Who Needs Meat?

I'm a big protein eater! I like chicken, fish, beef, buffalo, game meat... you name it ;-) BUT I can also appreciate a delicious vegetarian meal. The problem is in finding a yummy, filling & healthy meatless meal. I feel like I have to fill up on carbs and/or fat when there's no meat. In my time as a personal trainer/nutritionist, I've found that a large handful of vegetarians struggle with weight. They're either underweight because they can't figure out what to eat or they are overweight because they can't figure out what to eat... it goes both ways - you can't live off carbs alone or simply veggies.

Anyway, all of this to say... I have a solution.... well, at least for one meal ;-) Lentil Burgers!!! They are so tasty, easy to make and high in protein & fiber. My hubby loves them, too... which is saying A LOT considering he can down a 1/2LB burger like it's nothing. He loves real beef burgers, so you can imagine my surprise and flattery when he's still talking about the lentil burgers two days after I made them ;-) I hope it's a talker for you, too...

LENTIL BURGERS

What you need

2C cooked lentils (about 1/2C uncooked)

1/2C cooked quinoa or brown rice

1/2C black beans

3TBSP almond butter

1 egg or egg substitute

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Optional: jalepenos, cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, other spices

How to:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare lentils & quinoa - let cool. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mash. Make sure almond butter is spread throughout. After mashing you should still be able to see some whole lentils and beans. Scoop into patties (they'll be very messy and will be hard to form. Try and push them together as much as possible and plop onto greased pan). Bake 25 minutes. I often flip them at 20 minutes and then cook an additional 10, however, this step causes them to fall a part a bit more.

*Note: It's best to eat these suckers with a fork since they crumble A LOT. I put mine on a bed of spinach & top with tomato, pickle, ketchup & mustard.