BRILLIANT BURGERS
Chunky or skinny, you can’t beat homemade burgers
Four twists on a classic dish
Italian pork burger with fresh tomato salsa Makes 4 Prep 20 mins Cook 15 mins £ 3.15 a portion 555 kcals, 26g fat, 10g sat. fat, 6g sugar
burgers only 500g pork mince 1 tsp each fennel seeds, chilli flakes
and dried oregano drizzle of olive oil 2 large tomatoes, chopped 6 black olives, chopped drizzle of balsamic vinegar 4 ciabatta bread rolls, split and toasted 4 tbsp mascarpone handful baby spinach
Mix the pork mince with the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, oregano and some seasoning. Mix well with your hands until well combined, then shape into 4 burgers. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan – or fire up the BBQ and brush the burgers with a little oil – and cook the burgers for 5-7 mins on each side until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix the chopped tomatoes, black olives, balsamic vinegar and a drizzle more olive oil with some seasoning to make a salsa. Top the base of each roll with about 1 tbsp mascarpone, a few spinach leaves, a burger and a spoonful of the salsa, then sandwich everything with the lid. Serve and enjoy!
Lamb & chickpea pitta burger
Makes 4 Prep 20 mins Cook 10 mins £1.88 a portion 675 kcals, 28g fat, 8g sat. fat, 7g sugar
burgers only 400g can chickpeas, drained 200g tub low-fat houmous 2 roasted red peppers, from a jar, wiped
dry, then finely chopped 400g lean lamb mince small bunch mint leaves, half chopped 1 tbsp cumin seeds drizzle of olive oil 4 large pitta breads 100g tub pomegranate seeds
Lightly crush the chickpeas in a large bowl with a potato masher. Tip half into another bowl, mix with the houmous and peppers, then set aside. Add the mince to the remaining mashed chickpeas, along with the chopped mint, the cumin seeds and some seasoning. Mix with your hands until well combined, then shape into 8 small burgers.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the burgers – or fire up the BBQ and brush the burgers with oil – and cook for 5 mins on each side until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, toast the pitta bread. Split each pitta in half and fill with some red pepper houmous, the remaining mint leaves, 2 burgers and some pomegranate seeds.
Crispy sesame fish burger with lime mayo
Makes 2 Prep 25 mins plus chilling Cook 15 mins £ 3.40 a portion 706 kcals, 34g fat, 6g sat. fat, 3g sugar 250g sustainable white fish fillets,
such as cod, haddock or pollack 2 tbsp plain flour 1 egg, beaten 4 tbsp dried breadcrumbs (we used
panko) 2 tbsp sesame seeds vegetable oil, for frying 1 ripe avocado juice 1 lime small pack coriander, chopped 2 tbsp light mayonnaise 2 burger buns, split and toasted
Cut the fish into 4 chunky fingers. Put the flour in a bowl with some seasoning, put the egg in another bowl, and the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds in a third. Dust the fish fingers in flour, then dip in egg and, finally, coat in breadcrumbs. Chill for 10 mins, if you have time.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and cook the fish fingers for 3- 4 mins each side until golden and cooked through, adding a drizzle more oil if the pan looks a bit too dry.
Meanwhile, stone, peel and slice the avocado, squeeze over a little of the lime juice to prevent it from turning brown, then mix the remaining lime juice and coriander into the mayonnaise. To serve, spread a little mayo over the base of each bun, top with 2 fish fingers, a few slices of avocado and the bun lid. Serve the remaining mayo on the side.
Cajun chicken & pineapple burger
Makes 4 Prep 15 mins Cook 15 mins £1.28 a portion 373 kcals, 9g fat, 4g sat. fat, 8g sugar 4 chicken breasts 2 tbsp Cajun spice mix (we used Bart) drizzle of olive oil 4 pineapple rings, from a can 50g cheddar, grated 2 tbsp soured cream 4 burger buns, split and toasted a few lettuce leaves 1 red onion, thinly sliced
Heat the grill to medium-high and line a baking tray with foil. Place the chicken between 2 sheets of cling film and bash to an even thickness using a rolling pin. Rub the Cajun spice mix, the olive oil and some seasoning all over the chicken, then put them on the baking tray. Grill for about 10 mins, turning halfway through.
Top each chicken breast with a pineapple ring and some of the grated cheese, then return to the grill and cook for a further 2-3 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the chicken is cooked through.
Spread a little soured cream over the base of each burger bun, then add lettuce leaves, a chicken breast, some sliced red onion, and pop the top on before serving.