Meat Lover's Veggie Burger

1. Stage

Preheat oven to 350º. Tear shiitakes into medium pieces and place on medium baking sheet with sliced onions. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and just starting to brown, 33 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

2. Stage

Meanwhile, make lentils and quinoa: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add black lentils and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then and quinoa and porcini mushrooms and continue to simmer 20 minutes more, until lentils and quinoa are cooked through. Drain through a fine mesh sieve and remove hydrated porcini mushrooms from lentils and quinoa.

3. Stage

Into the bowl of a food processor, combine roasted shiitakes and roasted onions along with the hydrated porcini mushrooms, soy sauce, and egg white. Process until mostly smooth. Add cooked lentils and quinoa to the food processor and blend until mostly smooth. (There should still be some whole lentils and quinoa!)

4. Stage

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form about 1/4 mixture into thin, round patties, about 4"-5" across. Add patties to pan as you form them and sear on each side until charred and crisp, 4 minutes. If using, add a slice of cheese as soon as your patties are flipped. Continue cooking patties until all mixture is used, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

5. Stage

Make sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk to combine mayonnaise, mustard, and grated garlic.

6. Stage

To serve: spread bottom and top bun with sauce, then top bottom bun with lettuce, burger patty, pickles, more lettuce, and top bun.