Mushroom Flax Lentil Burgers

8/20/2014

Mushroom Flax Lentil Burgers

I'm back! Finally!  A brand new recipe and video coming at ya from my brand new kitchen! It was so much fun to film this recipe on my new "set". My beautiful kithcen was built and customized for me by my amazing fiance and soon-to-be brother in law. They poured their hearts - and all their spare time - into building this kitchen exactly how I imagined it. After countless hours spent looking at tile, sinks, faucets, and deliberating over backsplash and appliances, Mitch and I are finally able to relax and enjoy it and make ourselves at home. There's no better feeling! Once that final nail was hammered and the last piece of backsplash had set, I knew it was time to come up with a great recipe for you. Here we go - Mushroom Flax Lentil Burgers!

I've been eating a lot of vegetarian meals lately, and I always feel amazing afterwards. Not overly full, just satisfied, light and ready to tackle the rest of the day. I know people sometimes worry that a meatless meal won't fill them up, but these burgers are super hearty and tasty - you won't miss the meat at all! This recipe is filled with tons of protein, fiber, and healthy omega-3s. You can pile your burger with your favorite toppings, cheese, and condiments and eat it on a toasted bun, or you can ditch the extra carbs and serve it on top of a salad. I went bun-less and ate mine with dijon mustard, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and arugula, and it was just perfection.

Here's everything you need to know to make your new favorite Meatless Monday dinner:

Recipe inspired by Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves - minced (or 2 frozen Dorot Garlic Cubes)
1 1/2 cups pre-cooked lentils (I used the Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils)
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 whole wheat crackers (I used Ak-Mak)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Any toppings you like - goat cheese, parmesan, dijon mustard, arugula, avocado, tomatoes, onions . . . 
 Serves 3 - 4.

• Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and sauté 3 minutes or until onion and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat.
• Place crackers in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Remove from food processor; set aside.
• Place 1 cup of lentils and half of the mushroom-onion mixture in the food processor with dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pulse to combine.
• In a large bowl, combine the mixture from the food processor with the rest of the lentils (1/2 cup), the other half of the mushroom-onion mixture, an egg, flaxseeds, and the breadcrumbs.  
• Get your hands in there and stir well. Note: If the mixture appears too wet, and you are unable to form burgers with it, you may need to add another few crackers to the food processor and then mix into your burgers to create the correct consistency.
• Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into 1/2-inch thick patty. 
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook
  for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned.
• If you are adding cheese, place your patties on a baking sheet, add the cheese, and place in the broiler for less than a minute, until melted.
• Add your all of your favorite toppings and enjoy!

What do you think? Are you ready to try out some lentil burgers? Mitch and I couldn't get enough of this recipe - it's definitely going to be on repeat in our new kitchen!