I love a good burger and fries, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I crave a healthy twist on a traditional meal.  These homemade veggie burgers in no way resemble the strange and unidentifiable brown patties that you buy at the local grocery.  These burgers are bursting with flavor.  Onion, ginger, curry powder, and cilantro flavor the lentils and barley, while the eggs and bread crumbs help hold it all together.  Please don’t skip the goat cheese topping for the burgers, please.  You will regret it.  And don’t skimp on it either.  Slather it onto the bun, you won’t be sorry.  It adds a great tang and contrast to the burgers.  We serve our burgers topped with lettuce and cucumbers. Even our dedicated meat-lovers enjoy this meal.

The fries in this picture are extra special to me, as they come straight from my garden; my first ever harvest of sweet potatoes.  Topped with my custom Potato Seasoning Mix, they make a perfect addition to the dinner plate.  I keep my seasoning mix in an old parsley container.  So the next time you finish off one of your spices, save the container to store spice mixes that you create.

Veggie Burgers
Serves 6
Adapted from Food Network

Burgers:

1 cup green lentils, picked through and rinsed
1/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (blend 2 slices of bread in the food processor)
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 burger buns or pocket pitas

Toppings:

1/2 cup goat cheese, (2 to 3 ounces) (I prefer herbed goat cheese if you can find it)
1/4 cup milk
Lettuce, sliced cucumber, radish
Put the lentils and barley in a saucepan cover with cold water by about 3 inches. Season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, until the lentils and barley are tender, about 20 minutes. Add extra liquid during cooking if necessary.  Drain excess liquid and put the beans and grain into a large bowl. Cool.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute more. Cool slightly and then add to the lentils and barley.

Stir the cilantro, bread crumbs, and eggs into the lentil mixture, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Puree 1 cup of the burger mix in a food processor until smooth. Return puree back to the bowl and mix well. Form mixture into 6 burgers (about 1/2 cup each). Place on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour.  (MessyCook note: I have always skipped the refrigeration step.  Refrigerate if you have the time, since it will help the burgers stay together.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the burgers in two batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes in all. Transfer the browned burgers to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining oil and burgers. Transfer burgers to the oven, and cook until firm, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast buns or pitas. Mix the goat cheese and milk in a small bowl until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Put the burgers on the buns, and top with lettuce, cucumber, and/or radish, if desired. Serve.

Potato or Sweet Potato Wedges

4 potatoes or sweet potatoes
¼ cup vegetable oil
2-4 Tbsp Potato Wedge Seasoning Mix, recipe below

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut potatoes into wedges of equal size.  Toss with oil and seasoning mix and transfer to sheet pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning once.  (MessyCook note: I find that sweet potatoes take 5-10 minutes less than white potatoes.  If you are cooking both at the same time, place on separate pans and give the white potatoes a 5-10 minute head start.)
 

Potato Wedge Seasoning Mix
Makes about ¾ cup

¼ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper

Combine.  Store in an airtight container.