Chipotle Lentil Burgers
Makes 7-8 big burgers
Preparation: 30 minutes prep time. 30 minutes oven-baking time
Ingredients:
1 small red onion, cut in medium dice
1/2 pound zucchini, halved lengthwide and sliced 1/2 inch thick (it all gets processed, so no need to make them too small)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped (stems & leaves!)
17.6 oz. (1 lb. 1.6 oz.) of already cooked lentils. I used Trader Joe's refrigerated vacuum packed Steamed French lentils. If this isn't available, use 2 1/2 cups of cooked or canned lentils.
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs. I prefer Ian's Whole Wheat Panko-style crumbs (you might need to use more)
1/4 cup of canned chipotles in adobo sauce, seeds removed, with adobo sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
2 teaspoons Smoked paprika (no substitutes)
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. This is the temperature that I bake burgers & fries in my oven. If you have a gas oven, or your oven runs hot--you may want to lower it, accordingly.
2. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan on medium-high. Saute the onions without oil until almost transluscent, about 3 minutes. Keep moving them around, and add small amounts (2 tablespoonsful) of vegetable broth or water when & if they start to stick, to deglaze the pan.
3. Add the zucchini, garlic, cilantro, and a pinch of salt, and continue to saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until the zucchini is soft.
4. Here's the pitchkey-potchkey part--but just suck-it-up & DO IT. It's really no big deal. Transfer the veggie mixture into a food processor (not a blender). Then add ALL the other ingredients--EXCEPT FOR 1/2 cup of THE BREAD CRUMBS! Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be a little texture.
5. Transfer all of it to a big mixing bowl and add the remaing 1/2 cup of bread crumbs to the burger mixture, and use a fork to combine. NOTE: We had to add more crumbs at this stage--like about 1/2 cup more--to "firm" up the mixture--it looked a little too wet for our tastes.
6. Divide the mixture into 7 or 8 burgers--and form them into nice patties.
7. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper--for 15 minutes in your 450 preheated oven. Turn & finish baking for another 15 minutes. They should be firm & brown on the outside--and soft on the inside.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. Grilled onions on top would be fabulous! Maybe even a sliver of avocado.
Nutritional Information based on 1/8 serving. Does not include the Alvarado Street bun=140 calories, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams of protein.
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Nutrition Facts
Enlightened Healthy Librarian's
Chipotle Lentil Burgers |
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Serving Size: 1 serving
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| Amount Per Serving | |||||
| Calories | 138 | ||||
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| Total Fat | 0.5g | ||||
| Saturated Fat | 0g | ||||
| Trans Fat | 0g | ||||
| Cholesterol | 0mg | ||||
| Sodium | 370mg | ||||
| Carbohydrate | 25.2g | ||||
| Dietary Fiber | 7.5g | ||||
| Sugars | 3.8g | ||||
| Protein | 8.5g | ||||
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