As I write this it’s late January, and the summer heat has arrived in NZ with a vengeance! While family and friends in the Northern Hemisphere are freezing their hinies off, Christchurch has had a run of 30°C+ days.
Not that I’m complaining! I love the heat. Honestly, I swear I was designed to live my days on a tropical island (notwithstanding the permanent tan-less look I seem to have going on).
Anyways. While all my neighbours seem to be BBQ’ing it up with their slabs of meat, I’ve been craving my own summer staple – burgers! Though these ones are kindly brought to you by the humble lentil patty (the premium of pulses if you ask me). And now, also with Mushrooms!
Of course, you can easily make this recipe using your regular wheat-variety or gluten-free burger buns. There are lots more gluten-free options out there now – we’ve even got paleo bread. Due to my struggles with insulin-resistance though, I try to avoid starchy, high GI foods as much as possible, so making burgers has been a little tricky. Well… more like impossible really. Until I saw these portobello beauties!
I’m not gonna lie to you. When it comes to eating, these burgers are pretty damn messy! But if you happen to be a mushroom fanatic like me, then wrap yourself in a bib and tuck in. They’re worth it!
Mushroom Burgers, with Lentil Patties
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion very finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 can cooked brown lentils
- 150 grams sweet potato grated
- 1 flax egg (pre-prepared)
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch ground pepper
- handful chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
- 8 large portobello mushrooms
- sunflower oil (for coating)
Instructions
Lentil Patties:
- Combine the onion, garlic and lentils into a large bowl (make sure the lentils are drained and rinsed well).
- Mash until the lentils are all broken up.
- Add the grated sweet potato and the seeds and mix together thoroughly.
- Add the flax egg to the mixture and stir through well until the mixture is even. Then add the seasoning and the rice flour and mix together thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Once pan is hot, grab large handfuls of the mixture and, using your hands, form into balls then flatten into thick patties. Cook for about 5mins on each side, or until the patties are browned on each side.
Mushroom Burger Buns:
- Heat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Chop the stems off the portobello mushrooms, keeping the rest of the mushroom intact.
- Coat the mushrooms in a very, very thin layer of sunflower oil on both sides. You can either use a spray or can use your hands for this.
- Line the mushrooms on a baking tray and bake in the over for about 10 mins each side until cooked. It may take longer depending on your oven, but ideally you don’t want them overcooked – just enough.
- Once cooked, place the mushrooms on paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Now put it all together…
- Using the mushrooms as your burger buns, layer in the lettuce, lentil patty, mayo, tomato and beetroot as you see fit! If you can find some room, I also suggest adding some avocado to the burger which works amazingly well.
- Serve with homemade sweet potato fries and your choice of salad – or enjoy them on their own.