15 June 2009

Greek Burgers with Feta Aioli

Greek Burgers with Feta Aioli
Barbecue season is in full swing and what is more appropriate to serve guests but a juicy grilled burger. They are quick and easy to prepare and require next to no cleanup for the hassle free cooking we enjoy all summer long.

For those of you who follow this blog you will know that I try and cook healthy and delicious meals on a regular basis. Last week Shelby (aka HoneyB) and I teamed up to bring you a week of Cooking Light recipes from this months issue. Sometimes I may fall "off the wagon", so to speak, but it is never hard to climb back on board. The great thing about eating light is that you can still love your food and not give up any of the flavour... just focus on loving food that’s good for you. People like us who really adore food and flavour have a much better chance of eating well, and healthily, and enjoying every minute of it!!!



Visit last weeks posts for some great tips on how to keep light cooking in your life.

This burger is stuffed with roasted bell peppers and spinach and carries my favourite Greek flavours in every bite. I topped it with sun-drenched tomatoes, garden lettuce and a low-fat version of the garlicky French mayonnaise aioli made even more flavourful by adding feta cheese. The result is a "good for you" juicy burger that will WOW your guests and have them coming back for seconds. Serve with a side salad of your choice and sit back and ENJOY!!!

**Barbecued Greek Burgers with Feta Aioli**

Aioli:

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Burgers:

5 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion
Cooking spray
1 pound lean ground round
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 (1 1/2-ounce) sourdough sandwich buns

To prepare aioli, combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 1 minute or until smooth. Cover and chill.

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare the burgers, place onion slices on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and cook 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Combine the beef and the next 9 ingredients (beef through crushed garlic) in a large bowl. Divide the beef mixture into 5 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until burgers are done.

Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons aioli over top half of each bun. Place patties on bottom halves of buns, and top each with 1 onion slice and top half of bun.

Yield: 5 burgers

CALORIES 385 (28% from fat); FAT 12.1g (sat 4.4g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.8g); IRON 5.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 110mg; CALCIUM 225mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g; SODIUM 712mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 4.3g Cooking Light, MAY 2000

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

33 comments:

  1. Loving the sound of the Aioli

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  2. Your burger (especially the aioli) looks delicious. And I appreciate the nutrition panel you provide. I, too, did a different type burger yesterday and it included feta. (We do love our feta, don't we?) I'll probably post about it later this week.

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  3. That aioli takes it over the top.

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  4. Oh Baby, Baby!! These burgers look just lovely! Never had Feta with a burger so it might be time to try that soon...

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  5. That burger is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to take a big ole bite!

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  6. That burger looks exquisite. I would also love a big bite. This will be fun to make - Im sure my husband will love it.

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  7. Oh Val! You had me with the title of this post...these look so delicious. I love the variation on the aioli.

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  8. I can just taste this! I know that aioli would be running down my chin and finger...oh man, delicious!!

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  9. You know, Val, with all the flavors here, you could probably do this with extra lean ground turkey or chicken and it would be just as delicious. Wonderful recipe!

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  10. Love that big, fat, beautiful Greek burger! All of those bold flavors prove that you don't have to sacrifice taste for healthiness.

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  11. The aoli looks to die for, and the burger is just amazing!

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  12. I love spinach in burgers because they don't take away from the flavor but add some healthy dark greens.

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  13. what a scrumptious burger! why i had to see this during my lame lunch of grilled chicken, i'll never know. :)

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  14. Hey Val!

    That Feta Aioli looks delicious! I love it!

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  15. A wonderful idea! Deliciously summery!

    cheers,

    Rosa

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  16. I cannot get enough burgers lately. Love the greek influence in this one.

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  17. Oh drool....
    where is mine I ask hopefully :)
    xox

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  18. What I like about these burgers is you can get your veggies in with one compact serving. There is no vegetable guilt here if you just eat a burger. ;-) Your aioli looks awesome too.

    I'm reminded of a recipe I used to make years ago (before I married Sir Pickypants and had to refrain from making beef-based burgers forever). It was called "Greek Hamburgers" and it was from the old "Frugal Goumet" cookbooks (the books I credit with teaching me how to cook). They had garlic and red wine in them.

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  19. That aioli with feta sounds really good to me. Nice meal that my sons would enjoy.

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  20. Feta Aioli - got to give that a try.

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  21. I love a greek burger, I had a similar one from Bobby Flay's new book - yum!
    Your photo is awesome with the aioli dripping down.

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  22. That is seriously one good looking burg.

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  23. Val. how is it possible that I can be craving this burger for breakfast???You just have a way with food, that's it!!!

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  24. Oh this looks so good. I love the sound of the aioli!! I will definitely be giving it a go.

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  25. Delicious looking burgers, Val! I am not huge on mayo but I think the aioli would be fab with all yogurt, too.

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  26. This looks perfect for summer!

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  27. Oh gawd, that burger looks amaaaazing.

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  28. Loving the sound of those burgers val -drool-drool.

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  29. Yum on three counts...that thick & succulent burger, the golden sesame seed bun and that oozing Feta aioli...wonderful meal.

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  30. Now that is a lovely looking burger! And feta too - wow!

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  31. Val,
    I'm browsing through your blog. Wow, what a burger. I'm grilling regular American Cheeseburgers tonight. My husband is Greek and I think he would love this burger. We always have Feta Cheese in the refrigerator.

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  32. Gorgeous burgers... and I love anything with feta. Burgers and summer.... perfect!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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