EatingWell 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.

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