Lentil Burgers w/ Lemon-Basil Vegan Mayonnaise

I'm pretty much a Food Network junkie and always find inspiring recipes to modify but in this case Giada actually made a vegan dish! I had to go to Whole Foods to find the canned lentils, not every grocery store carries them -- as I found out.  I added walnuts for a bit of texture and crunch and flax seed for an extra binder.  This burger is loaded with protein, a very healthy dish to make for Meatless Monday's!

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52#healthbenefits

Lentil Burgers with Lemon-Basil Vegan Mayonnaise

(Adapted from Giada De Laurentis recipe)

Burgers

1/2         cup olive oil

1/4         cup red onion or 2 large shallots, minced

1 1/2      kosher salt

1/2         teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6            button mushrooms (about 4 ounces), finely diced

2            cloves garlic, minced

2            tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2         cup frozen petite green peas, thawed

2            15-oz. can lentils, rinsed and drained

1/3         cup plus 1/2 cup cornmeal

2            tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1            tablespoon fresh lemon juice

**          breadcrumbs, up to a 1/2 cup depending on how mixture is holding together

**          tablespoon ground flax seed

**         1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

** On the website there were comments about the mixture not holding together so I added some breadcrumbs and flax to firm up the mixture and walnuts for a little extra flavor and texture.

Vegan Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise

1            cup refrigerated vegan mayonnaise (Vegenaise from Wholefoods)

1/2         cup chopped fresh basil

zest        of 1 large lemon

For the burgers;  Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook until the mushrooms are soft, 6-8 minutes. Set aside and cool slightly.

Blend the peas and 1 can lentils until smooth in blender (I think a food processor might work better, mine got stuck in the blender).  Transfer the pureed peas and lentils to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1 can whole lentils, 1/3 cup cornmeal, vegan mayo, lemon juice and the mushroom mixture. Form 1/3 - cupfuls of the mixture into  eleven 3/4” thick slider patties (we made more hamburger size)

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cornmeal on a baking sheet. Place the burgers on top of the cornmeal. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on top of the burgers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium het in the skillet. Cook the burgers until golden brown – about 4 minutes on each side (ours took a bit longer).

For the Basil Vegan Mayo: Mix all ingredients until smooth in a small bowl.

We added red onion and tomato to our finished burger