green lentil burger

I was inspired to create this curried lentil burger after a visit to Blanc Burger in Kansas City, MO.  I called to get the recipe, but they wouldn't divulge.  After a little research, I found a recipe by bridezillabakes and adapted it a bit.  I think the burgers came out very well (my guys really liked them too) and I would bet that they're significantly lower in calories than the restaurant burger.  Lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, folic acid, vitamins and minerals.  They're great for your heart and help to stabilize blood sugar levels due to their high fiber content .  Plus, they're very inexpensive.  Look for them in the bin section of your grocery store.

* 1Tbsp cumin
* 1/2 tsp coriander
* 2 tsp curry powder 
* 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (you could leave this off if cooking for babies and add a little hot sauce on your own burger)
* 1/2 medium onion diced
* 1/4 cup shredded or diced carrots
* 1-2 cloves garlic
* 1.5 cups cooked green lentils (can easily be made in a rice cooker by adding twice the amount of water as lentils)
* pinch of salt
* 1 Tbsp lemon juice
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup almond flour, coconut flour or ground oats
* 3-4 Tbsp greek yogurt
* 1 Avocado
* hot sauce to taste
* Raw onion or scallions for topping

Sautee onions, garlic, carrots, lemon juice and spices in 1 Tbsp oil until fragrant.  Combine with lentils and puree into a thick consistency with some lentils still whole.  Add the egg and breadcrumbs and mix.  Make 4 patties and refrigerate for a few hours or ideally overnight (the flavors really come alive more). 

Prepare by heating a little grass-fed butter and cooking the patties for about 5-7 minutes per side.  Stir the yogurt and avocado together with a dash (or more) of hot sauce and cumin to top the patties along with the raw onion.  Serve over spinach , bread (regular or gluten-free) or tortillas. 

Enjoy...

Nutritional Information per burger + yogurt avocado sauce
Recipe makes 4 burgers
350 calories
15 g fat
42 g carbohydrates
16 g protein
15 g fiber
A good source of Vitamins A, C and E as well as B vitamins, Iron, Magnesium and Zinc