The weekend is finally here :D
I've had a bit of a stressful week but am planning to remedy things by doing some cooking. I promised a recipe in my last post and here it is! As with all of my other concoctions, it's extremely simple - just mix and shape and you're ready to go. Happy cooking!
Easy, Guilt free Burgers.
Ingredients
500g lean mince (try to buy the best quality mince you can afford because it makes a difference, I promise!)
Bunch of chopped coriander
Freshly grated lemon peel and a squeeze of lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, chopped (use a garlic press if you're lazy like me)
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 packet of Doriano crackers or 30g of cream crackers, bashed into bits
1 generous tbsp of tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
Shake of mixed herbs
Seasoning: Salt, pepper,
Optional stuff: A tiny pinch chilli powder (a little goes a long way), a little freshly grated ginger.
1. The only vaguely time consuming thing here is the prep, but if you're nice and quick then it can all be done in around 20 minutes. Alternatively, draft in others to help and set up a mini production line.
2. Chuck all the ingredients into a big, roomy bowl.
3. Mix everything up with your hands. It might sound a bit gross but I've found that it is far easier than using a fork and is surprisingly therapeutic!
4. Once it's all mixed, pop some cling film over the meat mixture and leave in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavours sink in.
5. Prepare a work surface so you have somewhere to put your burgers after shaping them! I usually put mine is a pyrex dish in layers, separated by pieces of greaseproof paper.
6. Take mixture out of the fridge and this bit is crucial: WET YOUR HANDS. This means that when you're shaping the burgers, the mixture won't stick to you like glue and fall apart.
7. With your wet hands, grab however much you want per burger, roll into a ball and squash it flat. Remember to wet your hands in between making each one.
8. When you're cooking your burgers, it's best to use a skillet or grill pan. You don't have to use any oil because the meat naturally contains fat. Heat the pan up until it's screaming hot and plonk the burgers carefully onto the pan.
9. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, and you're done!
Ideally, these should be served on wholemeal sourdough bread with some lolla rossa, fresh vine tomatoes and a dollop of salsa but it's really up to you.
Alternatives: Pop the burgers in an oven instead and place thin slices of courgettes, cut along their length, in the gaps between the burgers. You don't have to season the vegetables because they'll pick up flavours from the meat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning them once.
Have fun!
♥
