Once when visiting a friend of mine and her 2-and-half-year-old toddler I was kindly asked to help her with cooking. She gave me her cookbook opened on a page with the tittle "veggie burgers". I made them, and we all enjoyed the - they were perfect!
Few weeks later when I was visiting her again I asked her what cookbook it was. It turned out it was a book about how to cook for babies/toddlers :) I didn't mind, copied the recipe, then alternated it a bit for my and Joe's needs, and voilà - my veggie burgers that taste like not veggie at all!
Ingredients:
1.5 cup of red lentils,
1/2 French baguette (or 2 bagels, or any kind of rolls),
vegetable broth,
1 teaspoon of Tahini paste,
1 small onion,
scallions,
6 cloves of garlic,
2 eggs,
1 teaspoon of ground cumin,
1 teaspoon of ground ginger,
cilantro,
2 teaspoons of paprika,
1 teaspoon of marjoram,
salt, black pepper,
breadcrumbs (if needed).
Directions:
First step of this recipe is to cook red lentils. I use 1.5 cup of red lentils covered by 5 cups of water. Put it on cooking range, boil and then cook on lower temperature until lentils are soft (it usually takes only around 10 minutes of cooking, but if needed add more water and cook until it disappears). This is how it should look like when done:
When done leave the pot uncovered since you need the lentils much colder to be able to form small balls with your hands.
While lentils are cooking prepare the vegetable broth. I have usually some in the freezer, so all I need to do is to put it into a pot and heat it. You'll need it later, but by that time it will have to have room temperature as well.
Now comes the rest of ingredients - chop onion, scallions and cilantro into small pieces.
When your vegetable broth is ready (cooked or defrosted, and cooled a bit) you should have it in a pot or a bowl. Cut the baguette into smaller pieces, and put those into the broth to soften. Squeeze it properly when taking out of the broth to reduce the amount of water in it.
Now take a big bowl and break the eggs in it. Add onion, cilantro, and scallions, then all other spices - pinch of salt and black pepper, ginger, cumin, marjoram, pressed garlic, Tahini paste, and paprika. Then add squeezed baguette and cooked red lentils. Mix everything thoroughly. If you think the mixture is too watery you can add some breadcrumbs.
As soon as the mixture is of a good consistency, you can form small balls of it and put them on a sheet covered by parchment paper.
Bake in the oven preheated to 355°F for 30 minutes or until done. I like to serve it with cooked potatoes and pickles.
Bon appetite!
