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Monday, December 17, 2012

Lentil, Oat, Walnut Burgers and Bubble & Squeak

It's been chilly and rainy/sleety/snowy here the past couple days which makes me think "Soup weather!" So I made my Lentil Stew yesterday.  The recipe for it is here.  Well today nobody was in the mood for leftovers, so I decided to turn the stew into something else.  And it ended up a veggie burger.  A perfect, classic burger style on whole grain toast with mustard, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion, and avocado.  They were awesome.  And I know that because my 4 kids didn't complain about them.  And they're usually pretty picky.  They scarfed them down like they were chicken nuggets! (Right now I'm sure you're asking why I feed my kids chicken nuggets! Well I don't...anymore.)  Here's the recipe:

Lentil Oat Walnut Burgers              This makes 8 burgers
2 cups strained lentil stew
2 cups thick, old fashioned style oats cooked thick & flaky, not goopy with too much water (they're available Gluten Free from Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 T. flax seeds
1 T. chia seeds
1T. arrowroot powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence

When I put the lentil stew in the mixing bowl, I roughly chopped the potatoes, carrots, and other chunky vegetables into smaller chunks.  The pastry cutter works well with this.  Then I add everything else to the bowl and stir well to combine.  I spray my cast iron, double burner grill pan (the flat side) with non-stick olive oil spray and preheat.  This burger mixture will be loose and wet.  It won't be something you can form with your hands.  I use a 2 oz. ice cream type scoop.  It was actually labeled as a muffin batter scoop.  Just make sure it holds 2 oz.  I can plop 6 burgers on my griddle at once, slightly flattening them as I go.  I cook them on med.-high heat for roughly 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  My family loved these with a slice of Muenster melted on top.  I enjoyed mine minus the cheese, but with all the other veggie toppings.  I love experimenting with leftovers!

This reminds me of another veggie type burger I've made for years, Cheesy Bubble and Squeak.  It came from a Vegetarian Encyclopedia that was given to me as a gift.  It's made from mostly leftovers.  Apparently it's from the UK and the name Bubble & Squeak comes from the sound it makes when frying these little patties up.  They will be your children's favorite!  Here's the recipe:

Cheesy Bubble & Squeak                This makes 8 patties
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, chunky style
8 oz. cooked, chopped cabbage or kale (roughly a cup, add more if you like)
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese (or Daiya shredded cheddar style if you're dairy free like me)
1 egg beaten
nutmeg for grating
Salt & Pepper
Flour for coating (all purpose or rice flour for gluten free)
oil for frying

Mix all of the above in a mixing bowl using a generous grating of nutmeg.  Form into 8 patties, and chill on a cookie sheet for an hour or so.  The firmness makes them easier to fry.  Coat the bottom of your fry pan with your favorite oil, I use EVOO for everything.  While the pan is heating up on med.-high heat, dredge the patties in flour, shaking off all the excess.  Fry on each side for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp.  Serve immediately.  I'd recommend a good salad with this, or sauteed mushrooms, or both!  And maybe a glass of Riesling paired with this lunch, or light dinner. :)



 

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