Cheap Eats: Two New Lentil Burger Recipes

Smoky Traditional and Tropical Sweet-N-Spicy Burgers

 

In my quest to stretch my food dollars during the June Grocery Challenge,  I created two brand new lentil burger recipes.  If you've never tried a bean-based burger, let me give you my best pitch for why you should.  

My burgers:  

Have no Cholesterol

Have no added oil

Have no Artery-clogging Fat

Have lots of protein

Have lots of fiber

Are low in salt 

Are incredibly economical!

Taste fantastic!

  Two pounds of brown lentils cost about $3.00 and make 28-30 burgers!   

 

That's a lot of  bang for your buck!  

Seriously!

Even when I add the cost of the other ingredients you are talking 28-30 burgers for under $5.00!! 

Compare how many burgers you get from two pounds of hamburger! 

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

I started by cooking two pounds of brown lentils (about 5 cups)  in 10 cups of water.  Rinse the lentils well, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Voila!  They are perfectly cooked! 

 Then I divided them in half and seasoned them each to create two distinctly different taste experiences.  

The smoky traditional burgers, have that "meaty" taste with chili seasoning and liquid smoke.

The tropical sweet-n-spicy burgers combine mango salsa with coconut flakes and ginger.  

After adding the seasoning (recipe will follow), just form into burgers and place on parchment lined trays. Parchment paper will brown the bottom of the burgers and allow you to cook them without a spec of added oil.  In addition, you simply remove the parchment paper and throw it away after the burgers are done, simplifying  clean up significantly. 

Easy-to-form balls

Pat into burgers

TWO trays ready for the oven!

 Then bake at 375 degrees.  After 30 minutes, carefully flip the burgers to insure even browning on both sides.  Bake an additional 15 minutes.  Burgers should be brown and firm to the touch when done.

Serve on a bun topped with traditional burger condiments.  We used additional mango salsa on the tropical sweet-n-spicy burger.  It was divine!

Tropical Sweet-N-Spicy Burger

"Delicious!"  

RECIPES!  

Tropical Sweet-N-Spicy Lentil Burgers 

Makes 12-15 burgers

1 pound brown lentils – (2.5 cups) washed well and sorted

5 cups of water

1 Tbsp. Bragg’s aminos

2 tsp. salt free seasoning (I like Zesty Country)

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 rounded tsp. ground ginger

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup Aldi organic mango-peach salsa

1/2 cup flour (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking flour)

Rinse lentils well.  Place in pan with 5 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.  The lentils will be perfectly cooked!  Remove from heat and add the remainder of the ingredients except for flour.  Mix well. Add the flour a little at a time until the mixture has the consistency to make into balls.  This is generally 1/2 cup, but could be a little more or less.  So, don't add all the flour at once. 

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Use your hands to form “baseball” sized balls.  Place each on the tray and flatten slightly to form a burger shape.  They will shrink slightly when cooked.  This recipe will completely fill a large baking tray with 12-15 patties.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Carefully flip the burgers.  Bake an additional 15 minutes.  The burgers should be browned and firm to the touch.  

These burgers freeze VERY well!  

(Here is a link to download a PDF of the recipe).  

 

Traditional Smoky Burgers

Makes 12 - 15 burgers

1 pound brown lentils – (2.5 cups) washed well and sorted

5 cups of water

1 Tbsp. Bragg’s aminos

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning 

1/2 cup flour (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking flour)

Rinse lentils well.  Place in pan with 5 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.  The lentils will be perfectly cooked!  Remove from heat and add the remainder of the ingredients except for flour.  Mix well. Add the flour a little at a time until the mixture has the consistency to make into balls.  This is generally 1/2 cup, but could be a little more or less.  So, don't add all the flour at once. 

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Use your hands to form “baseball” sized balls.  Place each on the tray and flatten slightly to form a burger shape.  They will shrink slightly when cooked.  This recipe will completely fill a large baking tray with 12-15 patties.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Carefully flip the burgers.  Bake an additional 15 minutes.  The burgers should be browned and firm to the touch.  

These burgers freeze VERY well!  

(Here is a link to download a PDF of this recipe).  

Enjoy!

Don't Forget to Enter the June Giveaway

Read this post to find out how to enter to win of one of my favorite books, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half, by Steve and Annette Economides.  There's still plenty of time to enter. 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope