cut chocolate bar in small piece, and put them with grated coconut in the dough.
Make small heaps and put in the oven only 10 minutes at 200°C, it is ready!

Bon Appetit!