I made enough lentils this week to feed a small village, not sure what the heck I was thinking. After eating them all week I still had a good amount left. Lentil burgers it is! Red onions were stored from our pre-vacation CSA box that I wanted to get used up. I was hoping to make some onion jam with them, but I can’t seem to determine if they can be processed in a water bath for later use. I don’t want to take my chances so I will use it up in the short term. This past weekend I picked some of the hot peppers from the garden so I decided to throw one of those in along with a dab of adobe sauce.
Lentil Sliders
makes 12
8 oz lentils
1/2 package of taco seasoning
3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 onion, quartered
4 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup wheat germ
olive oil
- Add lentils, taco seasoning, and 3 cups broth to pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Add extra liquid as needed. Allow lentils to cool. Should have about 3 cups of lentils.
- Put onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add lentils, eggs, and salt. Puree until a runny mixture forms, though not completely pureed.
- In a large bowl mix 3 cups cooked lentils, bread crumbs, and wheat germ. Let mixture sit about 15 minutes.
- Form about 12 patties. I used an ice cream scoop and then formed into patties.
- Heat some olive oil in a skillet and cook patties about 5 minutes per side. (At this point cooled patties can be frozen or put in the fridge for later use.)
Jen’s post on wheat germ reminded me to throw use the wheat germ when I can (NEVER would have thought to use it the way she did). The texture on the were just right. I was worried they would be to mushy or mealy. Next time I will add in some other grated vegetables (carrots, zucchini, peppers) for some added flavor and nutrition. Plenty stored in the in the freezer now to grab for a quick lunch or dinner.
Spicy Caramelized Onions
4 cups sliced red onions
1 small pepper sliced (any spicy variety)
1 t. adobe sauce
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 T. olive oil
- Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook a few minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine and cover with lid. Cook onions on medium heat for about an hour. Stir often and add more water as needed.
- Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks or freeze.
My onions didn’t get very dark. Not sure if it was the fact I used pineapple balsamic which is a bit lighter in color or if I could have cooked it longer. The adobe get the onions a smoky flavor with a hint of bacon. These are a perfect topping for any burger, add some avocado slices, a spicy mayo, and some queso cheese. Pretzel sliders rolls make the meal, everything is better on a pretzel roll!
We enjoyed these lentil sliders with a few souvenirs from our trip. The dog tried her best to get some, she was out of luck.
I hate lentils, but you have made them look really good! I’m tempted to try this.
Love your blog and will try the sliders in the future. Just want to let you know I made the caramelized onions but since I did not have a pepper to use (I am in Italy!), I made some adjustments. One more teaspoon of adobo sauce(brought from the US), one more tablespoon of sugar and an added tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Using them on a vegetarian “piadina” with grilled mushrooms, mozzarella, and goat cheese baked in the oven. Thanks for the leg up!
Thanks! Oh I bet the sherry vinegar is a great addition, I will try that. Piadina, had to look that one up, learned something new. Your version sounds delicious, anything with goat cheese is a win in my book.
Two tortillas with everything in the middle works great, too. You don’t need the piadina bread to make this and its quick fix after a long day at work if the onions are already made. Next time I am making a lot. Have you frozen or canned them, by chance?
They freeze perfectly! I put them in small batches to defrost for pizza toppings.
Thanks for the tip.