Chicken & Kale Burger

Serves 6 (makes 12 medium sized patties)

As BBQ season is already upon us (please make it last!), I realize I haven’t posted a meat recipe in over 6 months.  You could be forgiven for thinking that I was a vegan or vegetarian, but I am, what some might rather silly-ly call, a “Flexitarian”.  I have followed a Mediterranean style diet for years now – one that is full of a rainbow of fresh produce, legumes, nuts, whole grains, healthy oils, fish and a small amount of meat.  Vegetables take centre stage, complex carbs play a supporting role and meat comes on just for the finale, so to speak.   A recent review by the World Health Organization found compelling evidence that adopting the Mediterranean diet would actually lower rates of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and strokes.  Nutrition isn’t the sole answer to all of our health problems of course, but when WHO start recommending something; it makes somewhat of a compelling argument!   It’s great to think that our health and wellbeing isn’t JUST down to what genetic hand we were dealt at birth, but that lifestyle choices (such as not smoking, eating healthily, exercising, monitoring stress levels and limiting alcohol) play such an important role too. I find their conclusions pretty darn empowering!  

With that in mind, my kids are still typical kids that want to eat burgers and meatballs.  So, without wanting them to feel like they are missing out, I try to make them as healthy and delicious as I possibly can, and fortunately, these are a firm family favourite in our house.  They pack a nutritional punch that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with a burger.  2 medium-sized burgers (without the wholegrain bun and all the trimmings) provide 246 calories, 18g of protein and a huge 51% and 32% of my daily Vitamin A & C requirements respectively.  That’s just the actual patty before you throw in a whole host of other antioxidant-rich veggies with it too.  The raw mixture freezes very well so we always have either a burger or meatball option to hand.

INGREDIENTS

·     750g Organic Minced Chicken
·     1 tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
·     80g Kale or Cavelo Nero
·     1 Large Onion
·     1 tsp Dried Rosemary
·     1 tsp Dried Sage
·     1 tsp Dried Thyme
·     2 Eggs
·     1 tsp Olive Oil
·     30g Breadcrumbs (I used Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Breadcrumbs)

METHOD

·   Finely dice the onion.
·   Remove the woody stalks to the kale and chop the leaves finely.
·   Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onions until starting to brown slightly.
·   Add the kale and the dried herbs and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.·      
Set aside to cool slightly.
·   In a large mixing bowl, add all of the rest of the ingredients and when the onions and kale have cooled, add those too.
·   Combine well.
·   Make burger (or meatball) shapes and griddle them until fully cooked through (approximately 3-4 minutes on either side). 
·   Serving suggestion: Serve on a wholegrain seeded bun with some sautéed red onions, tomato, lettuce and pickles

NOTE - since it's rarely actually hot enough to BBQ, I normally cook these on the stove in a griddle pan, but if you are putting them on the BBQ, you will need to add more breadcrumbs to bind them so they hold together better.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION 

(per 2 medium sized burgers)

Calories – 246
Protein – 18g
Carbohydrates – 9g
Fat – 8g
Fibre – 1g
Vitamin A – 51% 
Vitamin C – 32%