Opa! Greek Burgers! (gf option)

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Readers! It’s been far, far too long since I posted any tasty treats! I’ve gone back to school, and between work, schoolwork, and life, have neglected to post. I must say that I have deeply missed blogging. So, welcome back to all of us! Welcome! Welcome! Make yourself at home. Shake your neighbor’s hand.

Greek burger

I’m coming back with a bang (or an Opa?) with these Greek burgers, though. We summered-it-up yesterday by grilling out and these healthy, mouth-watering burgers were the headliner. Lean beef, aromatics, feta cheese, cucumbers- wait, cucumbers?! Yes, cucumbers, and they were delicious. Check it out.

OPA! GREEK BURGERS

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef (as lean as you can find)
  • 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried, ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • canola oil for brushing
  • 1 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
  • reduced-fat Feta cheese
  • fat-free Greek yogurt for spreading
  • hamburger buns (recipe is gluten-free when you go bunless or use a gf bun)

Directions:

Grab a large glass mixing bowl and put the beef in it. Just throw it right in there. Season with salt and pepper, then add the minced parsley, mint, and garlic. the allspice, the Worcestershire sauce, and the beaten egg. Mix it very well with your hands, until all seasonings are evenly distributed. Patty into 5-6 burgers. I divide my beef evenly, roll into large meatballs, and patty them down from the center out on both sides with my hand- this helps keep them pretty uniform.

BURGERS

Don’t forget make the meal a global affair by whipping up Caiprinhas or mojitos with the remaining mint.

viva!

viva!

Place those gorgeous burgers on a plate and brush both side of each burger very lightly with canola oil. Preheat your grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side for medium- the burgers I made were pretty thick and this timeframe was just right. Slice your cucumbers while the burgers cook.

cukes

When the burgers are done, prep the toppings while they rest: grab a bun and spread both sides with Greek yogurt, place about a tablespoon of Feta on the bottom half of your bun, then fan out cucumber slices on top of the Feta. Top with a burger and the other yogurt-spread bun half.

burger toppings

These burgers are incredibly juicy and burst with flavor. I had one today for lunch, and it was even better than last night. Enjoy! Opa!

cooked burgers

Slow-Cooker Italian Beef (gf)

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Okay, so first things first: a big shout out to my lovely mother-in-law for this wonderful recipe. She gave it to me when my husband and I moved into our first place together, and it always reminds me of that apartment- this meal is definitely food nostalgia for me. This is one of Dave’s favorites, and I threw it all together before a busy Sunday full of errands and a movie. Side note: the movie was The Artist and it was wonderful. I saw it with my best friend and we drank wine and ate popcorn and tap danced in the lobby afterward- I highly recommend all of those things.

With pleasure!

This recipe has a kick to it, so I have a few notes for the non-spicy fans out there.

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF

(adapted from Jane Ann Cruse’s family recipe)

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 lb beef roast of your choice
  • 2 packets dry zesty Italian dressing mix (regular for the non-spicies)
  • 1 large jar pepperoncini (mild for the non-spicies)
  • beer to cover (I used three cans of good ol’ Bud Light)
  • garlic cloves, optional

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