Ok. I know I have been absent from the blog for awhile. I am working on a new blog layout, but for now, this will have to work!
For those of you who didn’t know, we gave up meat for Lent this year. We are eating vegetarian Monday-Friday, and fish on the weekends. It has been challenging, but at the same time, it has given us an opportunity to try some new recipes – like these Lentil Burgers! This was definitely one of those recipes that I thought would be a total bust, but much to my surprise, these were a huge hit at our house! This recipe makes enough for our family of 5, plus leftovers for lunches. (My kids really liked taking these in their lunches.) This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan if you use egg substitute.
- 1.5C green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2t ground cumin
- 2t mild curry powder
- 2 eggs, beaten (or egg-substitute if you want vegan patties)
- salt and pepper
- cornmeal for dredging
- vegetable oil for frying
1. Combine 4 C water with lentils, and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain.
2. Mash lentils with potato masher or fork, OR go the easy route like me. Place the lentils in a food processor and pulse several times until lentils are broken up and easier to shape into patties. (Not pureed, just mashed up a bit)
3. Put mashed lentils in a bowl, mix in garlic, cumin, curry powder. Mix in beaten eggs (or egg substitute).
4. Shape patties and place on a plate or cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to make them easier to fry.
5. Dredge them on both sides with cornmeal. You could also use a mixture of cornmeal and flour.
6. In large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry patties, turning once, until brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Serve with pitas, hummous, and tzatziki. We made some Greek-spiced potatoes and sauteed red peppers for a side. This meal will probably become a staple at our house!
