Just Plain Nuts Burger
Wendy McMillian for naturalhealthmag.com
July/August 2011

This gluten free patty at Crazy Burger Café & Juice Bar in Narragansett, RI is loaded with heart-healthy cashews and walnuts - both good sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fast as well as omega-3 fatty acids.  Lentils add fiber, folate and iron.

1/2 cup dry mixed lentils - French, Green, Red, equal parts
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 carrot, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 zucchini, grated
1/4 pound cashews, roasted on a sheet pan for 3 minutes
1/4 pound walnuts, roasted on a sheet pan for 3 minutes
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Gulden's mustard
2 tablespoons Fry Salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 handful fresh basil, washed and minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. To prepare lentils, simmer in 1 1/2 cups water for 20-25 minutes, until tender.

2. Sauté onion, celery and carrots in 1/8 cup canola oil, until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.  Add zucchini toward the end.  Season vegetable mixture lightly with some of the salt and pepper and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Drain the lentils.  Season lightly with some of the salt and pepper, and add to the vegetables.

4. Coarsely grind the roasted cashews and walnuts in a food processor and add to the mixing bowl.

5. Mix in all remaining ingredients until everything is incorporated evenly.

6. Form mixture into burger patties and arrange on a lined sheet pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 500 F.  (Alternatively patties can be pan-fried in a small amount of canola oil.)  Serve open face on polenta with a side of sun-dried tomato-artichoke pesto.

The Meatball Shop’s
Veggie Balls

 2 cups lentils
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion,  chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove,  minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
3  tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped  walnuts

 1. Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium
stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer
until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Drain the
lentils and allow to cool.

 2. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and
sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium-high heat,
stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and
just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring
constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for
15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a
large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the lentils to
the vegetable mixture.

 3. Add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts
to the cooled vegetables and lentils and mix by hand until thoroughly
incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the remaining 2
tablespoons olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and use your hand to
evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.


5. Roll the mixture into round golf ball-size meatballs
(about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place
the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4 inch of space between the
balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.


6. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and
cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish
before serving.