Last week I ate like a death row inmate released into an all you can eat buffet hours before the electric chair. Seriously. I’m talking a burger king / auntie anne’s pretzel dogs / mall food court feast in preparation for my friend’s wedding. Yes, that’s correct. Isn’t that what everyone eats days before a monumentally important life event filled with pictures? I can only assume so.

So, to make up for it, I’ve been eating healthy and working my expanded waist line out. Tuesday’s eats included oatmeal for breakfast, a salad topped with deli turkey for lunch, a mango tango pluot (what?) for snack and one of these yummy and nutritious burgers for supper. Lentils are packed with protein, fiber and vitamins and are also super tasty. This batch makes six burgers, so what I do is cook all of them up at once then freeze the four Ross and I won’t use right away. That way we have frozen veggies burgers ready for a night we don’t feel like cooking.

Please don’t be too repulsed by this photo. It is difficult to take a photo of a bean patty and make it look appetizing. Trust me, this looks much better sitting on some yummy bread with a (small) slice of cheese on top!

Lentil Veggie Burgers
Makes 6 burgers

Ingredients

1 cup un-cooked lentils
1 cup of mixed diced veggies (I used carrots, onions and celery, but you could also use mushrooms, broccoli, etc.)
1 clove garlic (minced)
cooking spray
1/4 whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
dash cayenne (to taste)
dash black pepper)

1.) Cook the lentils. I use a 2 to 1 ratio (2 cups water, 1 cup lentils). Bring the water to a boil, pour the lentils in and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the water is gone or they’re tender (about 20 minutes).
2.) Meanwhile, in a skillet heated to medium heat, cook the vegetables in a bit of cooking spray for about five minutes until tender. Two minutes before they’re done, toss in the minced garlic.
3.) Once the lentils and vegetables are cooked, combine them along with 1/4 cup water in a blender or food processor. You may need to work in batches. Pulse until relatively smooth, but still with a few chunks.
4.) Combine the lentil mixture with seasonings and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Score the mixture to create 6 patties.
5.) In a skillet over medium heat, cook each side until browned. Top with cheese if desired.
6.) As noted, you can freeze the cooked patties. To re-heat I usually just take them out of the freezer, pop them in the microwave for a minute then crisp them in a pan for a bit.