True Love

‎"Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself-and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to-letting a person be what he really is."

- Jim Morrison

I tried

I tried really, really hard this weekend to like butternut squash.  I really did try.  But I just don't  :(

Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili
Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 spaghetti squash
8 ounces lean ground turkey  (93/7 % or 99/1%)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
14 ounce can Rotel (or equivalent), drained
15 ounce can corn, drained
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste (if you don't have that's okay)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

If you have never cooke spaghetti squash before, it's really not bad I promise.  You can either bake or microwave it.  I choose to bake mine because it could bake as I was making the chili.
To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and middle (as you would a pumpkin).  Place the squash halves with the cut sides down and the rind side up on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.  Cook for ~30-45 minutes.  I set my timer for 30min and they were done.  Just poke with a fork to check.  Be careful when you turn them over because the trapped steam is what helps them cook.  Use a fork to softly scrap out the flesh, which comes out in string like strands.
To microwave: cut and clean in the same manner.  Place one half in a baking dish with ~1/4 cup water.  Cover and microwave for ~8-10 minutes.  Do the same for the second half.

For the chili:  In a medium saucepan cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic until meat is fully cooked and onion is tender.  Season with a little salt and pepper while cooking.  Drain off any fat.
Stir in Rotel, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregeno.  Simmer, unconvered, for 10 minutes or desired consistency.

Top spaghetti squash with chili.  Yum!  I liked it!  And I love being able to use spaghetti squash more in the fall and skip the pasta!

Product Review

Del Monte Fruit Naturals - Mixed Berries

Yuck!

I don't really like fruit cups, I'd much rather eat the real fruit.  And I'm not a big juice fan, all the calories and sugar with decreased vitamins/minerals and fiber.  But I had a BOGO free coupon for these fruit cups.  They are found in the refrigerated fruit/juice section and are in 100% juice...hence "natural"

I thought the mixed berries looked awesome because it is rare to find blackberries and blueberries in a fruit cup.  Plus these berries are more expensive and I can eat an entire package in one sitting!  Please remember this review is my personal opinion, and I just feel like sharing from an RD and personal point of view.

What's in these natural berries?  Blueberries, blackberries, reconstituted white grape juice, calcium lactate, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (to protect color), citric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (to preserve quality).   Why do my natural berries need natural flavors? Or natural things to preserve quality?

6 ounce cup, 100 calories.  Did you know you can have about 1.3 cups of blueberries or 1.5 cups of blackberries for ~100 calories?

Now for taste...yuck!  Do you see the color of my blackberry?  The flavor of the berries was extra sweet and kinda fake flavored, which I'm not really a fan of.

I was gonna check the price on these to compare w/ the real fruit but forgot.

Bottom line I hated this and couldn't even finish either cup (I tried with both cups).  Can't wait to buy me some fresh blueberries & blackberries!!

Love in my heart

"I will greet this day with love in my heart.  And how will I do this?  Henceforth will I look on all things with love and I will be born again.  I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.  I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.  I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge."

- Og Mandino

Tuscan Ribollita

Tuscan Ribollita

Recipe found on Shutterbean & slightly adapted

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 - 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
3 - 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
1 1/2 cups chicken or  vegetable broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary (if you have, I actually didn't have this & sprinkled in some dried Italian herbs instead)

salt & pepper to taste
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped  (I had a really HUGE bunch of kale so just used about 2 cups tightly packed)

1 cup toasted bread crumbs
grated Parmesan 

Directions:
1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the garlic, onion, carrot, & celery ingredients in the olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the beans, broth & rosemary.  Salt and pepper a little.  Simmer, covered until the beans break apart, about an hour. (I did a pretty hard simmer to help the beans break apart)
3. Add the kale and cook for 5 to 7 mins more. Stir in the bread crumbs and serve sprinkled with cheese.

*I found the crucial thing about this recipe is the breakdown of some of the beans therefore making this not a soup.  My beans didn't fall apart very easily so I made sure to stir a lot and had to break up some beans & my whole tomatoes on my own.  I had a can of tomatoes larger than the recipe called for so I decreased the broth.  In the end my version had a little more liquid than the pictures on her blog so I added more breadcrumbs.  All in all it thickened up a little & although it didn't look quite like her pics it was still not a soup and was super filling, hearty, and flavorful.

*Lets talk health and flavor a little....I knew this recipe was right up my alley but might bore some others.  I was worried it might be a little bland since I left out the pancetta but I was amazing and excited and how super flavorful it was!!  I think I'd like to give an extra big thanks to my onions for breaking apart as well to make this dish scrumptious!  And talk about nutrition!!!  Vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, phytochemical, and fiber packed!!!  

LOVE THIS!

"Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Make all your friends feel there is something special in them. Look at the sunny side of everything. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger." 

- Christian D. Larsen

New Favorite Snack

These mixed with these....YUM!!

Calorie Free Lime Rickey's

When I was a kid I was embarrassed to like the flavor 'grape'...I guess it was an uncool flavor to like. Well now I'm grown up and guess what? I love the flavor 'grape' and don't care if you know! haha There's a restaurant where my parents live called Dylan's and I always order a lime rickey when I go, they're delicious

Here's my homemade version with significantly less calories!

In a 2 quart pitcher mix 1 packet sugar free grape drink mix, 1 packet sugar free lemonade drink mix, and 2 quarts of water. Use sugar free drink mix of choice: Crystal Light, Wyler's Light, generic brand, etc. Mix well and refrigerate until cold.

In a 20 ounce glass, mix one 12 ounce can of cold Fresca with 4 ounces of grape/lemonade mix.

*You can use your grape/lemonade mix to make lots of lime rickeys OR use in popsicle molds to make sour grape popsicles!

Spinach, Artichoke, & Mushroom Lasagna

Two things about me

1. I love lasagna. In fact, it was what I picked for my "birthday dinner" almost every year and what I used to always request when I went home from college.

2. My sister and I are "freebie followers" so we often sign up for free stuff, coupons, etc.

So I signed up to get this lasagna cookbook and when Corinne came in town this weekend we tried our version of one of the recipes. It was delicious! Here's our version...

Spinach, Artichoke, & Mushroom Lasagna

adapted from Precious Spinach, Artichoke, & Ricotta Lasagna

1 recipe Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)

1 jar marinara sauce of choice (or homemade red pasta sauce)

8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

15-oz container of low fat ricotta cheese

1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Drizzle olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

6oz bag of baby spinach

1 cup sliced mushrooms (baby portabella or crimini)

1 box of no boil, oven ready lasagna noodles

1 large can of quartered artichoke hearts (in water, unflavored)

2 chicken breasts cooked & shredded (optional)

Béchamel Sauce:

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3.5 cups 2% milk

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg (or grated fresh)

-Melt butter on medium heat in large skillet

-Add onion & garlic, cook until soft and translucent

-Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes making sure not to brown

-Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil. Stir in nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

-Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking often

Lasagna directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Mix ricotta and egg in small bowl.

3. In a medium skillet saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil until soft and onions are translucent. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread 13x9 inch casserole dish with 1/2 of béchamel sauce. Top with lasagna sheets to cover. Do not overlap lasagna noodles.

5. Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the spinach/mushroom mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1/2 the chicken (if using), the remaining 1/2 of the béchamel sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and 1/3 of the parmesan

6. Layer with more lasagna noodles. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining spinach/mushroom mixture, the remaining artichokes, the remaining chicken (if using), 1/2 the jar of marinara sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and 1/3 of the parmesan.

7. Finish with the last layer of lasagna noodles. Top with a layer of marinara sauce then the remainder of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

8. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is browned, ~10 minutes. Remove, allow lasagna to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

*If you prefer you can alternate the sauce béchamel/marinara/béchamel/marina instead of the above

Garlic Bread Bites

I went with my aunt Eileen and my cousin Case to a yummy place in Salt Lake City recently when I was visiting my family. With our small plates came some "crunchy bread"....I know it's just simple crusty bread but I LOVE crusty bread! It was basically torn pieces of bread that were toasted. So I was longing for some and made these! I am now a little (too) addicted!

Take a loaf of french bread or sourdough and tear into smaller pieces. Drizzle with olive oil or spray with spray butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until outsides are crispy but still soft inside.

Think of all the things you can sprinkle on some crusty bread bites for other variations or dip crusty bread bites into! Yum! :)

Thai Green Curry

I looked at a lots of recipes to find a good green curry recipe...some easy, some complicated...and here is what I ended up doing. I kinda made up my own thing based on what I wanted so obviously you can change it around. I bought green beans and basil but forgot to put them in so maybe in my next batch! I also was going to use green onion but they didn't have any at Target (weird). I thought it ended up pretty good but it wasn't as sweet and flavorful as the restaurant so I ended up sprinkling a tiny amount of sugar and stirred it in. I think it might have to do with the fact I used light coconut milk instead of the regular since the light has a lot of water in it. I also brought it leftover for lunch today and it was good but needed a touch of salt.

Thai Green Curry

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

juice of 1 lime

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips

1/4 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small can bamboo shoots, thinly sliced

2-3 tablespoons green curry paste

1 14oz can light coconut milk

1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Pound chicken thin and cut into bite sized pieces. Cook in skillet with lime juice on medium heat until done.

