Feta Lamb Burgers With Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipes

GREEK LAMB-FETA BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Set 4 whole garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium-high heat; toast until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Peel, mince and set aside.
• Break up lamb in a medium bowl. Sprinkle roasted garlic, feta, oregano, salt and pepper over meat; stir with a fork to combine. Divide into 4 portions. Toss meat back and forth between cupped hands to form a ball. Pat with fingertips to flatten to about 4 inches wide. Refrigerate.
• Mix cucumber, sour cream, mint, vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
• Build a hot fire on one side of grill. Replace rack. When coals are covered with white ash, add burgers. Cover and cook, turning only once, until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-well burgers.
• Grill pitas until spotty brown and warm, a minute or so per side. Split crosswise. Spread a couple of tablespoons of sauce over 4 pita halves. Top each with an onion slice, a tomato slice and a burger. Spread a portion of the remaining sauce over each burger. Top with remaining pita halves.

GRILLED LAMB BURGERS WITH GRILLED FETA PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For the burgers: combine the lamb, garlic, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well with your hands and form into two 4-inch patties. Season the patties lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap each patty individually in plastic wrap and pack in a cooler or store in the refrigerator.
• For the pasta salad: Bring salted water to boil in a large pot. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled. Pat dry and pack in a container with a lid, making sure it is large enough to also fit the vegetables in the salad. Add to the cooler or store in the refrigerator.
• Preheat a small grill to medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Brush the feta, scallions, eggplant, bell pepper and zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the feta and vegetables to the grill. Cook the feta until charred and slightly softened, turning once, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Grill the vegetables, turning once, until charred and cooked through, 2 minutes for the scallions and 8 to 10 minutes for the eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper. Transfer to the cutting board. Coarsely chop the feta and vegetables and add to the container with the pasta. Drizzle with the Greek dressing and tear the basil leaves over top. Toss and let sit to develop the flavors while you grill the burgers.
• Brush the grill with oil again and add the burgers and onions. Grill until the underside of the burgers is well charred, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is charred, 4 to 5 minutes for medium doneness. (For well-done burgers, cook about 6 minutes per side.) Cook the onions until charred and floppy, about 3 minutes per side. Toast the cut sides of the buns on the grill during the final minute.
• To serve, spread the tzatziki on the top and bottom of the buns. Add some onions and a lettuce leaf each. Top with the burgers and bun tops. Toss the pasta salad once more and serve.

LAMB BURGERS WITH CHARRED TOMATOES AND FETA

Steps:

• Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the ground lamb to a large bowl and break up slightly with a fork. Add the spice mixture to the lamb and using clean hands, mix the meat so the spice mixture is evenly dispersed. Form the meat into 4 equal size patties to fit the size of the buns.
• Brush the grates of an outdoor grill with oil and preheat to medium-high. On one side of the grill add the burgers and cook until the internal temperature is 145 degrees F, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the burgers to a plate. Once you remove the burgers, place the buns, cut side- down on the grill to lightly toast, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble burgers: Lay buns on a clean work surface, cut side-up. Spread the Tzatziki Sauce evenly on the top and bottom halves of the buns. Place a patty on each of the bottom buns and top with Charred Tomatoes and Feta. Place the top buns on and serve.
• Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Using clean hands, squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the cucumber. Add it to a small bowl and stir in the sour cream, dill, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Add the tomatoes to a large bowl and place the onions on top. Add the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and, using clean hands, rub the onions so they are coated in olive oil, but try to keep them intact in their rings. Lay the onions on a plate or rimmed baking sheet. The residual salt and oil will have dripped down to the tomatoes, so give them a slight toss to coat them. Skewer the tomatoes on a metal or wood skewer. This will help them not fall through the grates of the grill. (If using a wood skewer then be sure to soak in water for 30 minutes before using.)
• Brush the grates of an outdoor grill with oil and preheat to medium-high. Add the onions and tomatoes and grill until the onions are charred in places and the tomatoes are slightly bursting, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the onions and tomatoes and add to a medium bowl. Using kitchen shears, roughly cut up the onions and tomatoes. Add the crumbled feta and toss to combine. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

EASY LAMB BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER-FETA SAUCE

Steps:

• To make feta sauce: In food processor mix yogurt, feta cheese, cucumber, one diced scallion and vinegar until smooth.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate while making burgers, or at least 15 minutes.
• For burgers: Mix lamb, curry, remaining scallion and (generously)salt and pepper to taste.
• Form into six oval patties(to fit rolls/toast) and season with salt and pepper.
• In large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high.
• Cook patties until browned on outside and just cooked through(approx. 5 minutes each side).
• Serve burgers on rolls topped with tomato slices and sauce.

FETA, THYME AND MINT LAMB BURGERS

Steps:

• Put the lamb, crushed garlic, mint, chopped olives, tomato puree, salt and freshly ground pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Divide into four portions.
• In a separate bowl, mix the feta cheese with the thyme. It doesn't matter if it crumbles, just gently squeeze together.
• Take a quarter of the mixture into your hand and roll into a ball. Flatten out, put a quarter of the feta in the middle and then draw the meat up around it.
• Make sure the cheese is secure within the meat. Repeat with the other three burgers and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, make the salad by mixing the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and olives together in a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Whisk the olive oil, cider vinegar and honey together and pour over the salad.
• Heat a griddle pan until hot. Rub each slice of bread with the garlic clove and sprinkle with olive oil.
• Cook the bread on the griddle pan until brown on each sides. Keep warm.
• Now cook the burgers on a griddle pan. Turn once after five minutes, then cook for another 5 minutes on the other side.
• Spread the mayonnaise on the toasted bread. Top each slice with a freshly griddled lamb burger and a small handful of salad and serve at once.