Healthy Burger Toppings

We eat a lot of burgers in our house, especially in the summer.  Turkey burgers (here & here), chicken burgers (here & here & here), veggie burgers (here & here), fish burgers (here) or your classic and DELICIOUS beef burger.  And while I see nothing wrong with topping these burgers with cheese, bacon or onions and mushrooms (sautéed in butter, obviously), I thought I'd change it up a bit and search for healthier and more unique alternatives.

Instead of lettuce, try chopped bok choy sautéed in garlic.  Instead of pickles, try lightly sautéed yellow squash or zucchini.  It's almost impossible for me to eat a burger without tomatoes and avocado, so I had to include those.  But other ideas: roasted red peppers, pickled carrots or crispy kale.  And instead of basic ketchup and mustard, I tried out two different greek yogurt toppings: one with a dash of sriracha and the other with lime juice and lime zest.  Also, the vessel?  One half of a toasted English muffin instead of a bun.  Not exactly easy to eat, but delicious nonetheless.   

Doesn't that look pretty?  All assembled and ready to eat, yes?!  Well SECONDS after this photo was shot, this happened...

The glamorous life of a food blogger... always in a rush to photograph your food and then EAT it.  Oh, and don't worry, I put it all back on my plate and did just that.  Judge away!

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Chickpea Burgers

We've been trying to eat a little less red meat this month at our house (I say that after going to Smashburger the other night and ordering bacon on top of my beef), so last night I decided to make Chickpea Burgers.  They were a hit (between Carson and I of course, kids were like, Chickpea wha??).  The coriander, cumin and cilantro added so much flavor, and the mushrooms combined with the beans made it taste hearty and delicious.  I loved them, and will make them again and again.  We served ours with pita pockets, and topped them with avocado, tomato and a store-bought tzatziki sauce (and I will forever have to google the spelling of that word).  

Chickpea Burgers

(Makes 4)

Printable Recipe

1 19 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic

2 T chopped cilantro (or parsley)

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 carrot, roughly chopped

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 T all-purpose flour

1 egg

1/4 cup panko

2 T olive oil

In a food processor (or blender), combine chickpeas with garlic, cilantro, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper.  Pulse until it reaches a choppy, paste-like consistency.  Remove with a rubber spatula into a large bowl.  Add mushrooms and carrots to food processor and pulse until finely minced.  Add to bowl.  Add flour, egg and panko to bowl and stir everything together until combined.  Form into 4 burger patties.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook for about 7 minutes per side, until nice and golden brown.  

Also, Mushroom and Lentil Veggie Burgers.

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Asian Chicken Burgers

When we were at The Voice last week, craft services (otherwise known as GIANT TABLES OF FOOD CRACK) had a Chicken Lettuce Wrap Bar.  I've had the ground chicken mixture in the crispy, buttery lettuce before, but never with an array of such creative and delicious toppings, like a variety of peppers, hot sauces and sesame seeds.  I thought this was such a good idea that I wanted to recreate it at home, only with my own special (lazy) twist.  Burgers!  Burgers are always easy, right?  You take your choice of protein: chicken, turkey, beef, etc., and add all sorts of veggies and spices that satisfy your desired cuisine.  In this case?  Asian Burgers!  With ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin and water chestnuts... these burgers have all the traditional flavors of chicken lettuce wraps in burger form.  We decided to eat them on buns, but you could totally do the butter lettuce route, and we topped them with more hoisin, avocado and orange bell pepper.   

Asian Chicken Burgers

(Makes 4 large burgers)

Printable Recipe

1 lb. ground chicken

3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1/2 tsp sesame oil

3 green onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 cup panko 

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil along with the sesame oil over medium heat.  Add the green onions, garlic and ginger, and sauté for roughly 5 minutes, until garlic begins to brown and everything smells heavenly.  Remove from heat and let cool for a bit.  In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, hoisin, soy sauce, panko, cilantro and water chestnuts.  Then add the green onion mixture, and stir everything together.  Divide chicken into 4 burger patties.  In same skillet, heat remaining two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Cook patties for roughly 6-8 minutes per side.    

