Remember when I overcooked my lentils because I was so engrossed in wrestling this bad boy into homemade coconut butter?
If not, here’s the proof:
Not being a food waster, I froze this batch of lentils for later use. It took me about 2 weeks, but I finally settled on the Vegetarian Lentil Burger recipe from 101 Cookbooks.
I am an voracious eater of Morningstar Garden Veggie Burgers. I love, love, love my Morningstar, but it’s much more cost-effective to make my own.
One batch of these homemade burgers made 8 servings. And right now, I have several stored in my freezer, ready for consumption as a part of a quick lunch or dinner.
Heidi’s recipe officially calls from black lentils, but I used red lentils because that’s what I had on hand.
I also added some extra spice. Everything tastes good with Indian flavors, right? Of course, I didn’t really select my spices specifically for this recipe. The frozen lentils already had added spice from my overcooked lentil dahl escapade.
Indian Lentil Burgers
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked
blackred lentils - 4 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup
toasted fine (whole-grain) bread crumbscrushed Kashi roasted garlic whole grain crackers - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
*Original ingredients are in green. My added ingredients are in purple.
For complete, step-by-step directions, visit 101 Cookbooks.
Served with bulgar and asparagus and drizzled in sriracha.
A tad spicy. Just the way I like it!
These burgers were a total success!
But one waste-saving recipe I made recently was most definitely not a success.
My muffins made from veggie pulp were disgusting!
Maybe I used too much pulp? Maybe I should’ve kept the lemon fiber separate?
Sorry there’s no pic. I know I took a picture of the final muffin product…but I guess my camera ate it?
***
Random Question: Is Spencer from The Hills crazy, or what???
And how old is too old for a person to be obsessed with The Hills and The City? 
I cannot figure out what to do with the juice pulp. I usually end up throwing it out which is wasteful. Maybe I could feed it to Murphy?
I used to like the Hills but don’t really like it without Lauren.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lily Catherine. Lily Catherine said: New Post: Lentil Burgers courtesy of @101cookbooks http://www.lilyshealthpad.com/2010/05/18/waste-free-projects/ [...]
Oohh those burgers look super! Did they hold together well?
I’ve never seen The Hills or The City…we only have crap TV channels in my house
Yes, I think the egg is what helps!
OMG INDIAN patty?? ZOMG. You KNOW how much I love my indian food!!! OH and spencer isn’t crazy. He’s a fame whore. He doesn’t care who he has to pimp out (HEIDI) and who he has to hurt (the world, my eyes, etc.) he WILL get his name out in the media at all costs!
Sad, but most likely true
Your burgers look so yummy! And Spencer seriously scares the hell out of me on that show. What is wrong with him?! At first I thought it was just for ratings and while I’m sure it is, I really think he is insane!
Veggie burgers are SO expensive. I’m a Gardenburger Original fan myself. My kids love them too. We are on a serious budget right now so I am going to take your tip and try to make my own. Thanks, Lily!
Your burgers look delicious! I need to try making my own too because you are right, frozen ones are expensive! I always throw out my juice pulp and feel so bad. I just don’t know what to do with it!
I think maybe the words “vegetable pulp” and “muffin” should never be combined – that’s probably what went wrong
Agreed on the spice though – when it comes to Indian spices there’s no such thing as too much! Perfect way to use up mushy lentils!
And yes, Spencer is batshit crazy, and I’m still obsessed with America’s Next Top Model, so I hope there is no limit on these things.
ok so love your lentil burger and i too never waste food…….. do you mean sex and the city? never too old for that!
I think its awesome that you try to use all of your extras instead of wasting. The muffins couldnt of been that bad if your camera ate them!
ok, that was pretty funny!
Those burgers look PHENOM! The outside looks so crisp and crunchy, mmmm
I totally lost track of the Hills this season, ugh :/ But every time I watch it, it seems even more fake than before….*especially* Spencer! Sometimes I swear he’s acting and just doing it for the attention/publicity, you know?
Such a good idea to make your own veggie burgers! They are SOOO expensive and YES Spencer is totally crazy!
Omg Spencer is absolutely NUTS! I feel so bad for them—they really couldn’t handle their celebrity well…it’s too bad how they turned out.
I love the presentation of the burger and asparagus!
You’re not too old! I totally watch the dumb reality shows on “E!” like Kendra and Kardashians. And I love to find a random “True Life” on MTV. However you unwind!
What a great idea to use your overcooked lentils for burgers! I hate wasting food as well.
And love your radmon question – HA! Spencer and Heidi are both out of their minds. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder it they’re doing it all for TV??
You get points for presentation on that veggie burger dish! DANG! I’m impressed.
And yes…Spencer is crazy! And yes….I’m way too old to be watching that show.
Your dinner is beautiful!
veggie pulp muffins don’t sound like anything that would taste good. if they didn’t turn out, it is a flaw in the universe, not in you.
I love anything with tumeric or curry spice. you’re inventive to use kashi crackers instead of bread crumbs!
Ummm I DO believe Spencer is crazy! Seriously though, this season is more sad to watch than anything! It’s like REALLY? I wonder if it’s all for show or if he’s gone nutty for real? ICK and Heidi? Her poor mother!
Yum, I LOVE your waste free products!! You remind me of myself, I do this kind of stuff all the time. I hate letting food get wasted, so I always find alternative ways to use them. And, I agree with you that ANYTHING tastes good with Indian spices!
My fiance is a big non-waster, too. And I love the idea of at-home lentil/veggie burgers — SO MUCH CHEAPER!
That’s a great way to save your lentils!! I’ve been meaning to make lentil burgers for a long time…but somehow always turned them into curry instead!
Sounds yummy and definatly looks good. I am hungry again
I love your presentation!!
And I think Spencer is either bat sh*t crazy or a freakin’ genius. Or both, perhaps?
Great job salvaging the overcookd lentils into amazing burgers. I am famous for freezing little odds and ends as a result of not wanting to waste too
I had so much fun catching up on your posts. I kinda stepped away from blogging for a bit. Congratulations on graduation!! Motley crew kits are always a pleasure to see !
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Thank you , I love to read about other vegansas it gives me the strength to continue. I have about a thousand vegetarian feeds in my google reader, but another can’t hurt!! I did manage to find a good lentil recipes here, but I’ll be sure to try yours too. Thanks!