These low-carb beef, whisky and cheese mushroom burgers are a quick and easy meal for Friday Burger Night. Serve with a big green salad or green veggies for an extra boost of nutrients!
Dressing your burger: Healthier Alternatives
For many of us, the toppings and trimmings are what get us excited about eating a burger! But what is added to a burger can make or break the “nutrition bank”. Toppings that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt should best be limited. There are some yummy and nutritious swaps for traditional standards, like bacon and cheese. These include avo instead of bacon; tomato salsa instead of ketchup or tomato sauce; and low fat yoghurt instead of sour cream or cream cheese. When choosing cheese, keep portions small and go for medium-fat or lower fat options. Don’t be shy to add veggies as a topping – think grilled butternut, beetroot and carrot – or feel free to add grated veggies to the patty itself.
Recipe and styling by Claire Ferrandi
Assisted by Nomvuselelo Mncube
Photographs by Dylan Swart
Dietary advice by Maryke Gallagher, RD SA (BSc Diet, MNutr)
Beef, whisky and cheese mushroom burgers
Ingredients
Mushroom 'buns'
- 8 brown mushroom steaks
- small handful rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- olive oil, to drizzle and fry
Beef patties
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 500g extra-lean beef mince
- whisky, to brush
To serve
- 4 thin cheese slices
- 200g low fat yoghurt, combined with
- 5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika and salt, to taste
- microherbs, to garnish
Instructions
For the mushrooms, preheat the oven to 200°C. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking tray, sprinkle with the rosemary leaves, season to taste and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven, 15 – 20 minutes or until cooked through.
For the patties, place the minced garlic clove and beef mince in a bowl, season to taste and combine well. Form the mince into 4 patties (don’t compact the mince too much – just enough to keep its shape). Brush each patty with whisky on all sides. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle olive oil. Once the pan is hot, fry the patties in batches, 3 – 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and brush all over with whisky again.
To serve, spread a dollop of the low-fat yoghurt mixture on 4 of the mushrooms and top each of them with a burger patty, a cheese slice and microherbs, before closing every “lid” with another mushroom. Skewer the burgers and serve with a big green salad or green veggies.
