The Ultimate Vegi Burger

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400u00b0 F. If you prefer, you can cook these in a skillet with oil. I prefer baking them because it's easier and provides better assurance that the egg is completely cooked.

2. 2

   Peel and slice the sweet potato.

3. 3

   Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, and add the sweet potato and the lentils to boil until the sweet potato is very tender and the lentils are mushy (about 20 minutes). Drain thoroughly in a mesh strainer. Press on the lentils with the back of a spoon to ensure all excess water is removed.

4. 4

   Dice the garlic and onion and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Cutting the garlic and onions activates the enzymes that are responsible for the nutritional benefits of these items. However, they should stand for at least 10 minutes prior to being added to any other ingredients to stabilize the enzymes so they and hold up better during the cooking process. Also, try to remove only the outer paper layer of the onion because the layers closest to the skin contain most of the nutrients.

5. 5

   Remove the stems from the kale. Finely chop the kale leafs, and then wash and dry the kale. In a large bowl, massage the kale with olive oil until the kale reduces to half its original size.

6. 6

   Slice the head of cauliflower in half. Remove the stems and leaves, finely chop the cauliflower and wash it. Add it to the kale.

7. 7

   Add the cooked lentils and sweet potato to the kale and use your hands to mix thoroughly. You should be squishing together the lentils, sweet potato, and kale.

8. 8

   Add the onion, garlic, lemon juice, and spices and use your hands to mix thoroughly.

9. 9

   Whisk the egg, add it to the kale and use your hand to mix thoroughly.

10. 10

    Measure the kale mixture into balls about 100 grams each. I use a kitchen scale, but this is approximately 1/2 cup of the kale mixture loosely packed.

11. 11

    Cover a baking sheet in a generous layer of olive oil to prevent sticking. Don't submerge the burgers in oil, but there should be enough oil so that it bubbles around the base of each patty when baking. The oil is necessary to brown the burgers and keep them from sticking.

12. 12

    Use a circular mold to shape the burgers. They should be about 3/4 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. The measurements do not have to be exact, but the shape and size affect the cooking time. I have a set of plain round cutters that I also use as molds. If you do not have a mold, roll each patty into a ball and place evenly around the cookie sheet. Then use the bottom of a standard size mug (should be about 3 inches in diameter) to press each burger down until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

13. 13

    Bake the burgers on one side for 20 minutes. Then flip the burgers and bake on the other side for 5 minutes.

14. 14

    Allow the patties to rest on paper towels for 5 minutes before serving to remove any excess oil.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.