One of the most annoying things about being a single person or DINK (double income, no kids) is that you can never simply make burgers for dinner one night; you have to make a week’s worth of burgers, simply in order to use up the 8-pack of hamburger buns.
So, today’s healthy dinner post is a two-fer: recipes for two healthier takes on the bread-meat-bread classic.
First up, salmon burgers with lemon dill aioli:
I’ll admit it – I cheated on these. You can buy a pound of salmon, chop it, combine it with onions, garlic, herbs, and an egg and make the patties yourself. But my grocery store sells pre-made salmon patties in the seafood section for far cheaper than a whole salmon filet. You grill them for 3-4 minutes on each side and voila, dinner’s ready.
However, I did mix up the aioli myself. Combine 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, the zest of 1/2 a lemon, and 1 tsp chopped fresh dill. This makes an absolutely delicious pairing with salmon – and goes great on a burger bun! Garnish with cucumber, mixed greens, and tomato and you’re ready to eat.
Next, Mediterranean turkey burgers with marinated tomatoes:
The secret to this recipe is to add enough ultra-flavorful ingredients to your patty to make you forget you subbed in flavorless turkey for tasty, marbled beef. For this recipe, you’ll need 1 lb of ground turkey, 1/4 cup of chopped kalamata olives, 1/4 cup of crumbled feta, chopped parsley and mint, and 1 egg. Fold all your ingredients together (gently – you want the feta to stay in chunks) then make patties, allowing for 25% shrinkage.
Sear the patties for about 2 minutes on each side, then bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes until the center reaches 160 degrees. While the burgers are cooking, slice a tomato and marinate in your favorite italian dressing to give the burger a little extra kick – garnish with mixed greens, marinated tomatoes, and a little mayonnaise.
So there ya have it – two healthy burger recipes that can help you use up that giant package of buns without getting off track on your New Year’s Resolutions.
