Tangy Lentil Burger

It's been awhile since I was a Declared Vegetarian. That was during college, and I hung out with all the vegetarians on campus (we all ate together in the cafeteria, naturally) and it was a heady time of exploring how to balance your protein needs without meat. The cafeteria staff thought we were nuts, but they provided something edible for the vegetarians at suppertime. The rest of the day, we had to forage for our protein. I am now a sometimes-red-meat eater. But mostly chicken and fish. I do enjoy a totally tofu meal now and again.

So I thought the Tangy Lentil Burger would be just the ticket on a hot evening in July. However, the cooking instructions for the lentils were completely different on the lentil package than what I found in the cookbook. I learned that you should trust both. In that you want to use lots of water (lentil package) and boil the lentils til soft (cookbook). It is a great veggie burger recipe, but needs more zest. It does call for red pepper flakes in a sauce spread over the burgers before baking, and that helps. But I think maybe more red pepper flakes, or more Sriracha sauce, or both?

The patties held together well during baking, likely due to the sauce on top lending necessary moisture. It's an easy recipe and I was pleased with the results. A good option if you have vegetarians in the fam.
BTW, the burgers freeze well. Recipe makes up 8 medium sized burgers.


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