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Greek Turkey Burgers

Trying to concentrate as I write this, which is difficult because I'm waiting to hear any second now that my baby nephew has been born!!  I feel giddy!  I feel like Mini Me from Austin Powers and I just want to yell, eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!  Babies are born every second of every day, all across the world, but when it goes down in your own family, doesn't it feel like it's never happened to anyone, ever?  It's so ridiculously special, each experience so unique, that it's hard to imagine other people going through the same thing!  At least that's how I feel, and I've had 3 babies + 12 cups of coffee already.  I'm good at math, and those numbers add up to me being an emotional crazy person right now.    

Anyway, let's talk about something else, like these healthy turkey burgers I found on Joy Bauer's website.  I forget how simple it is to make burgers on the stove, and how easily they can be transformed by adding whatever ingredients you have at home.  These Greek flavors - feta, roasted peppers and oregano - made these burgers delicious, and I added some chopped spinach to make them even brighter and healthier.  We topped them with store-bought tzatziki sauce (have fun getting that word in a spelling bee), served them alongside a salad and baked sweet potato and then ran a marathon after dinner.  Or we ate frozen cookie dough, I can't remember. 

Recipe here.

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Mushroom & Lentil Veggie Burgers

I am a carnivore, there is no doubt about that, but I have always loved a good veggie burger.  During my single, working-gal days I ate a lot of these, and more recently I've tried sampling different kinds of veggie burgers at restaurants.  What I love most: a crispy exterior, a juicy interior that doesn't fall apart and a "burger" that actually tastes like the vegetables inside.  It never occurred to me to make my own until yesterday, when I was perusing healthy cooking sites (because I've been feeling like a gigantic, pregnant cow lately) and saw a few recipes.  Suddenly I found myself reading through at least 50 of them all over the web, and I settled on ingredients and a recipe of my own.    

      Can I tell you something?  Can I shout it?  All caps signifies that I'm screaming in your face, FYI.

I AM SO PROUD OF THIS BURGER.  It was a major experiment and it worked!  I truly believe that both carnivores and vegetarians will love this recipe.  Mushrooms paired with Worcestershire tend to create a meaty flavor, and the lentils pack this burger with protein.  It was very crispy on the outside, and the inside was juicy, rich and delicious.  Served on a whole wheat bun with arugula, dijon mustard and melty Provolone cheese (which I put on top at the very end of the cooking process), it was perfect.  PERFECT.  I'M SHOUTING AT YOU AGAIN.     

Mushroom & Lentil Veggie Burgers

(Makes 4)

Printable Recipe

3 T olive oil, divided

8 oz. mushrooms, chopped finely (I used my food processor)

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup cooked lentils

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and sauté for roughly 7 minutes, until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.  Stir in Worcestershire sauce, and let cool briefly.  In a large bowl, stir together mushroom mixture, lentils, bread crumbs, egg and salt and pepper.  Form into four patties, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  When ready to cook, heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add burger patties, and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, until nice and crispy.    

*I found pre-cooked lentils in the produce section of my regular grocery store.

**I only made two of the burgers, and I froze the other two patties for later : )  

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Buffalo Chicken Burgers

It's spring!  I think!  We're expecting a snow storm tomorrow but it's still spring!  Yeaaahhh sooooo... it doesn't really feel like spring YET, but that doesn't mean you can't have a dinnertime burger BBQ inside your house.  You can even wear your bikini as you cook!  If you're a crazy person.  Moving on.

If you love buffalo sauce (like most of my friends) then you will LOVE these burgers.  The other night I was going to make this salad, but I do it so often, I thought I'd try and change it up a bit and make it in burger form.  GOOD IDEA, if I do say so myself.  These burgers were juicy, and spicy, yet completely balanced with the cooling addition of blue cheese and avocado.  I loved them, a lot.  

