A great option to get a vegetarian meal into your week. If the kids aren’t too keen on steamed greens you can opt out of the greens & have it in a burger bun with salad.
This recipe is rich in fibre and magnesium.
Fibre helps with detoxing hormones by keeping you regular and balances blood sugar and hormone levels. Magnesium is needed for many enzyme reactions, to produce energy on a cellular level and it also has a calming/relaxing effect.
Lentils are a good source of phyto-oestrogens.
Ingredients:
| 100g cooked lentils (follow instructions on packet or use 1 can lentils, washed and drained) | 2 tsp coconut oil |
| 50g cooked quinoa (follow instructions on packet) | 35g sunflower seeds |
| 1 small sweet potato, steamed and lightly mashed | ½ tsp paprika |
| 2 medium carrots, grated | ½ tsp ground cumin |
| 1 small red onion, finely chopped | ½ tsp salt & ground pepper to taste |
| 1 large garlic clove, crushed | I small bunch parsley finely chopped |
| Serve with: | |
| 4 cups mixed greens such as broccoli, kale, spinach or zucchini | 3 tbsp olive oil combined with Juice of one lemon |
Method
1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tsp oil.
2. When oil is hot, add garlic and onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the grated carrot and cook until soft.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the cooked lentils, quinoa, mashed sweet potato, garlic, onion, carrots, sunflower seeds, parsley, spices, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings according to your preference.
5. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes, before shaping into four round burgers.
6. Steam the mixed greens (broccoli and zucchini around 5-6 mins kale and spinach take less time so add for last 2-3mins)
7. Heat same pan on medium heat for about a minute with 1 tsp of oil.
8. Add the burgers and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, flipping and repeating until browned. (they are already cooked, so this process is just to heat and give them some colour)
9. Drain your steamed vegetables and serve on a warm plate.
10. Drizzle with lemon and olive oil, and top with your burgers.
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(adapted from an Angelique Panagos recipe)