I feel like burgers have a bit of a bad rap these days. We’re all on about healthy this and that and the poor old burger has been banished by many to a distant ‘fat’ corner somewhere.
And, truly, in many cases I can agree, they’re often made with leftover meat dregs, drowned in oil and swimming in all sorts of gooey processed sauces.
In our house, burgers are much loved and one of our friend-feeding favourite crowd-pleasers.
The options for toppings are endless
To start with, let’s not forget one of the best characteristics of burgers – adaptability. The options and toppings are endless!
Whether it’s the beef variety swathed in oozing brie and red onion marmalade (yes!), or salmon with wasabi mayo (light, fresh, über-good-for-you), or these flavour-packed Cajun-style lovelies with simple chicken breasts and quick quick home-made lime mayo, they are welcome at our table.
And that’s not just because they’re delicious, but also because if you take a little time to make them from scratch they really can be healthy too.
Cajun chicken burgers – take a look at the recipe.
Here’s the recipe for the lovely light lime mayonnaise:
Preparation time 5-10 minutes
Makes about 1 cup, keeps in the fridge for up to 10 days
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 egg
1 clove garlic
Zest of 1 lime
2-3 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon)
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooking oil (not olive oil)
Method
To a blender, add all the ingredients except the oil.
Then slowly drizzle in the oil in a constant stream with the blender on a low speed.
Continue blending until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens to the usual consistency of mayonnaise.
Cooks tips
– If you don’t have your own Cajun spice mix, you can use a little ground cumin and ground coriander along with some dried thyme and smoked paprika.
– For a healthy side dish, I’d recommend roasted sweet potato wedges, drizzled with a little honey and cinnamon for the last few minutes of cooking so that they’re golden and sticky.
Sarah Graham is author of Bitten and blogs with us on Food24. Follow her on twitter @foodieliveshere.