Beet Lentil Feta Burger Patties

It is comforting to recognize that I've always liked leftovers. Many fond memories surround the "new" foods I tried as a kid-- foods, as it turns out, that were reconstituted and repackaged leftovers, thanks to my mom who is quite adept at making dishes even more attractive each time she "recycled" them. No wastage in her kitchen.

And, no wastage in mine either. Although I tend to primarily serve portioned plated meals most of the time, there are some weekends that call for family-style meals to be savored over a couple of days.

The recent Injera bash with five sides certainly guaranteed some leftovers, which thrilled me to bits as I can find ways to repackage them.

Leftover Mesir wat (lentils), Zelbo gomen (kale), Yeqey Sir Qiqqil (beets) were perfect starting point.

Add in some leftover brown rice, some feta, and already it screams "Veggie Burger".

Since the leftover mesir wat and gomen can be a bit watery, best to strain out the liquids first, then add the brown rice and feta, minced garlic, and a generous sprinkling of berbere spice mix. Gently pulse to a coarse mass.

It still might need a binding agent to hold it all together. While eggs seem like the standard, I don't typically use it in my patties and cutlets.

So, I went with my favorite Coconut Flour.

Mix in just enough coconut flour to be able to shape the patties. Just for fun, some Panko breadcrumbs got pressed in till the patties were happy to hold their shape.

Pan-cooking them first to seal both sides and then baking them till firmly set seems to work well for me, but, if preferred, can grill it or pan cook it all the way through.

Who needs buns? Patties are perfect by themselves.

I can't seem to ignore the kale flowers from my garden, they sneak into every food photo I've clicked since they bloomed. They are short-lived, of course, so, soon there won't be any, but at least I'll have these pictures to make me smile when I miss them.

Kohlrabi Lentil Patties/Burgers

Grated kohlrabi has a pungent almost mustard-like aroma which makes the kids wrinkle their noses and walk away, but not the adults in the family, who seem to subscribe to the pungenter the better ideology.

Grated kohlrabi combined with southwest vegetables and spices, with a touch of chipotle in adobo sauce, plus some fennel from the garden, along with cooked green lentils is all there is to this extremely flavorful vegan patty/burger.

Served warm with chimichurri sauce and salad, these patties are a fully satisfying meal. Or, simply stack some favorites like some smoked Gouda shavings, butter lettuce and arugula, thinly sliced onions and tomatoes, with a southwest chipotle sauce, in a bun and enjoy a summer time staple veggie burger.

Ingredients
⅓ cup finely grated kohlrabi
¼ cup finely chopped kohlrabi leaves
¼ cup cooked southwest blend veggies - viz., corn, black beans, onions, red pepper, green pepper, Poblano pepper
1½ cups cooked green lentils
½ cup French fried onions, crumbled, on a plate for coating
1 to 2 Tablespoons coconut flour or chickpea flour or all-purpose flour, as needed
2 Tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the southwest veggies and 2 Tablespoons of grated kohlrabi for adding in later (This is optional - I like to have bits and pieces to lend texture to the burger, as long as the base is cohesive enough)
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse gently till it all comes together coarse and thick to be shaped into patties
3. Add in the reserved kohlrabi and southwest veggie mix and knead gently till well incorporated; taste and adjust seasoning
4. Heat a griddle to medium hot with a bit of oil in it
5. Divide the dough into 4 standard sized patties, or 5 or 6 smaller patties, press down on the plate of crumbled French fried onion
6. Cook on the hot griddle till browned on both sides