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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Eating Well Wednesdays: Greek Bison Burgers

Welcome to Eating Well Wednesdays! I am going to feature recipes from Eating Well magazine every Wednesday. Their magazines statement is 'where good taste meets good health'. The first recipe I choose was the greek bison burger and I was thrilled to find some ground Bison at a lovely market in Mystic, CT.

Okay, yes, I am also starting to hum 'Home on the range" Why you ask? Because once I think of Buffalo (Bison), that songs pops into my head. Alrighty then, so you wonder why I am posting about animal meat if I am trying to eat clean and healthy? 1. Because it is my blog and I want too. 2. This is a great meat to use if you want, say, a burger, but want to eat a healthier meat. 3. You can still enjoy all kinds of food and eat healthy. So, let me tell you more about Bison/Buffalo, or rather, let Wisegeek tell you:
"Bison meat is very lean and has become popular in supermarkets. It contains far less calories and cholesterol than either beef or chicken. For example, bison meat contains 2.42 g. fat, 143 calories, and 82 mg. of cholesterol per 100 grams of cooked meat. By comparison, beef has 9.28 g. fat, 211 calories, and 86 g. cholesterol. Skinless chicken contains 7.41 grams of fat, 190 calories and 89 mg. of cholesterol."

Makes 4 servings *changes; refer to website link for exact recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison
½ cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry* I used fresh baby spinach
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Yogurt Sauce:
¾ cup nonfat or low-fat Greek-style plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint* we do not like mint so omitted
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 whole-wheat rolls, split and toasted (skip these and the meal is gluten free!)
16 thin slices English cucumber
8 slices vine-ripened tomato
4 thin round slices red onion

Instructions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place bison, spinach, feta, 2 teaspoons dill, oregano, cumin, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl. Gently combine without overmixing. Form into 4 oval-shaped patties roughly the size of the rolls.
3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip, below). Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer
inserted into the center registers 155°F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

4. To prepare yogurt sauce: Combine yogurt, lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon dill and mint in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Assemble the burgers on rolls with the yogurt sauce, cucumber, tomato and onion.

My verdict: Excellent! A nice texture and flavor. It would be a perfect burger with just some ketchup (as the kids had it). We will definitely be making again however, with less oregano. Want to know more? Read what The National Bison Association has to say.
p.s.: Natasha I followed through with it like I commented I would after you shared some of your great recipes.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are funny with the Home on a range song, I now totally have it in my head :) You know I love bison, that's the main red meat I cook with. I love your greek burger - super delicious! Now, let's fix that feed so more people can see your fabulous blog - send me an email when you're ready to work on it!

TheFitnessFreak said...

Oooh, these look so yummy! I've seen bison at Whole Foods. Thanks for passing this one on! I love greek food!

Reeni said...

This looks soooo good!! Such great flavors. I want to reach in and grab one!

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

I have not tried Bison. Does it taste like game?

Anonymous said...

Bison is a delicious meat if properly prepared, and this looks like a great recipe--full of interesting flavors that will enhance the bison without overwhelming it, and yet not leave it on its own. I'm the wife of a hunter, and have sampled virtually every variety of wild game there is to try, mainly because it does have so many health benefits compared with the "farmed" and "processed" meat in our stores. The worst thing you can do with it (any kind) is leave it on its own. This recipe looks like a keeper for us. :)

Tangled Noodle said...

I love bison - burger, that is! We're fortunate that there's a ranch in relatively nearby (Eichten's) that specializes in this meat and whenever we can, we try to head up to their restaurant for some wonderful meals. This recipes is great!

test it comm said...

That Greek burger looks great!

Spryte said...

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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