2. Add bell pepper, onion, and bamboo shoots. Cook until soft (or desired consistency)

3. Add ~ 1 tablespoon green curry paste and stir to coat. Add coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Continue to add green curry paste until desired flavor/spiciness. Reduce heat to low-medium.

4. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with cold water. Add to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until sauce thickens. If needed, repeat cornstarch step again to thicken sauce.

5. Serve over rice

More confessions

I know my blog is not pretty. I look at many gorgeous, eye-catching recipe blogs all the time so I do know what they look like. I apologize to those who look at my blog but I have no desire to do that. I don't take pictures of everything I make. I don't want my blog to become famous and don't really care if I have a million followers or not. To those of you with pretty blogs I LOVE them!! Sorry I'm not returning the favor :)

Spicy Pickled Carrots

I bet no one will make this recipe unless you've had these carrots! I had this what I called mexican pickled carrots at Taco Milagro and I've heard of these famous carrots served at Ninfa's. After becoming addicted to these carrots I actually tried to google a recipe but was a little unsure about what I was finding. So imagine my excitement when The Homesick Texan posted this! I just got around to making them and they were yummy!! I basically ate 8 carrots in 24hours! haha. So if you've had these before or if you want to have some more exciting carrots try them! For a non-spicy version, omit the chiles and jalapeno but add a dash of cayenne pepper (trust me, won't be super spicy but the flavor will be right.) And they tasted better after cooling off so what they taste like in the pot isn't the end result.

Ingredients:
1 cup Water
¼ cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups White Vinegar
1 ounce Chiles De Arbol, stems removed
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Kosher Salt (Plus More To Taste)
1 pound Carrots, cut into thin rounds
¼ cup Slivered Onions
1 Garlic Clove
1 Jalapeño, seeds and stem removed, sliced

Directions:
In a medium-sized pot, add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar and chiles de arbol. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.

Add to the pot the cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt. Continue to cook on medium for 5 more minutes. Add the sliced carrots, onions, garlic and jalapeño, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are your desired texture. Taste and add more salt if you prefer.

Cool and then refrigerate. Will keep for one month refrigerated.

Note: Chiles de arbol can be found at Mexican grocers and many regular supermarkets. And be aware that these carrots are very hot, so you might want to cut back on the chiles de arbol.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

I forgot to post another recipe Corinne & I tried on our last visit. We didn't use olives because she doesn't like them. I liked this recipe because it didn't have pounds of butter like traditional shrimp scampi recipes.

Shrimp Scampi With Pasta, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes And Olives

Self Magazine, don't remember the issue

Ingredients:
2 ounces Whole-Grain Angel-Hair Pasta
2 tsp Extra Light Olive Oil
¾ pound Medium Shrimp, shelled
½ tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Black Olives
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach
4 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp White Wine (or use extra broth)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Reduced-Fat Grated Parmesan

Directions:
For pasta
Cook pasta 1 minute less than directed on package; set aside.
For shrimp
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Cook shrimp until pink, 5 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate.
For vegetables
Reduce heat to medium; add olives, parsley and garlic. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant but does not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach, tomatoes, broth, wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook until tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

468 calories per serving, 15.8 g fat (2.9 g saturated), 35.6 g carbs, 2.6 g fiber, 42.7 g protein

Raspberry-Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Here's a recipe Corinne & I tried this weekend. Not sure if it was the ginormous chicken breasts we had or what but the whole sauteing thing did not work at all. We ended up baking them at 425 until the chicken was cooked (not sure how long since they were partially cooked from the sauteing). It wasn't as amazing as I was daydreaming it was going to be but it ended up good and I think subtracting the drama we had with cooking it, I wouldn't mind making it again. And it was good cold the next day, would be good on a salad.

Raspberry-Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Women's Health, September 2010

Ingredients:
1 cup Fresh Or Unsweetened Frozen Raspberries
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about 1 pound
½ cup Whole-Grain Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Coarsely Ground Pistachio Nuts
2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley
dash Freshly Ground Pepper
pinch Sea Salt
2 tsp Olive Oil

Directions:
Combine the raspberries, mustard, and lemon juice in a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth.Transfer to a shallow pan, cover, and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet to ½-inch thick. In another shallow pan, combine the bread crumbs, pistachios, parsley, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Dip each chicken breast in the sauce to coat both sides. Roll the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture to cover completely.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the chicken breasts over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is slightly browned, 5 minutes on each side.

Roasted Balsamic Veggies

Super easy, super delish! And I love these cold too (actually even better!)

Yellow squash - sliced

Brussels sprouts - tough ends cut off then cut in half

Purple onion - sliced

Place in bowl or zip lock bag. Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well or shake bag so veggies are coated. Spread evenly on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt/pepper.

