Phew

Well, we survived the 2010 Tour de Fat, a big bike and beer festival put together by New Belgium Brewery. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group is one of the main recipients of the proceeds from the festival, so we're involved in a lot of the organizational logistics. It's a tremendous amount of work, and I'm saying that as someone who really didn't do all that much for the event, overall.

So, now that that's over, time to get back to the dissertation.

The Vegetarian Burger Dilemma Resolved: Red Lentil Curry Burgers

I've already written about my undying love for the Cafe Flora Cookbook, which is full of innovative vegetarian recipes for the delicious meals served up at Cafe Flora. One of my favorite recipes is for these Red Lentil Curry Burgers. They aren't particularly easy to mix up, but if you mix up a batch you can put some patties in the freezer for a later date when you don't really feel like cooking but still want a treat. The combination of red lentils and quinoa is very tasty and satisfying.

If you ever pick up the book, you'll discover that the original recipe includes some useful information in sidebars that I have to leave out here (about toasting and grinding cumin seeds, making breadcrumbs, and forming burger patties). Hopefully the basic recipe will provide enough information for most interested parties to make these. One of the most interesting things about this cookbook to me is that it's a clear case where you'll really want the full book to get the full delicious experience (compared to self-contained internet recipes).

Red Lentil Curry Burgers

3/4 C red lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 C quinoa
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 C diced yellow onion
1 C diced celery
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp salt
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 C rolled oats (not instant)
2 Tbsp all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
1/2 C unseasoned bread crumbs, toasted
Vegetable oil for cooking the burgers

Cook the Lentils: Rinse the lentils and put them in a pot with 2 C of water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer at low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until mushy.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa: Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer under running water to remove the bitter powder on the outside of the grain. Bring 1 C of water to a boil in a second saucepan, add the quinoa, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and let the quinoa steam for 5 more minutes, then fluff the grains with a fork.

On the third burner, cook the vegetables and spices (is your stove feeling crowded yet?). Saute the onion, celery, garlic and salt over medium heat, until the onion is soft and translucent and the celery is tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in the the spices (parsley, paprika, curry powder, cumin, and chili powder) and then set the mixture aside to cool.

While those things are all cooking, put the oats in the food processor and grind them until the flakes are broken up.

Mix up the patties: Once all of the cooked ingredients are cool enough to handle, put them in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Sprinkle the oats, flour, and bread crumbs over this mixture, and mix thoroughly using your hands. Once things are nicely combined, form into patties. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add some patties. Cook on each side until browned and heated through (3 to 4 minutes per side). Add an additional 1 Tbsp of oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry.

Serve and enjoy.