Veggie Burger

1. First, cover the lentils in 4 – 5 cups of water and bring to boil. Let simmer uncovered for 20 – 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft but not falling apart, then drain and set aside. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 – 3 more minutes, or until they’re beginning to brown, then add tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly and scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan (these are the tasty parts!). Remove from heat.
2. Stir vegetable mixture into lentils. Add walnuts, tamari, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and paprika. Add eggs and homemade quinoa breadcrumbs (recipe below) and mix well. You can use a food processor at the end if you’d like smoother, more homogenous burgers, and just use your hands and a spoon if you like more texture. Place mixture in fridge and let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Shape the mixture into balls and flatten with your palms, before placing on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes, or until edges are beginning to brown. Makes 8 – 10 burgers.

Quinoa Breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and drain quinoa well, then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 10 – 12 minutes, or until quinoa is completely dry and just beginning to turn golden brown. Let cool, then pulse in food processor for 1 – 2 minutes, until a breadcrumb like texture is achieved.