Olive Lentil Burgers

Summer's coming. That means cookouts by the beach and backyard barbeques are coming, too. I know I'm kind of tired of always having the same old veggie burgers. Don't get me wrong, I like veggie burgers and all but sometimes the packages ones aren't so great. Not to mention that they're pretty high in sodium and usually even the best brands contain ingredients that you can't pronounce. So now you're getting all bummed because you know I'm right. Stop planning to cry in your mojitos, I have a solution - olive lentil burgers!

Okay, seriously. I've always been super intimidated by the idea of making my own veggie burgers for some reason. I know, I'll totally go crazy and make some super complicated dinner that takes all day, but I'm scared of a little veggie burger. Or, I used to be at any rate. I don't know why, but one day I got the urge to try and make some from scratch for the first time. I think it was because we had one of those first gorgeous Vancouver days that made me think about lounging around on the beach with friends and food and a few beers. But I digress.

These puppies are so easy to make and they come together fast. I got this recipe from Isa's blog, which is probably not a surprise to anyone who is used to reading about me making something or other that she came up with. I think what drew me in at first was the kalamata olives. Oh, man do I love those. These veggie burgers are full of flavor, hearty and they don't fall apart when you're eating them like so many do!

Someone in the comments over on the PPK (I think that's where I read that at least) suggested using the o-ring from a wide-mouthed mason jar to shape these if you don't have a mold. (You know, the screwy top part of a canning jar.) Seeing as how I have a ton of those lying around, that's what I used and it worked like a charm. One tip - wet your hands and the mold when you're doing the shaping and you won't get veggie burger stuck to either.

The recipe calls for canned lentils, but since I had a bunch of lentils already and they cook fast, I just made some. Just simmer the lentils with a crushed clove or two of garlic and a bay leaf until they're soft and you're good. I think it only took about 45 minutes for mine. I didn't time them, I just started tasting them after about 30 minutes until they seemed like the right texture to me.

Here's something else that's cool. You can totally make these ahead of time and freeze them for later. Just put a little piece of parchment paper in between them before you put them in the freezer so they don't stick together.

We just added some sliced heirloom tomatoes, lettuce and pickles in addition to the usual vegan mayo, mustard and ketchup. Well, James used ketchup, I didn't. I'm not really a fan of ketchup on veggie burgers. You could really put anything on these, though. Keep it simple or make it fancy, they'd be great either way. You might recognize the potato salad from my Potato Salad to Rule the Universe recipe. Yeah, that goes nicely with these, whether you're eating at home or transporting food elsewhere.

Olive Lentil Burgers (recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz, copied and pasted directly from her site here.)

Olive oil (from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, your choice)
1 small yellow onion, diced medium
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (really, use any pitted olive you like)
1 15 oz can cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (1 1/4 cups)
1 cup breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan non-stick (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes with a pinch of salt. Add mushroom, garlic, black pepper, thyme and tarragon and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until mushroom is cooked.

While mushroom is cooking, place olives in food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped (not pureed.) Remove from food processor and set aside. (No need to clean it out for the next step.)
When mushrooms have cooked, add mushroom mixture to the food processor. Add all other ingredients except for 1/2 a cup of the breadcrumbs. (Did you hear me? Reserve 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, this will give them better texture.) Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be a little texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to the burger mixture, along with the chopped olives, and thoroughly combine.

Divide burger mix into 6 equal pieces. An easy way to do this is divide it in half, then cut each half into 3 basically equal portions. You can do that right in the bowl if it’s large enough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Form mixture into patties, spray with a little more cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Flip burgers and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, until nicely browned.

Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I'm not sure exactly what led me to make this shepherd's pie. I've actually never really cared for that dish before. I think that maybe I've just never had a good one. Shepherd's pie usually brings to mind overcooked vegetables topped with flavorless, gummy mashed potatoes. Even when presented with a recipe for a shepherd's pie, I'll typically pass in favor of just about anything else. Associations are hard to break sometimes, I guess.

Whatever possessed me to want to try the Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie in Appetite for Reduction, I'm glad for it. My mind has been forever changed. It's funny, too, presenting this as "upside-down" somehow makes my brain think it's less work than the other way. Really, I think it's pretty much the same amount, you're just not layering until you're ready to serve it. There's where the end of the overcooked veggies comes in, too.

This dish is full of so many good things: lentils, shitake mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, celery, peas, Caulipots. Oh, Caulipots. OMG, Caulipots. Seriously, Caulipots are like a revelation. It's pretty much just half and half cauliflower and potatoes mashed up together with a little bit of olive oil and vegetable broth mixed in. Much less fat than regular mashed potatoes and a truckload more flavor. I swear I could sit down and eat an entire bowl of Caulipots just by themselves.