*Recipe note: do yourself a favor and buy grated carrots at the market.  NO one likes to grate carrots, unless of course you're the type of person that likes to wear their bikini while they cook, in which case you are mental in the head.  Happy Spring!  

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

(Makes 4 burgers, or 8 sliders)

Printable Recipe

1 lb. ground chicken

3 T olive oil, divided

1/3 cup diced onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion)

1/3 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

1/3 cup grated carrots

1 egg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (add more if burger mixture is too sticky)

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

1 heaping T chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup bottled buffalo sauce, plus more for topping

Whole wheat buns

Burger Toppings (see below)

Heat 1 T of olive oil over medium heat in large skillet.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Season slightly with salt and pepper, and sauté until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.  In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, panko, blue cheese crumbles, parsley and salt and pepper.  Add cooled vegetables.  Stir until burger mixture is combined.  Form into four patties.  Heat remaining olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add burgers, and cook approximately 8 minutes per side.  Remove burgers, reduce heat to medium, and add buffalo sauce.  Return burgers to pan, and cook in sauce for 1 minute per side.  Serve burgers on whole wheat buns and top with desired toppings.    

            

My toppings: romain lettuce, sliced tomatoes, red onions, avocado and blue cheese crumbles...

I like to add extra buffalo sauce to my burger, as well as a tiny bit of blue cheese dressing.  Yup.  

Also, Buffalo Deviled Eggs for Easter time.

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Ramen Burger + Annie Chun's Giveaway

Have you heard of the latest culinary craze, the Ramen Burger?  It's a burger sandwiched between two patties of fried ramen noodles, in place of a bun.  Sounds absurd, yes?  It is absurd.  AND WONDERFUL TOO. 

I was sent some products from Annie Chun's - a variety of all natural Asian Cuisine - and someone from their team suggested I try out the new "bun" with the ramen noodles.  It was easy to do and the result was oddly fantastic - crispy Ramen framing a juicy burger, yum. Follow these simple steps to create your own at home:

1. Cook noodles in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain.  (I did not use the flavor packet)

2. Divide Ramen into 2 bowls or ramekins that resemble patty size. 

3. Place plastic wrap on top of noodles and weigh down with cans - tuna worked well for me.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. 

4. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Carefully remove noodles from bowl and cook until golden brown on both sides. 

And now, a giveaway...

Please comment below to win all of this!  And let me know if you would try a Ramen Burger?

Giveaway Rules:

1. You must be an official follower of this blog to win (click follow icon on the right).

2. Follow me on Twitter for an extra entry (comment below twice if you do).

3. Only open to residents of U.S. and Canada.

4. Winner will be chosen at random on Monday, August 26th at 8am PST.

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Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Burgers with Guacamole

For very brief, tiny, fleeting moments... I feel put together.  The rest of the time... 

...my feet look like they should be attached to trolls, my hair is going on 5 days sans shampoo, there are crumbs in my bra and I can't remember if I've put deodorant on.  Did that paint you a pretty picture?  Where should I sign up to model?  That same messy feeling applies to my blog.  Occasionally, I snap a great picture.  But the rest of the time, I have about -30 seconds to get my camera because if I don't eat 30 seconds after that, I'll have a 4 year-old asking for something and a 9 month-old screaming her head off.  Why am I venting to you??  Because that photo above does this chicken burger ZERO justice.  It was so good.  It looks burnt to a crisp, but it wasn't.  It was juicy and full of heavenly flavor and I devoured it.  All it needed was Carson's homemade guacamole as a topping, nothing else.  The perfect accompaniment to the slightly spicy, cheesy burger.  You've got to make these.    

If you click here, you'll see a fancy photo with a fancy burger that is put together.

And you'll find the recipe, please enjoy.  

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