Test Kitchen Tuesday

I apologize in advance for subjecting you to another veggie burger only a few weeks after the last veggie burger.

Oh, but it’s worth it.

A couple weeks ago, we went to dinner at some friends’ house, and our hostess, Amy, provided a vegetarian option alongside her chicken parmesan. Unlike just about any other veggie burger I have made (and I have made a lot…I am nothing if not persistent), it held together really well. And, it resembled a burger. And, it tasted good.

Funnily enough, one of the things I was going to do to the previously tested veggie burger next time I make it is blend it all up in the food processor, hoping to help it hold together better. This recipe from Amy does just that – it’s all about the food processor, which is fast and effective.

By the way, it’s worth noting that Amy is also the provider of the inspiration for 2Chili’s favorite chicken tacos.

This week, I wanted to try making Amy’s lentil burgers, and paired it with something else I have been thinking about: sweet potato hash browns. Never heard of such a thing? Me either. Last week, Leigh over at Cheap Healthy Good posted a great how-to on making home run hash browns, and after I tried and successfully produced 2Chili-approved hash browns with her method, I decided to get adventurous and make sweet potato hash.

The hash browns are really a “no recipe” recipe – shred a sweet potato (hello, food processor!), drain/press water out (use Leigh’s method from above), scatter ‘em on a skillet with some olive oil, and cook on both sides. Add a little salt if you’re so inclined. Yum.

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Downloadable Word Document Recipe

Original Recipe: No written source on this one as it came from my friend Amy.

Time Required:

• 10 minutes to prepare patties
• 1 hour to chill
• 15 minutes to cook

Skill Level (out of 5):

2Chili’s Taster Rating (out of 5):

He thought these were good, though not quite as good as the veggie burgers from a few weeks ago, but he liked how they held up better and really looked like a burger.

The Cook’s Taster Rating (out of 5):

I thought these were really easy and good, though, I am not sure the need for the walnuts. I think you could switch out the walnuts for carrots and bring the fat and calories down pretty easily.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup cooked lentils
• 2T cider vinegar (I was out and used rice vinegar – it worked)
• dash of olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4-5 large garlic cloves
• 1/2c walnuts
• 1c fresh spinach, chopped
• 1t dry mustard
• 1/2c bread crumbs
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

• Pulse chopped onions and garlic together in a food processor until they are finely minced
• Pulse spinach in a food processor until it is finely minced
• Add onions, garlic, and spinach to a small skillet and sauté until soft
• Meantime, transfer cooked lentils to the food processor bowl and add vinegar, crumbs, mustard, salt & pepper to taste, finely minced walnuts and pulse until well combined
• Add the spinach and onion sautéed to the lentil mixture, and pulse one or two more times to combine
• Chill for one hour
• Form four burger patties and broil until browned on each side (this took 7 minutes per side for me)

Nutrition:

Calories: 223
Total Fat: 10.1g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 176.5mg
Carbohydrates: 25.7g
Fiber: 7.8g
Sugars: 4.2g
Protein 10g

The Verdict:

I’ll make these again, no question about it. I think I’ll switch out the walnuts for carrots next time around, though. Thanks Amy for the recipe!