A Healthy Grill For The Weekend

 

 

Somewhat surprisingly we haven’t barbecued or grilled outdoors too much this summer – the weather has been a bit unpredictable here in the UK for planned cook-outs!  However the forecast for this weekend, at least in my neck of the woods, looks good so I plan to make a burger favourite for one of our meals. It’s a simple burger affair but made so much better by making from scratch…

the burgers will be made as usual with lean lamb mince that has been flavoured with onion, garlic and cumin, but also mixed with some chopped peppery watercress. I’ll serve it, as above, with some char-grilled peppers/capcicums and courgettes/zucchini (cooked at the same time as the burgers) and a tasty and fresh yogurt sauce. It really looks sensational when served (as if you’ve spent hours in the kitchen – which you haven’t!).  Hearty appetites can be satisfied by serving with pitta or flatbreads if liked.

 

BBQ LAMB AND WATERCRESS BURGERS WITH CHARGRILLED VEGETABLES AND YOGURT SAUCE

Ingredients

METRIC/US

400 g/14 oz pack extra lean minced/ground lamb

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

85 g/3 oz bag watercress, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red pepper/capsicum, cored, deseeded and cut into wedges

1 yellow pepper/capsicum, cored, deseeded and cut into wedges

2 courgettes/zucchini, thickly sliced

low-fat cooking spray or mist

Yogurt Sauce:

150 ml/2/3 cup natural fat-free Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, crushed

50 g/2 oz watercress, finely chopped

 

METHOD

1.  To make the burgers, mix the lamb with the onion, garlic, cumin, watercress and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well. Divide the mixture into 8 portions then, using wet hands, shape each portion into a small burger.

2.  Place the peppers/capsicums and courgettes/zucchini in a bowl and spritz generously with the oil or mist.

3.  To make the sauce, mix the yogurt with the garlic, watercress and salt and pepper to taste and place in a small bowl,

4.  Cook the burgers and prepared vegetables over hot barbecue coals (or under a hot grill/broiler) for 8-10 minutes, turning once until the burgers are cooked through with no sign of pink juices and the vegetables are char-grilled.

5.  Serve the burgers and vegetables with the yogurt sauce and pitta or flatbreads if liked. Garnish with a few sprigs of watercress for the final flourish!

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: 1/2

 

CALORIES PER PORTION (WITHOUT BREAD): 247

PROTEIN: 21.1g

CARBOHYDRATE: 12.6g

FAT: 11.3g