Greenies

As promised, here is my recipe for the veggie burgers I made last week. I have been searching for the right veggie burger recipe for ages. I've been in pursuit of a burger that has a veggie base and real vegan protein (no soy protein isolate in these babies!) After learning to that I liked sunflower seeds (who knew?), I became intrigued with Sunshine Burgers, though I've never had the opportunity to try them for myself. From a little research and using recipes from here and here as a base, I was able to create a wonderfully balanced veggie burger. Just listen to the stats: a nice dose of healthy fats, 8 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein!

Without further ado, veggie burger seekers and whole food enthusiasts, rejoice!

"Greenies" (Lentil and Sunflower Seed Veggie Burgers) 
Makes 3-4 Burgers 

3/4 cup + 1 tbs cooked red lentils
3 tbs sunflower seeds
4 red chard leaves
1 cup spinach
1 large carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 sun-dried tomato, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs vegetable broth or water (or more, if needed)
1 tbs sesame seeds
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp tahini
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp onion powder
a few shakes of Lawry's season salt or an seasoning mix
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In your food processor:

• Rip the red chard and spinach into more manageable pieces and place in your food processor with roughly chopped carrots. Pulse until well chopped. Set aside.
• Pulse the sunflower seeds until roughly chopped. Some whole pieces may remain but try to break them up a bit. Set aside.

In your saute pan:

• On medium high heat, saute the onions until almost translucent. 
• Lower the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and saute for a minute more (or until you can smell the sweet garlic). 
• Add the chopped red chard, spinach, and carrot mixture and the spices to the mixture. Saute for 5 minutes, along with adding the tahini and veggie broth. If the mixture becomes too dry, feel free to add more liquid but just make sure that it is not too wet before transferring it to your mixing bowl (more time on the stove will solve this). 
• Place the chopped sunflower seeds and the sesame seeds in the pan. Saute for 1 minute. 

In a mixing bowl: 

• Remove the mixture from the saute pan and place it in a medium mixing bowl. 
• Stir in the red lentils, nutritional yeast, and finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
• Cover the mixing bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will allow the flavors to meld together and make forming the patties easier. It is not necessary, but recommended. 

Cook:

• Form the mixture into 3-4 patties. 
• Preheat the oven to 400F. Place patties on parchment paper (I recommend this because the mixture is quite flimsy and will stick to other surfaces) and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. It is not necessary to flip the patties (as I said, they are delicate), but if you would prefer to do so, flip in the last 10 minutes of baking. With the parchment paper, both sides should brown nicely. 
• OR: Heat the patties in a non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until desired warmth and consistency is reached. 

Serving suggestions:

• Eat open-faced with a side of millet and carrots 

• Place on a slice of ezekiel bread with spinach and shredded carrots 

• Enjoy straight from the mixing bowl (it was necessary to taste-test, of course ;) ) 

Have a lovely day! 

xox