Hudson's Lentil Patties

I like to try and integrate healthy foods into Hudson's diet at every meal, but sometimes, for one reason or another, he doesn't like certain foods. Sometimes it has to do with the texture, and not necessarily the taste. That is the case with lentils. At this stage in his eating career, he only has 7 (almost 8) teeth, so some things are hard to chew. So I have come up with a little lentil patty recipe that tastes yummy, and will get those lentils into your little ones tummy without any fuss! I've incorporated walnuts and olive oil into the recipe to increase the amount of fat (good fat) in the recipe, since babies need fat to grow. Most babies drink whole milk and have full fat yogurt etc, which is full of fat, a lot of which is saturated, and also a lot of cholesterol. In my opinion, eating a diet full of good fats is a better choice. You can definitely make this recipe without the walnuts if your child has an allergy, or isn't at the nut stage yet. In that case, I'd omit the olive oil as well, or add more breadcrumbs to compensate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

You will need:

1 19oz can of brown lentils, drained and rinsed well ( or the equivalent of home cooked)
1/2 cup of whole grain bread crumbs (homemade  or store bought)
1 piece of whole grain bread ripped into pieces
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 cup of organic ketchup
1/8 cup of vegenaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
pepper to taste
canola oil for baking

Place all ingredients (except canola oil for baking) into a food processor and put on high for about 1 minute, or until all ingredients are mixed well and the lentils have been turned into a paste. You should have a mixture that resembles cookie dough. For the dough into little patties, about 2.5 inches wide, and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 375 for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the patties over. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. You can freeze these and use them as you need, or freeze some and keep some in the fridge (max 4 days).

You don't have to be a baby/toddler to enjoy these either! They can be a great addition to any meal!