Recipe of the week ~ Lentil-Walnut Burgers (optional: with Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce)

I found the recipe here. It includes the photo with ingredients & instructions. My personal notes are at the bottom with additonal & substitution ideas.



Ingredients:

Lentil-Walnut Burgers:

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, cooled

1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 cup lentils, cooked, drained, and cooled

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large egg (I'm not sure what can substitute this. It is used to make the mix stick together in order to form patties)

Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce:

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I think soy yogurt will work well with this)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Instructions:

Lentil-Walnut Burgers:

In a food processor, combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil; pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should remain whole).

In a large bowl, whisk egg. Add lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4-inch-thick patties.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Per serving (without sauce): 460 calories; 28.9 grams fat; 18.7 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 13.6 grams fiber

Yogurt Cilantro Sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon; season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

Prep time: 40 minutes Total time: 40 minutes


My Notes:

- I added a small amount of flax seeds to the food processor.

- I added a small amount of flax seeds, finely chopped green pepper and finely chopped mushroom to the sauce. Add to your own discretion.

- Easy on the salt..the cilantro is really strong!- If you can't find corinander, use cilantro as an excellent substitution. I ended up putting a little extra cilantro in the sauce.

- You can replace the yogurt with vegan sour cream.

- If you would like to use an egg replacement: 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water, whisked together. It seems to have worked really well. I had no problem shaping the burger and it also kept its shape quite nicely.