Lentil Mushroom Burger

Ingredients:

2 tsp chia seeds
3 Tbls warm water
1 medium onion
6 oz. mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
2 cups cooked lentils ( if canned, drain well )
1/3 cup oats
2 Tbls potato starch or cornstarch
1 Tbls soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbls tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
black pepper

Instructions:

Mix chia with warm water in a small bowl, and set aside.  Chop onion finely.  Place the mushrooms into the food processor ( I used my blendtec) and pulse until they are finely minced.  Mince the garlic.

Heat a pan over medium heat, add the onions and cook until they begin to brown, adding a splash of water if they begin to stick.  Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and another splash of water.  Cover and cook until the mushrooms soften, stirring often.

When the mushrooms have softened, transfer them to the blender and add the lentils.  Pulse until the lentils are just combined with the mushrooms.  Add the chia seed mixture and all the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine well.  It's okay if a few lentils remain whole, but the mixture should be more sticky then crumbly.  If it seems to wet, add a little more oats.

Scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside for about 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Shape the burger mixture into 6 patties.  Place them on a prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. I checked them about 20 minutes to make sure they weren't burning, and then cooked for the remainder of 10 minutes.

*When I tried to shape them into balls, the mixture was still too wet.  I ground some oats into flour in the blender, and added to the mixture until I could handle it.

Serve on a whole wheat bun with greens, lettuce, pickle, and condiments of your choice.