Lentil Goats Cheese Burgers with Spinach Pesto
Serves 6
Infusing these burgers with creamy goats’ cheese and adorning them with a lively pesto solves the concern that lentil burgers are always too, well, earthy. In lieu of zucchini, other good vegetable topping options include tomato, cucumber and/or barbecued eggplant slices.
1 1/4 cup (310 ml) dried green lentils 3 cups (750 ml) baby spinach 1/2 cup (125 ml) flat-leaf parsley 2 Tbsp (40 ml) extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 garlic cloves, crushed, divided 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt, divided 1/2 cup (125 ml) wheatgerm or ground flaxseed 120 g soft goats’ cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup (80 ml) chopped walnuts 1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 3 tsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard 3/4 tsp (4 ml) ground cumin 1/4 tsp (1 ml) black pepper 2 medium-sized zucchini Sprouts or micro-greens (optional) 6 organic wholegrain buns (optional)
Place lentils in medium-sized saucepan with 4 cups (1 L) water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside to cool.
As lentils are cooling, place spinach and parsley in food processor container and pulse until well chopped. Add olive oil, lemon juice, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt to container and blend until well combined, wiping down sides as needed. Set aside.
Add lentils to food processor container and pulse until most of the lentils have broken down but are not completely smooth. Add remaining garlic, remaining salt, wheatgerm or flaxseed, goats’ cheese, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, mustard, cumin and black pepper; pulse until well combined. Form mixture into 6 equal-sized patties.
Slice zucchini in half along their width. Stand the 4 halves upright and slice each into 4 or 5 thin slices.
Preheat barbecue to medium. Brush burgers and zucchini slices with oil. Cook burgers for 4 minutes per side, or until they have developed a crispy crust. Cook zucchini slices until tender, flipping once, about 5 minutes.
If using buns, heat them on the barbecue for 1 minute, or until toasted. Serve lentil burgers topped with spinach pesto, zucchini slices and sprouts or micro-greens, if using.
Each serving contains: 1465 kilojoules; 18 g protein; 16 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (3 g sugars, 15 g fibre); 289 mg sodium
source: "Vegie Burgers", alive Australia #18, Summer 2013
Lentil Goats Cheese Burgers with Spinach Pesto
Directions
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.