Burger. What's in a Name?

What's in a name? That which we call a burger by any other name would smell as savory…


Burgers. We all love ‘em. And that is exactly what was on the menu last night! But like dear Juliet portrayed in her soliloquy, this burger is far more than its mere given title. This is not your meat packed patty that pops in your noggin when you hear ‘burger’. No, this burger is better is better than that. Yes, I am calling you out. My burger is better than your burger.

Nanner Nanner Boo Boo.

This burger is packed with protein, and oh was it delicious! I saw the recipe on “Oh She Glows” and knew that my first homemade veggie burger would be this one. A couple gluten free adaptions and we were ready to go! Obviously these can me made with non gluten free ingredients as well. So let’s bust out the food processor and start patty cakin’ those veggie patties together. Oh and if your grill has not shed its winter cover, no worries! These are baked to goodness in your oven!

Vegan & Gluten Free Lentil-Walnut Burgers

Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 piece gluten free bread, toasted OR 1/3 cup GF breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 chia/flax egg (1 tbsp ground chia or flax + 1/4 cup water)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl make the chia or flax egg and set aside. Place lentils in a small pot and add a couple cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove and rinse in colander.
While the lentils are cooking, toast the walnuts by placing the walnuts on a baking sheet and cooking at 350F for about 12 minutes until golden brown and delicious. Let cool.

In a food processor, process the garlic, walnuts, toasted bread OR breadcrumbs, garlic, spices & seasonings until combined. Now add oil and lentils and pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should be visible and left chunky). Add the flax or chia egg and pulse a bit more until combined.

Now shape 4 patties with hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a non-stick mat. Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes on each side for a total of 40-45 mins. bake time. Makes 4 patties. Adapted from Martha’s Great Food Fast Cookbook from the Blog Oh She Glows.

We topped ours with fresh spinach and ripe tomato. The tomato is a must! I was planning on adding guacamole but they had over ripened. But no worries, we have 2 left for tonight and I am headed to the store at lunch to pick up some avocados!

Our burgers didn’t need the whole 22 minutes once they were flipped. I was being careful that didn’t turn out too dry either. Make sure that you make your patties even. If the ends are thinner they are likely to dry out an burn. Nobody wants a burned burger.

I have yet to find a Vegan & Gluten Free Bread or Hamburger Buns so unfortunately I strayed from my vegan diet last night. One step at a time. I have cut out milk and cheese. Eggs were baked in this bread but I have been cutting them out otherwise. If you know of any gluten free/vegan breads let me know!

I cannot wait to experiment with different recipes after making this one. Of course I will be changing it up and posting new ones for you!