Food & Fitness

   

Jackie Newgent

"Anytime you're planning a burger cookout, always plan to grill seasonal vegetables first. It'll help add cookout meal appeal, provide nutrient balance, and make any veggie lover happy. Grill up mini burgers, not just big ones, so there's a size just right for everyone. When starting with beef, keep it grassfed or organic to keep it eco-friendly and nutrient-rich. Consider alternative burgers too, such as a wild salmon burgers or even simple grilled portabello mushrooms."

Serves: 6; Serving size: 1 burger

Ingredients
2 tsp canola oil
3 cups thinly sliced Vidalia, Maui, or other sweet onion
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste (divided use)
12 oz lean ground beef sirloin (antibiotic free)
1 Tbsp organic ketchup
1 1/2 tsp steak sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
6 (1 1/2 oz) soft whole grain or other soft dinner rolls
6-12 organic baby arugula leaves, or to taste (optional)

Preparation
1. Preheat broiler or grill. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

2. In a medium bowl, add the beef, ketchup, steak sauce, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper and combine with your hands until just mixed. Form into 6 burgers.

3. Broil or grill 1 minute per side or until medium well. (Remember, these burgers are lean and little, so they can dry out quickly with overcooking.) Remove from heat and let the burgers sit for 3 to 5 minutes before placing in buns. Top each beef patty with about 2 Tbsp caramelized onion and 1 to 2 arugula leaves (if using). Serve with additional organic ketchup or other condiment of choice.

Nutritional Information
Exchanges/Choices
1 1/2 Starch
1 Vegetable
1 Lean meat
1/2 Fat

Calories:   210
Calories from Fat: 52
Total Fat:  6 g
    Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol:  20 mg
Sodium:  450 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24 g
   Dietary Fiber: 4 g
   Sugars:  5 g sugars
Protein:  15 g

Food Flair 
Create Mini California-Style Burgers with Caramelized Onion. Just before serving, slice up some Hass avocado, add a pinch of sea salt, and place in burgers. You won’t need ketchup or other condiments.

Fast Fix
Prepare caramelized onions a day in advance. Store refrigerated in a covered bowl. Let them sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving on the burgers.   

Author Bio
Jackie Newgent, RD, is an eco-cuisine expert and culinary nutritionist. She’s a recreational culinary instructor with the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City for over a decade.

She’s regularly invited to speak and provide culinary demonstrations at professional meetings and consumer events, including the Go Green Expo, International Association of Culinary Professional’s Annual International Conference, and American Dietetic Association’s Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo. She’s a past national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

She received her B.S. in Allied Health Professions from The Ohio State University and her Certificate in Professional Cooking from Kendall College.

Jackie resides in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.