In the past few years, I’ve gradually increased my consumption of meat (after being 90% vegetarian for a few years), but I always aim for grass-fed red meat (as well as organic free-range chicken and turkey, and of course wild-caught fish). When it comes to red meat, for optimal digestion, my body prefers easier-to-digest cuts, leaner and softer, which is why my preferred type of red meat is ground beef. (I feel that thicker, tougher cuts of steak are harder to digest and often require too much chewing!).
One of the main ways I like to enjoy red meat is making homemade burgers.
Burgers can actually be very healthy, as long as you choose lean, grass-fed beef, make them at home, and use healthier alternatives to serve with your burgers (vs. standard bread and french fries!).
I alternate making burgers with healthier, more nutrient-dense and lower-carb alternatives for bread, including:
grilled eggplant “bread”
roasted large portobello mushroom “bread”
roasted sweet potato “bread”
large plantain “tostones” as bread (air fried vs. deep fried)
Also, I ALWAYS serve my burgers with salad and/or extra veggies, and use organic ketchup with no sugar added (here’s another option), mayo with avocado oil - normal or vegan (with NO highly processed vegetable oils!), and organic mustard.
Here is my go-to burger recipe, with 4 different replacements for bread
Note: The sweet potato “bread” and the plantain “bread” are the highest in carbs, so they’re the ones I make more for my husband! I usually go for the mushroom or eggplant “breads”, or I do a combo!
Healthy Burger Patties (makes 4 extra-large or 5 medium/large patties):
1 lb grass-fed ground beef (in Nica I buy from Carnes Selectas or San Martin)
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped (shallot or leeks work great, too!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 small garlic clove minced)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground + 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin + 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 tablsepoons fresh parsley and/or cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup of kale, spinach, collard greens or chard leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt + 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 “flax egg” (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water) or 1 organic egg (to bind)
tiny bit of avocado oil to cook
To serve:
sliced tomato, lettuce leaves, microgreens
sauteed onions (my favorite) and sometimes sauteed mushrooms
organic ketchup, organic dijon mustard, and avocaod-oil based mayoinnase
choice of gluten free “bread” made with eggplant, mushroom or platain; see below
and often a side salad or side and/or roasted zucchini fries (see recipe below)
Bread:
1) Grilled Eggplant: Slice 1 large eggplant into slices about 1 cm thick (or almost 1/2 inch) thick, sprinkle with sea salt and dash of pepper (i use about 1/4 tsp each to start). Heat a grill pan on medium/high, drizzle with avocado oil and add 4 round slices of eggplant (the largest ones!) and grill on each side until golden on outside and soft all over. When ready, season with more sea salt to taste. (OR option to roast in oven at 400 F for about 20-25 mins until fully soft, flipping half way through).
2) Roasted or Grilled Portobello Mushrooms: 4 large portobello mushrooms, 1 tbsp avocado oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt + 1/4 tsp ground pepper. Roast at 400 F for about 8-9 minutes on each side (so total 15-18 minutes, flipping half way through).
3) Roasted Sweet Potato bread: Slice 1 large sweet potato (choose a large, round one if possible) into round slices about 1 cm thick (or almost 1/2 inch) thick, drizzle with a little bit of coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake/roast at 400 F for about 20-25 mins until fully soft, flipping half way through. (Note: save the smaller baked sweet potato slices for a snack with some almond butter and cinnamon, its delicious!)
4) Plantain “Tostones”: Chope one large plantain into 4 big chuncks and boil until soft. Drain and dry properly, then mash forming 4 round patties. drizzle with avocado or coconut oil (they get sticky!) and sprinkle generously with sea salt on each side. Place in the air fryer (about 450 F) for 15 minutes or until soft yet crispy. Season with extra sea salt.
Zucchini Fries:
2 small/medium zucchinis (or 1.5 large ones)
1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 tsp sea salt + 1/2 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 teaspoon thyme + 1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 organic egg (or vegan flax egg - mixing 1 tbsp found flaxseed with 2.5 tbsp water)
avocado oil to bake (I use the spray)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice the zuccinis into matchsticks, like fries and pat dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix together the almodn flour, salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper. In another small bowl crack the egg and whisk with a fork. Working in batches dip the zucchini fries into the egg, then in the flour mixture. Place on a parhment pater lined baking tray, spray with some avocado oil, and bake at 400 F until crispy, about 15 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through. Also option to make in the air fryer!
