Now that I have sufficiently
gorged myself with food over the holidays, it is time to tone it down a bit. The jeans are feeling painted on, and if I
wore my wedding ring, my finger would be gasping for breath. Yep!
It’s time for lighter, healthier eating. This beef and veggie burger fits the bill.
I love my vegetables and feel
that I can be a vegetarian…but only part-time. You see, I probably can follow a strict vegetarian diet for a short
period, but I can’t completely forgo animal protein for a long duration. The smell of meat cooking on the stovetop or
grill is an irresistible temptation, and I will eventually cave to its
seductiveness. This burger is a
compromise of both worlds: it contains lots of veggies for the
vegetarian-wanna-be in me and beef for my carnivorous nature. It’s the kind of
sandwich that I would eat when I want something substantial that also has
healthy ingredients.
In this recipe, I have added
broccoli stems, red pepper, corn, onions, and button mushrooms to my beef
burger. But it is so versatile that you
can easily customize it to your taste and use vegetables that you like. Just keep in mind to use a mixture of colors because
it will result in prettier looking hamburgers. Also, when using firm veggies like broccoli stems, they require a longer
precooking time than softer veggies.
For the bread, use hamburger buns
(whole wheat for added nutritional value) if you want the real burger eating
experience. To make the sandwich even
lighter, serve it on pita bread or lavash. Anyway you want to serve it, be assured that these burgers will be
juicy, delicious, and good for you.
BEEF AND VEGGIE BURGER WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 heaping cup finely chopped mushrooms of your choice
1/2 heaping cup finely chopped broccoli stems
1/2 heaping cup diced onions
1/2 heaping cup corn
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
2/3 of one large beaten egg or 3 tbsp. egg substitute
1 small onion, sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced mushrooms of your choice
4 hamburger buns
8 slices of cheese of your choice (I used American)
additional salt and pepper
olive oil
INSTUCTIONS:
Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tsp. oil. Add broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently about 4 minutes or until slightly soft. Add diced mushrooms and onions, red pepper, corn, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, cook and cooled vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add egg or egg substitute. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into four patties, about 4 1/2-inch wide each.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, cook and cooled vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add egg or egg substitute. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into four patties, about 4 1/2-inch wide each.
Preheat large skillet to medium high. Add just enough oil to lightly coat bottom. Add burgers and cook for 4 minutes. Flip burgers. Top with each with 2 pieces of cheese (use 1 to keep it on the light side). Cook for about 4 minutes (juices should run clear). Remove from skillet.
While burgers are cooking, preheat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add just enough oil to lightly coat bottom. Add sliced onions to one half of skillet and sliced mushrooms to the other half. Sauté (keeping the two ingredients separated) until nicely browned, about 5 minutes for mushrooms and 7 to 8 minutes for onions.
Assemble burgers with a topping of the caramelized onions and mushrooms. Lettuce is optional. Makes 4.
A plant-based vegetarian diet is healthier and can prevent diseases. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, colon cancer, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, gout, gallstones, kidney stones, lung cancer, and breast cancer. A low fat vegetarian diet, combined with regular exercise, helps reduce blood pressure and can control, or even eliminate, non-insulin dependent diabetes.
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