I have always been a burger loving lady. When I was a kid, my favourite meal out was a burger from this great diner near our house. My da...

I have always been a burger loving lady. When I was a kid, my favourite meal out was a burger from this great diner near our house. My dad would take me on weekends -- it was our special thing...

I haven't eaten red meat in about ten years, but I eat burgers all the time! Bean burgers! Last night was one of those times. I knew I wanted a burger, but I wanted to try something a little different. Intrigued by a recipe from one of my favourite bloggers -- Minimalist Baker -- I decided to throw some kale in my burger mix. Dana from Minimalist Baker threw some collard greens in her falafels and they looked awesome so I wanted to see if kale would work in my bean burger. It totally did! It also made them much healthier.





I search for vegan burger recipes semi-regularly online. I'm always curious what others are doing since there are so many variations on veggie burger ingredients (mushrooms, nuts, beets, quinoa, beans, tofu and on and on...). I have tried my hand at a few and I always come back to bean burgers. I love that they resemble the burgers I remember from my childhood, are full of protein and fibre, and are low in fat. Even though these burgers squeeze in a ton of kale and yellow beet, they look a lot like burgers when they bake! They also hold together well without a binder.

What burger would be complete without fries? I love fries -- healthy fries especially. My recipe for garlicky baked fries is fat-free, oil-free, and can be salt-free. I eat these ALL the time. Just pure potato love. They are crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside without frying or oil!





Though lentils, chickpeas and black beans are my usual preferred veggie burger pulses, I tried a new combo of red kidney beans and lentils this time. So good! The kidney beans really hold everything together in the recipe.

Put this healthy meal disguised as a burger and fries on your table this week.

Kale Burgers

(vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, grain-free)

1 can brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 leaves green kale

1/2 small white onion

1 tsp garlic powder

A pinch of salt

1-2 tsp cumin

A crank or pinch of black pepper

1 cup grated red or yellow best

1-2 tsp evoo

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Add the beets, kale, spices and onion to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the beans and pulse to incorporate evenly. Add the lentils and pulse through evenly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450F. Form parties with the bean mixture and arrange evenly on the parchment paper. Steam your potatoes for the fries and bake both trays together.





Fat Free Fries

(vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, fat-free, grain-free)

New potatoes (as many as desired)

Garlic powder

Salt (optional)

Wash and quarter your potatoes. Steam for about 4-5 minutes until slightly tender but not totally cooked through. Arrange the steamed potato slices evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder and any other spices you like on fries (cumin, cayenne etc but add salt after they fries are ready only). Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins along with the tray of burgers. If after this time the fries aren't crispy and blistered, remove the bean patties from the oven, turn up the heat to broil and let the fries cook for just a couple minutes (1-4) on their own (checking often to ensure parchment paper doesn't burn). Once fries have blistered edges, remove from oven and serve. I enjoy unsalted fries but feel free to add a little salt after baking.





Burger Fixings:

Savoy cabbage leaves or burger buns

Condiments: Ketchup, vegan mayo, mustard, bbq sauce, relish (whatever you like on your burger!)

Sliced tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Chopped lettuce