I’ve never been a big meat eater.  Veggies have always been more of my thing.  But when we decided to switch to a plant-based diet I kept thinking about all the meals that I would be giving up.  Burgers, lasagna, sweet and sour chicken, omelets, etc.  There was definitely a voice in the back of my head questioning whether or not we could really do this.  Then I took a bite of these burgers and I never heard from that voice again!  Best. Burgers. Ever!  This was one of the first meals I made after we gave up animal based foods and there were no leftovers!  My whole family of picky eaters loved them!  I made them a few days later and made a bigger batch this time.  We ate them throughout the week for lunch and I even put a few in the freezer for when I need a quick meal and have no time to cook.  Give them a try - you won’t be sorry!

~Sarah

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a medium onion, diced
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 3 tbsp lukewarm water
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Homemade Breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated carrot (or 1/2 cup grated carrot and 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli)
• 1 cup cooked lentils, mashed
• 1 - 2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 cup almonds, crushed (place almonds in a plastic zip bag, seal and using a hammer or meat tenderizer, crush almonds until you have a coarse consistency)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or Garlic Gold Oil plus extra for frying
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari (if you follow a gluten free diet make sure to use a gluten free sauce)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp parsley
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Homemade Hamburger Buns or your favorite hamburger buns

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl mix together the ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp lukewarm water.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are a nice golden brown.
3. In a blender or food processor (or even a magic bullet), add the oats and pulse until you have a flour consistency.

   Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well

4. Place all ingredients (including oat flour and flax mixture) into a large mixing bowl and stir well.

   Using your hands form dough into 8-10 patties

5. Using your hands, shape the dough into patties. Pack dough as tightly as possible.  This recipe yields 8-10 patties.

   Fry burgers in skillet until they are golden brown on each side

6. Using the same skillet that you cooked the onions in add a tbsp of olive oil and heat on high heat.  Add as many burgers to the skillet as will fit and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes each side.  (You can also bake these burgers in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.)
7. Repeat with the remaining burgers until all have been cooked.
8. Place burgers on hamburger buns and top with your choice of toppings.

Nutritional Info:

Makes about 8-10 patties.

Serving size 1 patty.

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 133, Cal. from Fat: 45.5, Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat: .5g, Carbs: 17g, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 5.5g, Sodium: 172mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

I like to make these burgers in a big batch, fry them up and then pop them in the freezer.  When ready to use, remove from the freezer and place on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated all the way through.

You can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

If you follow a gluten free diet make sure to use gluten free hamburger buns and use gluten free bread when making your Homemade Breadcrumbs.