In the weeks since moving, our days have kept spinning at full speed. There’s furniture to buy and build, counters to refinish, walls to paint, a lawn to mow, and still projects, ideas + meals to cook. But by evening, we’ve been retreating to our big backyard, usually to grill something and enjoy big bowls of summer vegetables laced with char. But towards the end of the week, my enthusiasm for whipping up new ideas starts to wane and so it was a thrill, last Friday, to find that I had all the ingredients shoved into the back of the fridge from meals earlier in the week to make up a batch of my favorite veggie burgers…and to find that they were AWESOME even though some of the ingredients were slightly different than what I used last time. Fresh, fruit-and-veggie-forward summer dinners are what dreams are made of, but so too are fridge-raid, infinitely versatile miracles like this.
This week, I’ve found myself purposefully structuring our leftovers so that there’s enough to make another batch, which is how I know that they’re winners. These little burgers are my most recent answer to lazy Friday nights at home, but they’re also my answer to your questions about what to eat after your long rides/runs/hikes + events, make-ahead snacks and meals, and how to boost your diets with protein without adding meat.
A few of you who have read up on Ayurveda will read this recipe, realize that it includes leftovers (gasp,) and wonder why I’m recommending it to you. Let me give a gentle reminder that the science of Ayurveda is nearly 7000 years old…and far older than refrigeration. The call from this ancient wisdom not to eat leftovers has everything to do with the idea that food would have spoiled within 12 hours, making leftovers literally toxic. In our modern world, it’s very ok to eat leftover lentils, grains, or meal components like those in this recipe if they’re sourced well and stored properly.
These veggie burgers are amazing to make ahead for dinner or lunch, or even to stuff into a wrap with veggies and tahini, or hummus, for a picnic lunch, or dinner on the trail. You could absolutely toss a sammie like this into your handlebar bag for a big ride, if that works for your body.
There’s a lot of buzz out there about eating “plant-based.” This recipe is a “plant-based” recipe, but that’s not actually why I love it so much. I love this recipe because it’s a great way to use lentils, or beans and leftover grains in a new fresh form. I love it because these burgers are quick and easy, they bake up beautifully, store well and are applauded by veggie-enthusiasts and meat-eaters alike. Most of my meals are plant-based, but not all of them. I am what I like to call a “flexitarian;” if I know the source of the meat I’m eating, I approve of the practices by which it’s been raised and produced, and my body is craving the grounding, substantial nourishment of meat, then I’ll eat meat. And, if I’m not craving meat, or if my activity load is less, then veggie burgers are a perfect meal for me. I eat meat in this way 2-3 times a week, and my body and brain feels great about it; for me, this way of eating feels in tune with my body, its needs, and the regenerative agriculture practices I want to support in my community.
If you have questions about eating meat, eating plants, how to decide what’s right for you, I’m eager to hear them! Feeling confounded by eating meat because it’s “bad,” is one of the biggest pitfalls I see athletes + others fall into and choosing wisely can make a huge difference between wellness, strength, and ease in body and mind. There’s a lot more to this question that we ask ourselves. Each one of us has a different right answer. (But we can all agree these veggie burgers are AMAZING. Ahem.)
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