Featured Recipe: Buffalo Burger with Tomato Onion Salad


Copyright Linda Gassenheimer

Juicy, mouthwatering burgers are an American favorite.  Barbecue sauce mixed in with the meat gives a barbecue flavor to the burgers without having to heat up the grill. It also helps make these lower fat burgers moist.

Ground buffalo meat is now available in most supermarkets.  It has a real beef flavor and makes a great burger.  If it’s not available look for grass-fed or 98 percent fat free ground beef.

Hamburger tips: Keep your burgers light.  When shaping the burgers, handle them lightly.  Don’t squeeze or compact them.  When cooking, don’t press the burgers with a spatula.

 

Recipes

BUFFALO BURGERS

3/4 pound ground buffalo meat

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 cups diced red onions

1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms

2 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Mix ground buffalo with the barbecue sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Form into 2 patties, about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the burgers, onions and mushrooms.  Saute 5 minutes.  Turn burgers over and cook another 5 minutes.  A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees for medium-rare.

When burgers are cooked, place each burger on the bottom half of a hamburger roll. Spoon onions and mushrooms on top.  Close with top half and serve.  Makes 2 servings.

 

TOMATO AND ONION SALAD

2 medium tomatoes

2 tablespoons diced red onion

2 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing

Slice tomatoes and divide between two dinner plates.  Sprinkle onion over the tomatoes and drizzle with dressing.  Makes 2 servings.

 

Nutrition Information

BUFFALO BURGERS: Per serving: 564 calories (21percent from fat), 13.1 g fat (2.4 g saturated, 6.9 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 50.5 g protein, 60.3 g carbohydrates, 8.9 g fiber, 788 mg sodium. TOMATO AND ONION SALAD: Per serving: 47 calories (25 percent from fat), 1.3 g fat ( 0.1 g saturated, 0.4 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1.8 g protein, 8.7 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g fiber, 13 mg sodium.

Shopping List

To buy: 3/4 pound ground buffalo or ground grass fed beef, 1 bottle barbecue sauce, 1 package whole wheat hamburger rolls, 2 red onions, 1 package sliced portobello mushrooms and 2  tomatoes.

Staples: Canola oil, reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, salt and black peppercorns.

 

 

 

Helpful Hints

  • Any type of barbecue sauce can be used.
  • Any type of sweet onion can be used for the salad.
  • Diced onion is used in both recipes.  Prepare it at one time and divide accordingly.

Countdown:

  • Prepare burgers.
  • While burgers sauté, assemble salad.