Looneyspoons sisters Janet and Greta Podleski share these tasty recipes that cut the carbs and calories from barbecued burgers.
Turk du Soleil Turkey Burgers with Zesty Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup bottled light peanut sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp grated ginger root
- 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) ground turkey or chicken
- 1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs or1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup finely minced green onions
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 whole-grain burger buns
- Lettuce and sliced tomatoes
Directions:
To make sauce, combine peanut sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon zest and ginger root in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, green onions, cilantro, egg, salt, pepper and three tablespoons of the peanut sauce (you will use the rest of the sauce to baste the burgers). Mix gently using your hands. Form mixture into six patties, about half-inch thick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
Preheat grill to high setting. Brush the grill rack lightly with oil. Grill burgers for about five minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Brush burgers with reserved sauce during last two minutes of cooking time.
Serve burgers on lightly toasted buns with sliced tomatoes and lettuce or any of your favourite burger toppings. Makes six burgers.
Note: The label on the package of hamburger buns will give you the nutritional information per roll. Just add these numbers to our analysis below to get the most accurate nutritional count.
Per serving (patty only): 229 calories, 11.2 g total fat (2.6 g saturated fat), 26 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g fibre, 105 mg cholesterol, 485 mg sodium.
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
- 1-1/2 lbs (680 g) lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked spinach (see tip below)
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. sundried tomato pesto
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Salt to taste (optional)
Directions:
Process the oats in the bowl of a food processor or blender until they’re the consistency of bread crumbs (but not powdery). In a large bowl, combine oats with ground turkey and all remaining ingredients. Mix gently using your hands. Form mixture into five large patties or six regular-sized patties. Cover and refrigerate while you preheat the grill to medium-high setting.
Brush the grill rack lightly with oil. Grill burgers for five to six minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the centre. Serve on multigrain buns or with grilled Portobello “buns” (see method below) to keep them gluten-free. These burgers taste great topped with tzatziki, hummus, sliced tomatoes and/or cucumbers, sprouts, or zesty tomato sauce. Makes five large burgers or six regular-sized burgers.
Per burger (based on six burgers): 227 calories, 11 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 26 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1.9 g fibre, 129 mg cholesterol, 272 mg sodium.
Cooking Tips: If using frozen spinach, thaw it and drain it very well before chopping and adding to the recipe. To make Portobello “buns,” simply brush large Portobello mushroom caps with olive oil on both sides and grill alongside burgers.