I didn't feel like searching the city for du Puy lentils, so I just used plain old green lentils for this. I also added some beet greens because I had some that needed using and adding a few extra greens to a dish never hurt. You can conceivably make this using just two pots. One for the Caulipots and one for the lentils and veggies. Easy cleanup and easy to make. It's pretty quick, too. You could make this after work one night if you have everything on hand already. Who wouldn't like coming home to a nice meal like this, anyway? The thyme and tarragon simmering away with the veggies and lentils gives off such a wonderful aroma. That'll put you in a good mood if you weren't before.

This recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce. I definitely think it adds a nice bit of flavor to this dish. If you're having trouble finding a vegan brand, check the ingredients on the store brands. I was surprised to find that some of the local chain grocery stores around here have a vegan store brand Worcestershire sauce. That's kind of cool. If you can't find any or don't want to spend the money on something you might not use again, (what- you're not making a bloody mary for weekend brunches?) you can just use a bit of soy sauce and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar instead.

This is definitely a keeper recipe. I will for sure be making this again. It reheated really well and was a great leftover dish to take to work for the week. Your tummy will thank you.

Soup and a Quesadilla at Sejuiced

Welcome to another edition of "What SaraJane had for lunch today."  But really, this post could work at least once a week.  I have this exact same thing at least once a week.  I apologize for the crappy photos, I was using my phone camera and it was a dark day.  I mostly wanted to hurry up and take the pictures so I could put this food in my tummy.

There is a great veg*n place near my office called Sejuiced.  I think Veg News actually added them to their write up about Vancouver when they profiled this city a year or so ago.  Sejuiced is awesome because they have tons of great stuff made with fresh fruits and veggies.  Most of the menu is already vegan or can be made vegan easily and there are quite a few raw choices.  You can order lots of awesome fresh juices and there is a small selection of raw and vegan dessert type things, too.  Every day there are two vegan soup choices and right now there is also a vegan chili!  I have yet to try the vegan caesar salad, but I want to.  I just keep getting drawn in by my longing for awesome soup.

I used to always get the Ananda Bowl (grilled tofu over brown rice and greens with tomatoes with an amazing tahini sauce) but now I always go for the lentil dal soup.  I like their soups because they're never full of salt or oil.  You can always tell that lots of fresh ingredients went in to making them.  I mean, look at this picture!  You can even see some of the cumin seeds hanging out on top.  There are usually a few good-sized pieces of yam in here, too.  Mmmm...

I find that just a bowl of soup sometimes isn't quite enough so I usually add a small salad or something to my soup.  Well, usually until I realized there is herion in the quesadillas.  Sejuiced will substitite Daiya cheese (yay!) for anything with cheese in it for just 50 cents.  Black bean quesadilla with Daiya, please!  Normally the quesadilla comes with a side of tzaziki, but since I'm getting all vegan up in this piece, they give me a little cup of diced veggies and citrus.  It's a salsa of sorts, I guess.  Who cares, it's good.

This is a great lunch for a cold, grey, rainy, Vancouver day.  The food is always great, the staff is always friendly and I always feel pleasantly full after eating here.  You never know what kinds of perks you'll get with your food, either.  For example, the day I came in and took these photos they were playing the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.  It brought me back to junior high!

Lentil Chili

I know, chili again, so soon? Well, yeah. And this one is even easier than the last one. I've never had chili made with lentils before I tried this recipe. I was a little skeptical at first. I thought it might end up tasting just like lentil soup or something. But no!

I know there are a lot of haters out there when it comes to omni food magazines. I, however, am not one of those people. I've been subscribing to Bon Appetit for over 10 years. Continuously almost, too. And you know what? I've been vegetarian or vegan for the entire time (and then some. ;) ). I've gotten some really great recipes and ideas for different ways to prepare foods that I might not have thought of on my own. I absolutely love food. I love to try some of the trendy flavor groupings and make some really "gourmet" feeling food sometimes. My brain just automatically skips over the stuff that I find gross or just substitutes tofu or seitan in the place of meat in recipes.

But I digress. Why am I yammering on about food magazines? Because that's where I found this lentil chili recipe, that's why! Specifically from Bon Appetit's Green Issue (February 2008). It was even already vegan, I didn't have to substitute a thing. And that's pretty darn cool. (Though I must say, I'm unsure why they felt the need to add the "with Cumin" part to the recipe name. That's kinda weird since most chili has that in the first place.)

Don't be fooled by the minimal ingredients. I almost added a few more things as I was cooking, but then I was glad I didn't. I think the simplicity of the ingredients is what makes the flavors really shine.

Lentil Chili with Cumin and Green Onions

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (add more to make it hotter)
4 cups (or more) water
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed (I used green ones)
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped green onions

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano leaves, and cayenne pepper; stir for 30 seconds. Add the 4 cups of water, lentils, and tomato puree. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam from the surface. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls as needed if dry, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup green onions. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the chili among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with remaining green onions and serve.

