Spiced Burgers With Cucumber Yogurt Food

MINI LAMB BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a double-burner grill pan over medium-high heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground lamb, garlic, capers, parsley, zest, mustard, salt and pepper. Form mixture into 2 similar sized mounds in the bowl. Divide mixture in half, then half again. Form gently into 8 small patties.
• Oil the grill pan with oiled paper towel held in tongs. Brown the burgers on the hot side of the grill for about 2 minutes on each side.
• Turn heat down to medium and cook another 2 minutes for medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes for medium.
• Slice 8 mini buns in half and toast on grill or in broiler for about 30 to 60 seconds. Place on serving platter.
• Top the bottom each bun with burger, slice of Roma tomato, and a spoonful of sauce. Cover with the bun top and serve.
• Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from both halves. Grate the cucumber on the wide holes of a grater, put it in a colander in a large bowl or sink and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Let drain for about 20 minutes. Press the cucumber with your hands to get rid of some of the moisture and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add The yogurt, dill, mint, cumin and pepper. Stir together and spoon into a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil.

SPICY CUCUMBERS WITH YOGURT, LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Toss the cucumber pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and set in a colander in the sink to drain.
• In a small pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin, and toast until fragrant, stirring to avoid scorching, about 1 minute. Remove oil from heat, add red-pepper flakes and allow to cool.
• In a medium bowl, toss the salted cucumber pieces with the scallions, spiced oil and apple cider vinegar. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or overnight while you prepare the yogurt.
• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, half of the herbs (mint, dill and parsley), zest and juice of the lemon and the olive oil. Stir to incorporate, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread the yogurt mixture on a plate or the bottom of a shallow bowl. Using a slotted spoon to drain the cucumbers and scallions of excess liquid, evenly place the cucumbers and scallions on top of the yogurt. Finish with the remaining chopped herbs and pine nuts (if using), and serve immediately.

SPICY CHEESEBURGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into nine patties. , Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Top with cheese. Grill 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato if desired.

SPICED LAMB BURGERS WITH MINTY YOGURT

Steps:

• Weigh the lamb mince in a large mixing bowl, then measure the cumin and coriander using measuring spoons and add these to the lamb.
• Chop the parsley (stalks too) as finely as you can and add it to the lamb, then season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together, then divide into four portions and shape into burger patties. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to a day.
• Pick the mint leaves from the stalks - you only need the leaves. Finely chop the mint leaves and put them in a small bowl. Mix in the yogurt and a pinch of salt.
• Finely slice the lettuce or just pull apart the leaves. Slice the tomato.
• Rub the burgers all over with the oil. Place a griddle pan or frying pan on the hob over a high heat and, after a minute, carefully place the burgers in the pan and cook for 6-8 mins until nicely browned. Use a fish slice to carefully flip the burgers over and cook for another 6-8 mins. You can check if they're cooked by cutting a burger in half - if there's any pink meat in the middle, it needs to cook for a little longer.
• Split the burger rolls in half. Spread a little minty yogurt over the base of each one. Fill the rolls with some lettuce, a slice or two of tomato and a burger. Serve immediately.