Tuna Burger 
with Spicy Avocado Relish

Who says a burger has to be made from ground beef?Escape the ordinary with these Tuna Burgers 
with a Spicy Avocado Relish that will break you out of your rut on a bun.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. Tuna burger
2. ============
3. 1 pound sushi-grade fresh tuna
4. 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
5. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6. Juice of 1/2 lemon
7. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8. 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
11. .
12. Spicy avocado relish
13. ============
14. 3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
15. 1 small red onion, finely diced
16. 1 jalapeño, finely diced, optional
17. Juice of two limes
18. 1 small tomato, finely diced
19. 3 teaspoons honey
20. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
21. 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
22. .
23. 4 whole wheat grain rolls
24. 1 cup shredded cabbage

Directions

1. To make the avocado relish, combine avocados, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, tomato, honey, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Fold in cilantro until combined.
2. Chop tuna into chunks, put in a food processor, and pulse a few times to break up the pieces. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, oil, lemon juice, cilantro, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and pulse until well blended. Form into four patties. Grill tuna patties until firm to touch, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Assemble burgers by placing one tuna patty, avocado relish, and cabbage on a whole grain roll and serve.

Notes

Southwest Black Bean Burger With Jicama Slaw

Who says a burger has to be made from ground beef?Escape the ordinary with these Southwest Black Bean burgers that will break you out of your rut on a bun.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. Jicama slaw
2. ==============
3. 2 cups finely shredded jicama
4. 1/2 cup finely shredded red onion
5. 4 teaspoons lime juice
6. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
7. 1/2 teaspoon honey
8. 2 scallions, chopped fine
9. Salt to taste
10. .
11. Southwest black bean burger
12. ==============
13. One 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
14. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
15. 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
16. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
17. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
18. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
19. Salt to taste
20. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
21. 1/2 teaspoon green Tabasco
22. .
23. 4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the Jicama slaw; toss well and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Using a fork, mash beans in a bowl. Mix in onion, breadcrumbs, coriander, cumin, chili powder, salt, cilantro, and Tabasco. Using moistened hands, shape bean mixture into two 4-inch-diameter patties.
3. Preheat broiler. Brush with oil. Grill burgers until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to bottom halves of buns. Spoon a scoop of slaw over each patty. Cover with bun tops.

Notes

Tasty Mayo-Free Chicken Salad

This recipe is easy to make and produces a nutritious, versatile and flavorful dish that makes an excellent leftover, which can be served for lunch or a light meal the following day.

Yield:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1. 3/4 pound baked or grilled chicken breasts
2. 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3. 1 tsp. dried oregano
4. Juice of 1/2 a lemon
5. One 2.2-ounce can (1/2 cup) black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
6. 1 Tbsp. tiny capers, well-rinsed and drained
7. 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. 1 cup thin green beans, cooked, drained, and cooled
10. Romaine lettuce leaves, for serving bed (whole wheat pita bread for sandwiches optional)
11. 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and combine with oil, oregano, and lemon juice. Let stand for about 1 hour.
2. Toss the chicken mix with olives, capers, tomatoes ,and green beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the salad on the romaine leaves. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. This recipe would also work on whole-wheat pita bread.

Notes

Banh Mi Burgers

Bánh mì or bánh mỳ is a Vietnamese baguette made with wheat and rice flour, as well as a type of sandwich traditionally made with this type of baguette. The sandwich is typically made up of thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon, onions, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño peppers and meat or tofu. Most Banh Mi sandwiches contain a Vietnamese mayonnaise-like spread that is a mixture of egg yolk, cooking oil/butter, and sometimes spices. This recipe combines the traditional sandwhich with the classic American hamburger, creating a unique and delicious fusion dish.

Yield:

3 generous burgers

Ingredients

1. For the burger meat:
2. =================
3. 1 pound ground bison meat
4. 2 packed tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass
5. 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6. 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
7. 1 packed tablespoon finely chopped ginger
8. 2 teaspoons fish sauce
9. 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
10. salt and pepper to taste
11. .
12. For the Lime Chili Mayonaise:
13. =================
14. 1 egg yolk
15. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
16. 1/4 teaspoon table salt
17. pinch white pepper
18. pinch mustard powder
19. 1 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
20. 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
21. .
22. 3 Portuguese Rolls, sliced open
23. Carrot and Daikon Slaw
24. Chinese basil, chiffonade

Directions

1. Mix all of the burger meat ingredients in a large bowl. Use hands to combine thoroughly. Split into three equal sized patties and place in a covered container, in the fridge for 2- 3 hours.
2. While the meat is resting, make the Chili Lime Mayo. Use an immersion blender to bring all the ingredients together.
3. Before ready to cook, take out the patties and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until desired doneness. Meanwhile, toast bread and spread Chili Lime Mayo on it.
5. Put patties on bottom bread. Top with a generous amount of Carrot and Daikon Slaw. Sprinkle on some Chinese basil.

Notes

Cornish Hen with Artichoke and Olive Dressing

Roasted poultry atop stale bread allows the poultry fats to infuse the bread as it cooks, providing you with an excelenty paired crouton perfect for an accompanying salad. This recipe uses the same concept but uses the bread as a dressing to serve alongside the Cornish Hens instead of as croutons in a salad. Either way, you can pretty much forget about the poultry because the bread is the star of the show.

Yield:

Serves four

Ingredients

1. 2 Cornish Game Hens
2. 4 tablespoons butter
3. 1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
4. 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
5. 4 cups of stale crusty bread cut into ½ inch cubes
6. 1/4 cup of assorted Greek olives, coarsely chopped
7. 1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
8. 2/3 cup canned artichokes, roughly chopped
9. Salt and pepper
10. Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, Dijon, and thyme
3. Place 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture underneath the skin of each of the birds and the rest on the outside of the birds
4. Season the cavity and outside of the birds with salt and pepper
5. In a medium bowl, combine bread, olives, artichokes, cheese, thyme, and a pinch of pepper
6. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet with olive oil
7. Place the bread mixture in the bottom of the skillet
8. Place the Cornish hens on top of the bread mixture
9. Cook the birds for 1 hour or until they reach 160° F in the thickest part of the thigh

Notes