ROASTED POTATO LENTIL CAKES

Do you ever have those days when you feel like anything but meat for dinner? I know most men will not agree with this, but it is actually a myth that we need to eat meat every day, with every meal. Gone are the days of lunches and dinners consisting of meat and three veg. It is actually not good for our bodies to consume that much meat. Diets that are very high in red meat and processed meat have been shown to shorten life span and lead to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's, among other conditions. And, without getting into too big a debate about this topic, it is detrimental for the environment for humans to consume meat at every meal.

Saying all this, I love meat. I have tried again and again to be a vegetarian (my close friends can attest to this) but all of my attempts have failed poorly. Still, it is very good for our bodies to be given a break from meat every so often. A considerable percentage of the recipes on this blog are vegetarian, for that very reason. One of the visions I have for this blog is to show people that they can cook vegetarian food that is low fat  but still tasty. So many vegetarian recipes out there are high in fat.

This recipe is my go to dish when I need a break from meat filled meals. These lentil and potato cakes are hearty, easy to make and filled with fresh herbs. The recipe is from the Weight Watchers cookbook 'Simply the Best', therefore it is another low fat vegetarian meal.


Ingredients 

• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
• I used sebago potatoes
• 1 cup canned lentils, drained 
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 
• I used 3 tablespoons due to my love of herbs. 
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs 
• 1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce 
• fresh lettuce leaves 
• fresh chives, chopped, extra for garnish- optional. 

Cooking 

1. Boil, steam or microwave the potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes together with lentils. 

2. Coat a small frying pan with cooking spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat and cook the onion and garlic until softened. 

3. Transfer onion and garlic to a bowl with the mashed potato and lentils. Add egg, chives, basil and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Use wet hands to form the potato mixture into 12 large patties. Note: my mixture  made nine patties. 

4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the patties on an oven tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and fresh lettuce leaves. Garnish with extra chives if you like.