One way of turning the dreaded all-beef burger into a heart-healthier cuisine is by choosing the leanest ground beef available and combining it half-and-half with a very lean ground turkey. Generally, the leaner a beef is, the higher the price tag, but the savings in saturated fat is often worth the price. Or forego the beef altogether and turn your favorite hamburger recipes into flavorful, lean turkey or chicken burgers. With the right seasonings and fresh fillers, you won't miss the taste of the mislaid red meat in your burger and you might even find that the extra flavor from your efforts are actually more palatable than your own family recipe!
Outdoor grilling is not only a great medium for family togetherness, but a wonderfully healthy way to cook because excess fat from certain foods are cooked away from the food as opposed to serving as a swimming pool for it in an indoor frying pan or an oven casserole. In addition, physical activity is often increased in outdoor grilling in the form of a quick volleyball game, a relay race with the kids, or a lap around the pool in between burger-flipping. So enjoy the summer, master your outdoor cooking skills and try some of these recipes for everything from traditional burgers to lean tuna burgers that can all be prepared on the grill while enjoying the warmth of the season with your loved ones.
Grilled Beer Burgers
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
¼ tspn. black pepper
1 tspn. Tabasco sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/3 cup of prepared chili sauce
1/2 package of dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup beer
Mix ground meats, pepper, Tabasco sauce, garlic, chili sauce, dry onion soup mix, and 1/4 cup beer until well combined. Shape into 6 patties. Grill over medium hot coals on both sides until done and well browned (or until internal temperature reaches 160 degree), basting with remaining beer during cooking process. Serve on buns with horseradish sauce, and desired vegetable toppings.
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