Summer Grillin'



Happy Lentil Burger

   

    It's summertime and the grilling is easy.  Well it is nice to cook on the grill, but these burgers I actually made in the oven.  I was surprised at how tasty the lentil burgers turned out.  With the pickles and other finishing touches the presentation looks "burger like".  I would recommend modifying this recipe to make a lentil "meatlessloaf".  I served them with a side of vegetables.  A nice summer addition would be potato salad or one of the side dishes from my "Never Ending Salad" post.  I used oat flour in lieu of the breadcrumbs. Remember to serve them on Mondays to bring you luck with money. I always keep lentils handy in the pantry.  They don't take up much room, don't need to be defrosted like meat and have much easier preparation process compared to dried beans which need to be soaked before cooking.

Greek Lentil Burgers

from: Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

Boil 1/2 cup dried brown lentils and 2 cups water.  Cook for 30-40 minutes over medium until tender. Drain lentils. Brown 1 chopped onion and 1/2 tsp salt for 7 minutes. Add 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup diced red pepper, 2 tsp cumin, 1 t coriander, 1/2 tsp pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp each: dill and oregano. In a food processor, pulse 1 15 oz can chickpeas and 2 eggs until smooth. In a bowl, combine chickpeas, cooked lentils, vegetables and 1 cup breadcrumbs. Form 4 balls and roll in additional breadcrumbs. Flatten and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and firm.