GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Lauren Coleman Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero 
Prop Styling by Chloe Daley


    
Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

Yellow Lentil Sliders

Starters from Issue 11 – Summer 2017 – Heroines

The most evolved 8-year-old on TV: Lisa Simpson plays a mean sax, is a Buddhist, has an IQ of 159, and designed her own feminist talking doll Lisa Lionheart (her refrain: “Trust in yourself and you can achieve anything”). When Lisa wavered in her vegetarianism it was Apu at Kwik-E Mart (the hotdog she thought she cheated with turned out to be a tofu-dog) and Paul and Linda McCartney who reassured her. Our yellow sliders—Indian in flavor and lentil based (“If you play ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ backwards, you’ll hear a recipe for a really ripping lentil soup,” Paul says)—recognize them.

makes 6 sliders



Sliders
  • ½ cup yellow lentils, rinsed
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ⅔ cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
  • 1 generous tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup shredded sweet potato
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 6 small potato rolls (we like Martin’s party-sized)
  • seedless cucumber slices, chopped dill, chopped cilantro, and curried sour cream* to serve

Shiitake bacon
  • 4 oz shiitake mushroom, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp liquid smoke

  • 1

    Stir lentils into ¾ cup water with ½ tsp salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are softened and water is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • 2

    Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in sweet potato, cumin, coriander,½ tsp salt, a pinch of black pepper, and 2 Tbsp water. Loosely cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato starts to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lentils then cool. With damp hands, shape into 2-inch patties. Chill uncovered until firm, 1 hour, or up to 2 days covered.
  • 3

    Toss mushrooms with 2 Tbsp oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, liquid smoke, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Marinate 10 minutes and then drain. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms in one layer and cook, stirring occasionally until crispy, 
6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Clean skillet.
  • 4

    Toast buns in dry skillet over medium-high heat and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp oil to hot skillet. Sear the patties until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, add remaining Tbsp oil, lower heat to medium and cook 6 minutes longer. Serve sliders with curried cream, cucumber, herbs, and “bacon.”
    *Curried sour cream: Stir together 1 cup sour cream with 2 tsp curry powder and keep chilled.