Lamb Burger with Feta Cheese & Yogurt Sauce

The weather around these parts has been a little crazy,  last night as I sat on my sofa, with the windows open, reading a book I heard this wailing sound in the distance.  I quickly realized that it was a tornado siren.  Welcome to Oklahoma!   This was the first time Obed and I have ever heard or experienced a tornado siren.  We quickly jumped up, collected the dogs, turn the tv to the news and changed our pants.  The siren was just a warning to get ready, because something could happen but within an hour the storm blew through with no tornado.   In other words we did not end up in Oz.

Earlier in the week when the sun made an appearance we decided it was burger time.   Only in Oklahoma can you be grilling burgers in your backyard one day and ducking for cover from tornados the next, fun times!

First let’s make the yogurt sauce.  You need 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt.  If you can’t find Greek yogurt, you can also drain regular plain yogurt in a colander lined with a paper towel, for 30 mins.

You will also need to peel and seed a cucumber.  I used a melon baller to seed the cucumber, easy-peesy.

In a bowl combine all the yogurt sauce ingredients and set aside.

Time to make some burger patties.  In a large bowl combine the ground lamb with onion, garlic, mint, oregano, cumin and gram masala.  Get your hands dirty and mix everything together until well combined.

Using a scale I divided the lamb mixture into four patties.  This is how I shape my burger patties.  Roll the met into a ball.

Place 1 ball in a small resealable plastic bag.  Like so….

Using a plate or the bottom of a heavy pan, gently press down on the ball.

Until you have a perfectly round patty about 3/4 inch thick. Ta-DA!

Now grill those babies, about 4 minutes on each side.  Also toss a few slices of green peppers and onions, brushed with olive oil, on the grill, you will thank me.

Time to assemble your burger.  Do it however you want but I like to do bun, burger, tomato, onion, pepper, yogurt sauce, feta cheese and bun.   I think this helps keep the topping together.

I cannot tell a lie, I was surprised how much I liked this burger.  I had never had a lamb burger before and I did have a small fear that it was going to be gamy, but I was mistaken.  It was juicy, full of flavor and oddly refreshing.  I guess the mint and yogurt sauce had something to do with the refreshing part.

If you want to change up the summer grill this is a good way to start.  It’s different yet still familiar and apparently it is good with just ketchup and mustard, that is how Obed had his.  It seems that the yogurt sauce and feta cheese was a little too adventurous for him.

Print Recipe

Lamb Burgers with Feta and Yogurt Sauce

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 1 Tbs fresh mint, minced
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• pinch of salt

Burger

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp gram masala
• 1 Tbs fresh mint, minced
• olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• feta cheese crumbles
• tomato, sliced

Mix first 7 ingredients together in medium bowl. Season yogurt sauce to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.

Mix lamb and next 6 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Season generously with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 portions and shape mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

Preheat grill or broiler. Brush pepper and onion slices with olive oil, place lamb patties and vegetables on broiler rack or grill. Cook patties through, about 4 minutes per side.  Grill vegetables until tender and charred.

Open burger buns, place burger, onions, peppers, tomatoes then large spoonful of yogurt sauce topped with feta cheese.

Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki Sauce

Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki

Summer is here and so is the incredible edible zucchini.  There are so many different ways to eat a zucchini.  I have had it grilled, had it as a bread and I even made noodles with it, which was a lot of fun.  Last week I decided I will try them out as a fritter.  This is a very simple recipe that comes together quickly.  I served it as a side to some Greek seasoned grilled chicken.  They had a great crispy edge with a softer center.  The mint gave it a refreshing touch in contrast with the feta.  Even if you are not a feta fan, I would encourage that you try it in this dish.  The strong taste that feta is known for becomes much more mild once cooked and gives the fritter a wonderful flavor.

Zucchini Fritters (About 8 fritters) Print Recipe

• 1 lb of zucchini, grated (abt. 2 medium zucchini)
• 1 large egg
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbs panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
• Kosher salt
• ground black pepper

Place grated zucchini in a tea town and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid.

In a large mixing bowl wisk egg.  Add zucchini, garlic, onion, flour, panko, mint and feta cheese.  Mix until well combined.  Season with a dash of salt and pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan.  Scoop 2 tbs of batter, flatten slightly and drop into the hot oil.  Cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes, until browned.  Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

Serve immediatly with Tzatziki Sauce.

The tzatziki I think is a must have with these fritters.  It has a little bite to it because of the garlic and red wine vinegar, yet still refreshing because of the yogurt and mint.  If you cannot find Greek yogurt you can substitute it for drained regular plain yogurt.  Line a colander with paper towel and pour in the yogurt.  Let it drain for 30 mins, until thick.

Tzatziki Sauce (Alton Brown)

• 16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• Pinch kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

If you didn’t know apparently the southern part of the Midwest is in the clutches of a heatwave…and it’s not burning in my heart.  Did you get that? It’s a little joke.  You know like the song…..ok maybe it wasn’t so great, sorry moving on.  Needless to say it is hot, like really hot, like if you wear shorts and sit on a leather seat or worse pleather seat, you and the seat are sure to become one and in this case it does not end in happly ever after.  Not to mention you may have 1st degree burns.

Well this heat doesn’t give me much of a desire to cook.  Especially since my kitchen is so well ventilated…..NOT!  Unfortunatly in order to say alive we must consume some form of sustanance, which therefore requires me to cook.  In an effort to keep myself and Hubby alive and well norished, while at the same time trying not to pass out from a heat stroke, I came up with this light yet filling dish.  Oh and there is a bounus, it is actally healthy.  I stayed away from anything heavy, starchy,  cheesy or fried. 

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