Bake at 425 degrees for ~20 minutes

*Feel free to try other veggies and combinations, adjust roasting time accordingly! Since using up my Brussels sprouts I've been addicted to this recipe just using yellow squash & onion.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

My sis sent me a recipe that she thought I might like. It sounded sort of like a recipe that was so weird that it sounded delicious, if that makes any sense. Well in true Heather fashion, I did my own thing based on what I had at home and personal preferences. I liked it and I personally really like raw Brussels sprouts so I will likely make this or a variation of it again.

Here's the original recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Here's what I made:

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

adapted from www.joythebaker.com

4 cups raw Brussels Sprouts Ribbons
4 chopped green onions (white part)
1 cups fresh pineapple chunks, cut into bite size chunks
1 avocado, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Dressing
¼ cup agave nectar (or honey, I just don't like honey too much)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt And Pepper To Taste

Prepare salad dressing: mix agave nectar/honey, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and dijon mustard. Whisk in oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Set dressing aside.

Lay Brussels sprouts on their sides and cut thin slices creating ribbons for salad. Toss together Brussels sprouts, scallions, pineapple, avocado, and almonds. Drizzle in dressing and toss well.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This is a recipe I tried from www.ourbestbites.com and came out quite good. I ate mine with some homemade guacamole, yum! You can use less cheese if you want and you can use flour or corn tortillas.

Here are some things I love about this recipe:

1. I can make myself two taquitos and keep the remainder of the chicken mixture to make another single portion fresh when I need it instead of having to eat leftovers.

2. I know that they are baked and not fried

3. I know that they have breast meat with the fat cut off and not the gross mystery meat that a store bought taquito probably has (sorry personal bias)

4. Lets not forget it was quick and easy

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

3 ounces Cream Cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
⅓ cup Salsa Verde
½ Lime, juice of
1 tsp Chile Powder
½ tsp Ground Cumin
pinch Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp Onion Powder
3 cloves Garlic, minced
¼ cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 Tbsp Scallions, chopped
2 cups Chicken, cooked, shredded
½ cup Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cup Shredded Pepperjack Cheese
8-12 (6-inch) Corn Tortillas
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

Forgiveness

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"Resentment is like a glass of poison that a man drinks; then he sits down and waits for his enemy to die."

- Anonymous

"Many people are afraid to forgive because they feel they must remember the wrong or they will not learn from it. The opposite is true. Through forgiveness, the wrong is released from its emotional stranglehold on us so that we can learn from it. Through the power and intelligence of the heart, the release of forgiveness brings expanded intelligence to work with the situation more effectively."

- David McArthur

"One of the biggest misconceptions about forgiveness is that by forgiving someone we somehow make right what they did. We believe that if we forgive, then we condone their actions. Nothing could be further from the truth." - Mastin Kipp, The Daily Love

The New Anticancer Rules

The New Anticancer Rules

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Here is the recipe that inspired me, from Whole Foods (found here). Of course I couldn't follow it. I followed lots of it but I typically use recipes to guide me and do things I like or use ingredients I have. What I did & how I liked it will follow the recipe...

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Serves 6

Walnuts add a little crunch and brown rice takes the place of bread crumbs making these savory vegetarian burgers a great gluten-free meal. Serve with a green salad or cooked greens.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

2 cups cooked brown rice, divided

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils, or 1 (15-ounce) can lentils, rinsed and drained

1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons high heat sunflower oil or expeller-pressed canola oil, divided

Method

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, walnuts, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. In a food processor, purée 1 cup rice, lentils and egg until smooth. Transfer to bowl with vegetables, add remaining 1 cup rice and stir to combine. Form lentil mixture into 10 to 12 patties, using about 1/4 cup of the mixture to make each one. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Arrange half of the patties in skillet and cook, flipping once, until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat process with remaining sunflower oil and patties. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 5oz/156g-wt.): 240 calories (100 from fat), 11g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium, 27g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 9g protein

-I also used diced onion, didn't have walnuts or parsley, and used some other seasonings. The ENTIRE flavor of this dish came from the veggies that go in the burgers so make sure your veggie mix is flavorful! I cooked mine longer than 5 min too so all the veggies were soft.

-I used ground flaxseed in place of egg (mix 2 1/2 tbsp with 3 tbsp water)

-Instead of pureeing, I did a good smash. So there were still some whole lentils too.

-At first the burgers were much too soft because the ingredients were still pretty warm, so I ended up coating the burgers in panko bread crumbs. I used less than 1 tbsp of oil but the breadcrumbs soaked it all up and the oil taste was too strong. The second time around was after the mix was refrigerated so they held together better. I still coated with breadcrumbs and only used enough oil so they wouldn't burn. Success! I liked them a lot the 2nd time around. I also think with a little less mash this would be good on its own, it wouldn't need to be in burger form.