Lentil Burger Recipe

[ButterSticks]

A warning: The amounts called for make a huge number of patties (over forty). So if you don't have enough cookie sheets or freezer space, it ought to be halved.

1 pound green/brown lentils
2.5 cups uncooked brown rice
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
3 finely grated carrots
5 onions
4 eggs
approximately 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

seasonings as you wish (salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, cumin and chilli powder is what I use)

Start boiling five cups of water in a medium saucepan.

Rinse the lentils and set them to boil in a large pot. Make sure there is a generous amount of water (you can add a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, if you wish). Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot occasionally.

When the five cups are boiling, add a splash of olive oil and the 2.5 cups of rice. Cover tightly and bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 50 minutes.

Pour at least a cup of canola oil into a large skillet and set it over high heat. Finely chop up the onions and place them in the skillet (watch out for splatters). Cover and fry the onions until they are very brown. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When they are done, drain them thoroughly and place them to dry on paper towels. Pat them and replace the towels as needed to remove oil.

While the lentils, onions and rice are cooking, grate the carrots and thaw the spinach. When the spinach is thawed, squeeze all the liquid out and chop it finely (a food processor usually does the job much faster).

When the lentils are boiled to almost a mush (about the same time it takes to cook the rice), pour it through a seive to remove the liquid.

Put the lentils and cooked rice into a large bowl and start smashing the heck out of it with a potato masher (or you can use your hands, but it's pretty messy).

Once the rice is pulvarized into the lentils, add the onions, spinach, carrots, eggs and spices and blend well.

Now start slowly mixing in the rolled oats until it firms up and takes on a cookie dough-like consistency, and is no longer sticky.

Form patties to whatever size you prefer, and place them on greased cookie sheets. Brush the tops with olive oil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Check on them frequently b/c they burn easily.

These turn out so delicious, and if you're genous with the cumin and chilli powder they have a great, Tex-Mex meatiness to them. It is a bit of a labor intense recipe, but they're worth it, and freeze really well. They're also pretty much nutritionally complete, low-fat and chock-full of vitamins and minerals.

Enjoy.

ETA: I usually save the lentil-liquid after draining, b/c it makes a delicious gravy base.