These lentil burgers with kale, walnuts and flax are a convenient food for us around our house. The flax seeds and kamut flour hold the burgers together without egg or other unhealthy options while kale is one of the 10 most nutritious foods you can eat. More often than not, we make a triple batch of these, cook them all and then store them to be re-heated later or used as the filler in a wrap along with avocado, fresh greens and Franks Red Hot sauce.
Each lentil burger is roughly 7.5 grams of fiber or more (depending on how much you use for each burger), so they are both filling and nutritious.
The Ultimate Green Lentil Vegetable Burger
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
2 Tbsp Braggs
1/2 cup walnut pieces
3/4 cup cooked green lentils, well drained
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup minced green kale
1/3 cup kamut flour
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large blender, combine the flax seeds and Braggs, blending until viscous and then set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the walnuts to a coarse mixture. Add the lentils, onion, kale, kamut flour, flax mixture and the salt and pepper. Process until well combined but with some texture remaining. Shape the mixture into patties and place on a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Have a cup of green tea.
Heat a small portion of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the patties, cook until browned on both sides - about 4 minutes per side.
Serve hot, or if you make a large amount, store them in a container in the fridge to be reheated later or to be used as filler in a veggie wrap.
We found that no oil is required in these lentil burgers lowering their fat content even further. 1 cup of cooked lentils has less than 1 gram of fat in it so the only fat in this recipe comes from natural sources, the walnuts and flax seeds, both a good source of essential omega fats.
Serve with steamed Swiss chard and a salad, to add even more of the desired greens into your menu plan. Pictured here is Quinoa Salad from a few weeks ago.
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When I was growing up, I watched the Carol Burnette show almost every day. It was on at 5:00 for an hour and my mom hated it. She called Carol “that screaming woman”, but I loved Tim Conway and the other cast members. This is the Tim Conway Siamese elephant story outtake that was made famous over the years.
Anytime you try to do something new, you’re guaranteed to stumble along the way and it’s a part of the learning process. Realize that part of being human means that we’re not perfect and remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. Learn to recognize your triggers and then put together a plan to beat them. Knowing what leads you to over eat is the first step in overcoming it.
Discover what is preventing you from eating well or from staying on plan. Remember, eating well for many of us isn’t something that we learn as a child or even as an adult. For some of us, it came later in life. The paths you choose will teach you more about yourself then you realize. Learn from each mistake and move forward.
Our Mothers watched us tumble and fall before we took our first steps alone. Tears came and frustration. Why would now be any different? Dust yourself off and get back to it!
Take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Where do I want to be?”
Being Human Means Not Having To Be Perfect
I was talking with Rob about my not so perfect eating habits lately and he asked me,
Would it be ok if you don’t eat perfect all the time?
I hesitated and said yes.
I reflect on what was said during that conversation. I was continually beating myself up over making mistakes instead of recognizing my errors and taking action. It was easier to throw in the towel and fall back into poor eating habits that felt comfortable then to once again get ‘back in the saddle’ which means work. I have now realized that eating healthy will contribute to the results I am looking for and yes, hard work.
Craig Ballantyne, the author of Turbulence Training, bodyweight fat loss training manual, and contributor to Mens Health magazine stopped in for a little chat a month ago and it’s now being partially released to readers. This Craig Ballantyne interview is ongoing, so be sure to register on the last page for updates.
Craig says
Everyone’s familiar with the term “turbulence” as it applies to flying. You know to buckle your seatbelt when you hit turbulence because the airplane has to work very hard to re-position itself in the air.
This is the same theory behind “Turbulence Training“, a combination of resistance training and interval training designed to lead you to the promised land of single-digit body fat.
Craig couldn’t be more clear about the need for variety and change in your workouts as well as the critical importance of weight training for building and keeping muscle in any successful fat loss program. Turbulence Training is just that. Craig has also been credited with the 300 workout that the actors for the movie 300 followed, but as it turns out, he didn’t, it was Mark Twight of Gym Jones (who I want to train with incidentally).
Last week’s recipe was a St Patrick’s day green soup which is a favorite around our house. Continuing with our “green theme” for the month of March, in honor of St Patty, We’ve got Darlene’s favorite green smoothie recipe. Darlene is away in Vegas for a photographer trade show, so I’m posting for her (Rob). She likes fruit, and has no issues around mixing fruit and leafy greens in a blended drink, while I’m a bit more of a purist.
On a recent poll about what you choose as a liquid breakfast, only 11% of voters chose a green smoothie. I’d like to increase that number a bunch if I can. Smoothies allow for nutrients to be easily absorbed into the digestive system because we’ve taken the digestive load off the stomach. Your choices for fruits and vegetables are endless, so please don’t limit yourself to the items We describe here. Be creative.
I like big blended salad’s, but more so during the summer months when produce is fresh and available locally. Stay tuned for the blended drinks I come up with this summer.
Namaste: "I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace, When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."