Healthy Burger Recipes

1 pound ground sirloin or ground round

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

cayenne pepper, to your taste

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or 20 grinds of the pepper mill

1/2 cup tomato sauce

4 slices-2% fat monterey jack cheese

4 hamburger buns

4 Tablespoons salsa

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat with the chopped onion, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir in tomato sauce and shape into 4 patties.

Broil for about 5 minutes on each side, longer for well done.

Take burgers out of the broiler when done. Lay 1 slice cheese on each burger. Put back under broiler until cheese melts. (It won't take long so don't walk away.)

Place burgers on buns. Top with salsa.

You will need a food processor to make these burgers. Makes 6.

BURGERS

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets, fresh or frozen, thawed

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons jerk seasoning (chilies, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and  onions.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 small onion

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

1 slice lettuce per burger

1 slice fresh pineapple per burger

In a large bowl combine egg, onion, bread crumbs, cilantro, jerk seasoning, garlic and salt.

In your food processor, grind red snapper until finely chopped. Add to mixture in bowl. After mixing well, make 6 burgers.

Use a grill pan or griddle to cook burgers. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with lettuce and a slice of fresh pineapple on a Kaiser roll.

Sliders are mini-burgers about the size of small dinner rolls. We used to buy these sized burgers at White Castle and Crystal Burger.

1 lb. ground turkey breast, shaped into 8 patties

1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup marinara sauce

lettuce

8 baby slider buns or 8 small dinner rolls (Pepperidge Farms makes slider buns)

Broil or grill turkey patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked. Add sauce on top and cheese until melted. Top with a slice of lettuce.

MARINARA SAUCE

1 medium onion chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tablespoon basil

1 Tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

4 shakes red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet and add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and bay leaf until onion is softened. Add the tomatoes and paste. Mix well. Cook on low heat about 30 minutes. Add sugar. Shake in the red pepper flakes.