Lentil Walnut Burgers With Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce

For the burgers:
3/4 c. lentils, picked over and rinsed
3/4 c. walnuts
1/3 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
4 T. olive oil
1 large egg
4 hamburger buns

For the sauce:
3/4 c. plain yogurt
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. lemon juice
coarse salt and pepper

For the sauce:
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

For the burgers:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place the lentils in a small saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and cool.
Meanwhile, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until fragrant and darkened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a food processor, combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper; process until finely ground. Add the lentils and 1 T. of the oil; pulse until coarsely chopped. (Some lentils should remain whole.)
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the 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 the remaining 3 T. oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the burgers; cook over medium low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently wit a thin edged spatula, 8-10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to drain. Serve on buns topped with yogurt sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
At least once a week I try to make a meatless meal. Sometimes when I am picking out recipes I think to myself "They are not going to like this." Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and sometimes I am right, they don't like it. I knew when I was making this I was going out on a limb. Blake is not the biggest fan of "non meat" made to act like a burger, and then I was throwing the nuts into it. For him that is insult on top of insult. Both of us thought that it was alright. Not great. Not horrible. I think I overcooked the lentils and I didn't like that it has a spice "dryness" to it. Canon on the other hand loved it.

Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil

8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

1/2 c. dried lentils

6 c. chicken broth

1 bunch kale, torn into bite size pieces

2 t. red wine vinegar

Directions:
In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat oil over med-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils, broth, and 1/2 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until lentil and vegetables are tender, 25 minutes.
Add kale and season with salt. Return soup to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until kale wilts, about 5 minutes.
Remove soup from heat, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
Nothing tastes so good on a cold day as something warm and hearty. This soup had good flavor and filled us up with out seeming heavy. I liked this quite a bit, kale and all. Blake liked it but said he felt like a cow eating the kale. This kind of reminded me of zuppa toscana from Olive Garden, same theory anyways.

Lentil Casserole

For the Casserole:
6 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. lentils, uncooked
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. brown rice, uncooked
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 small can diced chilies

For toppings:
cheddar cheese, shredded
tomatoes, diced
olives, sliced
green onions, sliced thin
cilantro, minced

For the Casserole:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together in a oven safe dish. Cover and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until lentils and rice are cooked through and no liquid is left.
Place cheese and any other toppings on casserole and heat through.

Makes: a lot. Total Time: 15 minutes plus cooking time

Verdict:
When my mom first made this growing up I told her I would not eat it. It does not look good. She made us try it and I am glad I did. I enjoy it quite a bit. The nice thing about this is that you can use dried ingredients that you have in your cupboard like: onions, chicken bouillon instead of chicken broth and today I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. It was still good. We like to eat it with sour cream and salsa. Everything is better with those right?