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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