The Verdict
No, and Yeeeeeeeeeehaw!
I know that the burgers were the main dish and, as such, should be featured, but I just can’t stop thinking about the deliciousness of those stupid greens. The burgers were ok. They didn’t hold their shape well for me. I also had to double the recipe to get seven burgers for my family. There are five of us who eat solids, and my 2- and 4-year olds are bottomless. Serious.
Hubs put Worcestershire sauce on his burger, and the kids followed suit. I didn’t, but they definitely could’ve used something to spice them up! If I were to brave them again, I’d add some cayenne.
These greens though, holy delicious (and wholly delicious, har har). I made a couple of changes, using rice wine vinegar instead of mirin, two teaspoons of agave nectar instead of sugar, and doubling the sesame oil. Next time I’ll probably add a bit of sriracha for some heat, but these greens were flat out amazing just as they were.
My husband asked how many pounds of kale I bought (two), wanting to know when I could make them again. I have visions of making polenta cakes and serving them over these greens, or maybe the pineapple-cashew quinoa stir-fry.
The Recipe
The olive lentil burger recipe comes from IsaChandra’s blog, the Post Punk Kitchen.
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.
Today’s Tip
Sometimes it’s hard to find the herb you need in the form a recipe requires. I have a hard time finding dried thyme, for example, but fresh is readily available. Never fear! It’s easy to convert, just remember T to t.
1 Tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs. Easy peasy!
[…] greens were the same ones I made last time, and they were just as good. I’m thinking about using the base of the recipe for kale chips, […]