Yay Soup!

I haven't made any chili yet. I got a ton of great recipe suggestions, though. I should have mentioned that I don't want to use any meat substitutes (so no crumbles!). Sometimes I don't mind using that stuff, but lately I've been trying to steer clear of that sort of thing. I don't mind seitan and tempeh, though. Also, I have a weird aversion to chili that has corn in it. For some reason a ton of people want to put corn in their chili. I don't quite get it. I don't mind having some cornbread with your chili, but no corn inside, thank you very much.

I did, however, make the French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme from Veganomicon. Yum! I love lentil soup and for some reason I've never tried to make it myself. I haven't a clue why. I had some fresh thyme hanging out in the fridge, so I used that instead of the dry. I couldn't find any fresh tarragon or I would have used that fresh as well. Otherwise, the only thing I changed was to use a can of diced tomatoes (drained) instead of fresh tomatoes. There aren't any good tomatoes this time of year so I wasn't even going to try. Plus, using the can was much faster and I didn't end up with little tomato peels swimming in my soup. If you can get those yummy fire-roasted ones, totally use those instead of the regular. The flavor they add is freaking incredible. Their awesomeness will take you by surprise. Or, well, maybe not because I just told you how awesome they are. But, still...

I did love this soup, it was perfect for what I was wanting at the time. And it was fast and easy to make. I do think it could have stood to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, though. My lentils weren't quite as soft as I was hoping they'd be at the end of things. They weren't unedible or anything, but I like my lentils to be soft like the canned ones are.

Hey, look! More fennel!

Yeah, I made fennel again. Yum! I didn't get all fancy like last time. I pretty much just piled together a bunch of stuff that I had already. I still like the other fennel recipe the best, but this is good, too and cleanse-friendly!


Fennel and Greens and Lentils, Oh My

2 Tablespoons oil (I used grapeseed)
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 bunch red chard, rinsed and torn into pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup lentils, cooked (I just used 1 can, which is roughly a little bit more than 1 cup, but whatever)
2 cups cooked brown rice

Saute the fennel in the oil over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook it until the fennel just starts to turn golden in places. Throw in the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Add the red chard and a splash of water. Put a lid on the pot so that the chard will steam a bit, lifting the lid to turn everything with tongs a few times. Once the greens are all wilty, you're done!

Layer brown rice, lentils and your fennel/greens mixture on a plate. You can add salt and pepper if you want. I added some salt-free Spike for some extra seasoning and flavor.

Yum!

Ethiopian Spicy Tomato Lentil Stew

You know how sometimes there are certain types of foods that you like, but they seem sorta mysterious? Kinda like they were just created by magic at the restaurant you usually order them from. Ethiopian food is a bit like that to me. Obviously, I know it's not only the kitchen elves that make the food taste the way it does, but I do think they help.

I've never tried to make Ethiopian food before. I actually only had it for the first time after I moved to Vancouver last February. Now I am totally in love with sharing a tray of yummies with a plate of warm injera with friends. There is something so nice about eating this way. I feel like it's centering somehow. Here you are, sitting in a restaurant, or at home with this great spread, eating with your fingers and talking with your friends. Scooping the food up with that delicious bread makes you eat a little bit slower and seems to allow for more of a connection with the people you're eating with as well since you're all sharing the food on the tray.

I'm anxiously awaiting Kittee's Papa Tofu zine because she's promised some Ethiopian recipes inside. I'm on a search for teff flour so I can make some injera and have my own little African feast at home. Until then, I decided to try out Isa's Ethiopian Spicy Tomato Lentil Stew.

I have to admit that I couldn't find ground fenugreek and I didn't feel like trying to turn it into a powder, so I just threw it in there whole. That seemed to work just fine, so go for it if you're feeling lazy like me. This was absolutely delicious, though. I gave Roman some of the leftovers and he told me that he likes it so much he might try and make it himself some time. You have no idea how major that is. It was a hearty stew, full of flavor, but not too heavy. I love how the flavor of the veggies work together so nicely augemented by the spices. mmmmmm! Definitely try this one if you haven't already.

Ethiopian Spicy Tomato Lentil Stew

1 cup brown lentils
1 large yellow onion, diced small
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, miced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup peanut oil (vegetable oil will do)
10 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock or 1 cup water + 2 veg boullion cubes
1 cup frozen green peas

Spice Blend:
2 tsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cardomom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Boil the lentils for about 45 minutes or until tender.

In a large pot, over med heat saute the onions and carrots for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spice blend. Saute 5 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and mix, then add the water. Simmer Until bubbling. Add the cooked lentils and green peas, simmer 15 more minutes.

This makes around 4 large servings or 6 small ones.




Coming soon: goodies from Seattle, more ppk recipes and Veganomicon!