Lentil-Goat Cheese Burgers

When I looked at my plate on Monday night, I realized that I had made everything on it: the burger, the pita bread, the hummus, and the salad dressing for the salad. It was a rare feeling of accomplishment, and I enjoyed it. I had been meaning to make these burgers for quite a while, and I am now regretting the time when they were not in my life.

I thought about eating these as a real sandwich, but I kind of like it without the bun. My mom used to serve us plain hamburger patties when I was a kid, and we would dip them in ketchup. So it's kind of like that but vegetarian. It also reminded me of falafel patties in a salad. I served this with a spring mix salad with black cherry vinaigrette, whole wheat pita, and hummus.

The goat cheese makes these seriously flavorful. Plus I love lentils. So the combination is killer.

Lentil-Goat Cheese Burgers
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Discard bay leaf. Place lentils in a large bowl; partially mash with a fork. Cool slightly.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Add onion mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to lentils; stir well to combine. Cover and chill 45 minutes.
Divide mixture into 3-4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook patties 5 minutes on each side or until done.