Lamb Burgers with Fruity Relish

The advantage of making your own burgers is that you know exactly what’s in them. These lamb burgers look and taste better than the fast-food variety, while being a really healthy meal. A fruity relish of orange and raspberry adds a lovely fresh flavour.

Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

400 g lean ground lamb
1 carrot, grated 
1 small onion, finely chopped
2⁄3 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
pepper to taste
1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 whole-wheat buns
shredded lettuce to garnish

Fruity Relish
1 orange
100 g fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the lamb in a large bowl. Add the carrot, onion, breadcrumbs, nutmeg and thyme, and season with pepper. Mix roughly with a spoon. Add the egg and use your hands to mix the ingredients together thoroughly.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape each portion into a patty about 10–12 cm in diameter, or about 2 cm bigger than the diameter of the buns. Brush both sides of the lamb burgers with oil, then place them in the broiler pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness.
3. Meanwhile, to make the fruity relish, cut the peel and pith from the orange with a sharp knife and, holding it over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the membranes to release the segments. Roughly chop the segments and add them to the juice. Add the raspberries and sugar, lightly crushing the fruit with a fork to mix it together.
4. Toast the buns briefly under the broiler. Put a lamb burger in each bun and add some lettuce to garnish and a good spoonful of fruity relish. Serve with the remaining relish.

preparation time 20 mins
cooking time 10 mins
serves 4

PER SERVING

427 calories
28 g protein
16 g total fat
6 g saturated fat
121 mg cholesterol
43 g total carbohydrate
9 g sugars
7 g fibre
487 mg sodium

Using whole-wheat buns instead of white ones doubles the amount of fibre. The bread also provides B vitamins and small amounts of iron and calcium. A fruity relish provides a huge bonus of protective antioxidants. It also provides useful amounts of potassium and fibre, especially from the raspberries.