growing up, when my mom asked us what we'd like to eat for dinner, i'd often request "kotlet" -or the persian version of a meat and potato cutlet flavored with onions, turmeric, cinnamon, and parsley without a moment's hesitation. the "kotlet" is almost tastier cold or at room temperature than hot, and travels well-which is probably why i always associate it with traveling and the family road trips we used to take (bringing along delicious kotlet sandwiches wrapped in flatbread with crunchy dill pickles, chopped parsley, and tomato slices). here, i've taken the traditional persian cutlets ( see kotlet recipe) and given them a lighter vegetarian twist. you can also coat these in breadcrumbs for added crunch, but i didn't this time, and as you can see, they turned out beautifully. to make these delicious healthy "cutlets" (or burgers) you will need:

• 1 cup small green lentils

• 1 cup mung beans

• 1 cup quinoa

• 3 large organic eggs

• 1/2 yellow onion

• 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley

• 1 small bunch basil

• 1 small bunch chives

• 1/2 cup garbanzo bean (or organic whole wheat) flour

• sea salt and pepper to taste

• 2-3 tsps turmeric

• 1-2 tsps cinnamon

• 2 tbsp organic unrefined coconut oil

1. cook the mung beans and lentils together in about 3 cups salted water until tender, drain, set aside (this also freezes well for later use).2. cook quinoa in about 1 and 1/4 to 1/2 cups of water for about 15 minutes (should have none or very little liquid left), drain and set aside.3. finely chop the herbs, then finely cube the 1/2 onion. fry the onion with 1-2 tsp of coconut oil and the turmeric until tender, and let it cool.4. combine all of the above (in a bowl), including the sea salt & pepper (keep in mind the beans and quinoa were salted), cinnamon, three large organic eggs, chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, and mix well, creating a "paste".  5. fry the patties by spooning spoonfuls of the "paste" on to a skillet with a tbs of coconut oil, and slightly flattening the top with the back of your spoon and frying about 2-3 minutes on each side (medium heat). you can also use your hands to make little balls that you flatten between your palms. if you want to serve the patties in buns use a larger spoon and use more paste to make a bigger patty. i served them with basil and tomato slices and a nice salad on the side-it was a good for you delicious meal!{here is the link to my post on traditional beef & potato kotlet}