How would you define lentils? For me two things come to mind. First, they are the queen of legumes. They pack 25% protein, about 18 grams in 1 cup, have a tons of B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, potassium, folate, and Iron, which usually lacks in vegetarian diets. Two, they are an amazingly cheap sources of protein and nutrients. The type of thing you want to show someone that says eating healthy is always expensive.
Just one cup of protein contains over 16 grams of fiber, which makes them excellent supporters of healthy bowel movements, especially for children and pregnant women who suffer from chronic constipation.
Another important fact about lentils is their high polyphenol content. Polyphenol is a phytochemical that fights inflammation in the body and has neuroprotective effects. In a lab test polyphenols present in lentils were shown to stop the growth of cancerous skin cells.
Also, important to note is that lentils have antinutrients that may affect the absorption of nutrients. One of these is the trypsin inhibitors, which blocks production of enzymes that helps you break down protein in order to absorb it and another is phytic acid, which binds to important minerals and decreases their absorption. To reduce these antinutrients I recommend soaking (even though they don’t require soaking) and cooking them well, either way they are incredibly high in nutrients and you will absorb the majority of them so there’s no reason to worry.
Another thing about lentils is that they can become super boring HAHA! At least for me. I love them, but I get tired of them. That’s why I developed this lentil burger recipe. I had been trying to make lentils burgers for a while and they would always fall apart until I finally got the perfect recipe. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as Alessia and I did!
- 1 cup of dry lentils
- Water for cooking according to instructions
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ small white onion chopped
- 1 small carrot chopped
- ½ cup of rolled oats finely ground in the blender
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp of cumin
- 1 tb of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Garlic clove
- Cook the lentils in the water with salt and bay leaf according to package instructions.
- In a pan, sauté with the olive oil the onions, carrots and 1 garlic clove until the carrots are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once the lentils are cooked, drain all leftover liquid in them using a mesh colander.
- In a bowl, combine the cooked lentils, onion and carrot mixture, ground oats, egg, cumin, salt and pepper, and press mixture with a fork.
- Form the mixture into patties. Depending on how big you make them you will get around 6-8 patties.
- Cook them in the pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Build your favorite burger and enjoy!
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