With the spirit of summer and BBQ’s in full swing, you may notice a running theme with my latest recipes in that they are all PERFECT for exactly that, summer! When I’m cooking for 10+ people on a hot afternoon, the last thing I want to be is in the kitchen all day preparing sauces and intricate dishes…hence the classic burgers and ‘picky-bits’ are always the best option, and one of my favourites! That kind of of ‘pick-me-up’ right now food is just so deliciously moreish and satisfying! However, what isn’t always so lovely is the heavy and bloated feeling from eating bread bun after bread bun! Hence I wanted to share with you a recipe that took away the bad bits and left all the goodness!

This beef burger À la veggie bun may need a knife and fork to be eaten (depending how messy you don’t mind getting!) but it tastes damn delicious and fires burgers straight into the healthy ranks! The aubergine ‘bun’ is a brilliant and tasty substitute for the classic shop-bought bread one and it still allows you to fill up the burger with all those delightful additions! I use feta instead of cheddar because firstly feta goes wonderfully with aubergine but if you enjoy both then it’s also more appealing for the waist line!

The home-made burger itself is mouth-wateringly yummy. The difference in taste and quality of fresh home-made burgers makes the WORLD of difference and you can add spices and flavours to suit your preference. I wanted to create burgers that were full of flavour and oozed real love and passion for food! Pick wisely with the beef you chose because especially with mince meat, it makes a lot of difference with texture and taste, always if you can go for the organic and lean (low fat). I hope these burgers make the perfect additions to your summer BBQ’s and by all means get creative with the fillings!

Spiced Beef Burgers with Bun À la Veggie

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Lean Living Girl

Recipe type: Home-made Beef Burgers

Serves: 4 large burgers

Ingredients

• 500g Organic Lean Beef Mince
• 2 large Aubergines
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Fresh chopped red chili
• Large handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 Organic egg
• Juice of ½ lime
• 2 Tbs corn flour
• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbs coconut oil for grilling

For the filling

• Fresh tomatoes
• Crumbled Feta Cheese
• Rocket leaves/Lettuce
• Cucumber

Instructions

1. Separate the mince meat with your hands and place in a large bowl.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except the aubergine and coconut oil and mix really well with a spoon.
3. Roll into 4 large circular burger shapes and flatten slightly with your hands then place on a plate. Wrap the plate in cling film to cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Slice the aubergines across the thickest parts to give you 8 slices. (Top and bottom of the bun). You may find you have some of the thinner parts of the aubergine leftover which you can grill separately to add to any side salads.
5. Once the burgers have rested, place 2 grill pans on the stove (or use your BBQ) and place 1tbs of coconut oil in each.
6. Leave the oil to heat up for a few minutes and then place on both the burgers and aubergine. If you only have one grill pan just do 2 burgers + aubergine buns at a time.
7. The aubergine buns will take 3-4 minutes on each side and the burgers will take 5-6 on each side. This will depend on what you are using to cook the food (BBQ or Stove).
8. The aubergines need to be softened and charr-grilled and the burgers cooked to your liking but hot throughout.
9. Place one aubergine disc on a plate, top it with the burger - add the fillings you want and close the burger with the other aubergine half, and eat!

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