Thursday, January 2, 2014

What's For Dinner? Stuffed Sirloin Burgers with Arugula Apple Almond Salad

Welcome to my new life.  Healthy. 

Yes, as you browse my blog you will find delightful recipes, but most are not in the healthy category.  But, recently, I went.....

PALEO!!!

So, it is likely that from now on you will seeing my unbelievably delicious, flavorful, colorful, mouth watering Paleo-friendly recipes.  For you gluten-free peeps, that will include you, too.

I had taken 2 lbs of ground sirloin of of the freezer earlier today, but I didn't really have plans for it.  Seriously, I whipped this meal together in 1/2 an hour from start to finish.  Now, THAT has got to peak your interest at least!

Let's get started making the Stuffed Sirloin Burgers.  Gather your ingredients!

ground sirloin - 1 lb per 3 burgers
fresh spinach, chopped - 1/2 cup per lb of meat
sweet peppers - any color - minced - 2 small ones per lb of meat
green onions, minced (green and all) - 3 per lb of meat
fresh pressed garlic - 2 per lb of meat
ground pepper - to taste
sea salt - to taste
chili powder - to taste
parsley - to taste
egg, beaten- 1 per lb of meat

provolone cheese - this is not Paleo, so skip it if you are a "strictoid" - 3 slice per lb of meat

Here is what you will need for the Arugula Apple Almond Salad.

arugula - 1 1/2 cups per person
apple, sliced thin - 1/2 per person
almond slices - 2 Tbsp per person
parmesan shavings - this is not Paleo, so skip this too if you are a "strictoid" - 1 Tbsp per person
lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon is enough for 2 people
olive oil - 2 Tbsp is enough for 2 people

OK, so normally I post a picture of all the ingredients laid out.  But, this all happened so fast that I didn't.  Yeah,  I was wingin' it, baby!

1.  Mix together the spinach, peppers, and onion.  Add the egg and mix.  Add the meat on top and pour on all the seasonings....garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, and parsley.  Mix it all together until well blended.

2.  Make patties by hand or use a handy dandy burger press like mine!  Start with half of what you will need to make one burger, then lay a slice of the cheese on top.  Like this...


3.  Add the remaining 1/2 of the portion of your burger on top of the cheese and press well to seal.  Looking good!


4.  Fire up the grill!  Cook as you would any burger to the temperature you prefer.

5.  While the burgers are cooking, let's make the salad!  Mix arugula, sliced apples, and almonds in a bowl.  To make the dressing, mix the juice of 1/2 a lemon and 2 Tbsp of EVOO.  That dressing mix will be enough for two salads.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to blend.  Top with the parm shavings, if you like.

6.  It's time to serve it up!!


I know, right?!  I am so glad I made 3 extra burgers because that is what we are having tomorrow for lunch or dinner.  We all ate every morsel.  Of course, my carb eating husband and son had theirs on a bun.  But, I did not miss the bread one bit.  This burger and salad was so full of flavor and texture that I was 100% satisfied! 

The pairing of the savory flavors of the burger with the sweet and tart of the salad was a perfect marriage.  Yup, this is going in my favorite recipes file!