A better burger

If I can get my hubby to try a vegetarian entree, I am always very pleased. He is a hard-core carnivore who truly believes he would starve to death if he were to give up meat.

So, you can imagine my surprise when at dinner in a small restaurant in Dominical, Costa Rica, he announced, "I think I'll have the lentil burger." (Mind you, there were some meat options on the menu.)

I watched cautiously when the meal came. He never skipped a beat and bit into the burger, continuing the conversation. "This is good," he announced. "Try it..."

(Wait, YOU are asking ME to try a vegetarian option?! This has got to be something!)

I have had lentil burgers before and, often, they are a little mushy and taste, not surprisingly, like lentils. This one had a nice texture and a spicy flavor with a bit of a nutty taste as well.

Back home in my lovely kitchen, I played with some recipes and came up with this tasty burger.

The home version met with thumbs up as well. The lentil burgers are filling and can be dolled up in an endless variety of ways. I like peppers and onions and avocado on mine. Steve likes the good-old-fashioned cheese, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion on his. You can fix these up any way you might do a "regular" burger. It's a great jumping off spot for those who are trying vegetarian food and a yummy meal for those of us who are already there.

I doubt I can ever turn my confirmed carnivore completely over to the good side, but I think I can replace some meat dishes with these...that's a good start.

Lentil Burgers

1 1/2 cups of lentils, rinsed and picked over

6 cups of vegetable stock or water

4 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

4 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped

2 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons of datil pepper sauce

1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs

salt and pepper, to taste

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons (maybe a bit more) of whole wheat flour

• Put the lentils in a large saucepan with the stock and the garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
• Drain off any excess liquid and set the lentils aside to cool.
• Combine the chili, the red onion, the rosemary, the thyme and the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils and stir to mix. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the eggs to the burger mixture. Stir until the whole thing is thoroughly combined, adding enough flour to bring the mixture together.
• Form the mixture into large patties.
• Spray some olive oil in a pan.
• Cook the lentil burger patties on the prepared pan for 4 to 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side, or until both sides are golden and cooked through.
• Serve on whole grain bread with toppings of your choice.

(Vegan)