Now that we are in the beginning stages of warm weather, I thought it would be a great time for another veggie burger recipe. I am always looking for a good veggie burger recipe because eating a burger made with meat is too many calories. A standard hamburger patty is about 480 calories. And that’s without the bun! I want to have a burger that’s filling, packed with fiber and nutrients, and above all tastes good. I found this recipe from Feed Me Phoebe for Gluten-Free White Bean Zucchini Burgers with Green Olive-Basil Aioli. I picked this recipe because it looked like an interesting take on a veggie burger. I have not made a burger yet with these ingredients. It’s a bit high in calories and sodium, mostly in part because of the sauce. It also needs a boost in protein and vitamins. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I swapped the white beans for lentils to reduce the sodium and
• increase the protein
• I deleted the added salt
• I deleted the coconut oil to reduce the calories
• I deleted the bun to reduce the calories
• I deleted the aioli to reduce the calories
• I added in quinoa to replace the bread
• I added a warm coleslaw recipe to increase the vitamin A and C.
• I deleted the avocado to reduce the calories and make the recipe freezable.

Here are the final stats for the burgers:

Here are the stats for the coleslaw recipe:

Here are the final recipes:

Zucchini Burgers with Lentils

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium zucchini about 1/3 pound
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 cups water
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 large egg or 1 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup basil
• Cooking Spray

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Boil the two cups of waters in a pan.  Add the lentils and reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
3. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and zucchini until roughly chopped. Add the lentils, lemon zest, egg, salt, red pepper, flour and basil. Puree until coarsely combined.
4. Transfer the burger mixture to the fridge to chill, uncovered, until firmer (10 minutes). You can either leave it in the food processor bowl or scrape into a mixing bowl.
5. Heat a large cast iron skillet and spray with cooking spray.
6. Using an ice cream scoop (or a 1/2 cup measure), portion the burger mixture and add the balls directly into the skillet (it will be too wet to use your hands). Allow the burgers to get crusty on the first side before disturbing them, about 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula, carefully flip the burgers onto the second side. They should naturally flatten into more of a patty shape, but feel free to gently shape them with your spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, until nicely browned on the second side.
7. Transfer the burger to a parchment-lined baking sheet and finish in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the burgers are firm and have developed a thick crust around the sides.
8. To bake these in the oven, preheat your broiler on high and place the burgers on a greased cookie sheet.  Brown the tops of the burgers until they are dark brown.  Set the oven to 400F and bake for another 20 minutes until they are firm.

Hot German Slaw

Serves 4

• 2 slices low sodium bacon
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 pound green cabbage, shredded
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Crisp the bacon in a 12-inch straight-sided pan over medium heat. Remove and reserve the bacon. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onion  and sweat until semi-translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Pour in the vinegar and add the brown sugar, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until reduced and slightly thickened. Pour the dressing into a small bowl.
3. Return the pan (and any bits of dressing still left in it) to medium heat. Add the cabbage, carrot and caraway and sauté until warm and slightly browned but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the bacon and dressing to the pan and toss to coat. Taste, season with salt and black pepper, and serve immediately.