Feta Lamb Burgers With Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipes

MOROCCAN LAMB BURGERS WITH TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Finely mince the mint and parsley, and peel and chop the onion.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, chopped onion, 4 tablespoons each of the mint and parsley, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix well using your hands until everything is evenly combined, and form the mixture into burger patties. Set aside.
• To make the sauce, combine Greek yogurt, the remaining 1 tablespoon each of mint and parsley, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper, as desired. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir well and keep in the fridge while you cook the burgers and prep the salad.
• Cook the lamb burgers on an oiled grill rack or in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes on each side, until they reach an internal temperature of 160F.
• While burgers cook, prep the salad. Combine halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Sprinkle feta on top.
• Serve burgers warm with the salad, yogurt sauce, and pita bread, as desired. Enjoy!

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 AND FETA BURGERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, garlic, feta, allspice, parsley, salt and pepper, making sure not to overwork the mixture. Form the lamb mixture into 4 to 6 patties.
• Heat a grill pan over moderately-high heat and cook the lamb burgers until a nice crust forms, about 4 minutes. Turn the burgers over and let cook another 4 minutes. Let the burgers rest 10 minutes. Serve topped with Easy Tzatziki on a roll or bun.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Chill.
• What Really Makes This Recipe Sing: Allspice is one of those secret weapons in savory foods. You can't put your finger on it, but you know it is there. It was named by the English, because they thought it contained cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Shh, it is also the secret ingredient in Cincinnati-style chili.
• What to toss in if you have it: Feel free to add some chopped fresh mint to this as well. Having a cocktail party? BYOC and makes these into mini's. Grab one before you serve because they will disappear fast.

GREEK BURGER WITH ARUGULA, TOMATOES, AND FETA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cut 1/4 off each pita (a half-moon shape from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock). Chop half-moons, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with milk. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess milk. Purée soaked bread, onion, garlic, herbs and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Transfer purée to a bowl. Add lamb, season with salt and pepper and combine. Form into 4 patties. Wrap pitas in foil and heat until warm, about 8 minutes. (Or place pitas between sheets of paper towel and microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook burgers to medium, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Whisk yogurt, mint, garlic, mustard and honey in a bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Open each pita, stuff with arugula and drizzle with some of the dressing. Add burger, tomato and red onion to pita. Sprinkle with feta. Serve leftover dressing on the side.

CUCUMBER, TOMATO AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, olives, half of feta, and mint in a large bowl. Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining half of feta over and serve.

GRILLED LAMB BURGERS WITH YOGURT-FETA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high. Pluck parsley leaves and tender upper stems, discarding tough lower stems. Chop half of parsley (you should have about 1/2 cup packed). Gently fold half of chopped parsley into lamb just until evenly combined (do not overmix, or patties will be tough). Form into 4 patties slightly wider than buns, each about 1/2 inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper; brush with oil.
• Stir together cheese, yogurt, and remaining 1/4 cup chopped parsley; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, stir together tomato, whole parsley leaves and tender stems, and oil; season with salt.
• Brush grates with oil and grill patties, flipping once, until charred in places and cooked to desired doneness, 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare; 9 to 11 minutes for medium. Transfer to a plate and let stand a few minutes. Meanwhile, grill split sides of buns just until charred in places, about 30 seconds.
• Divide patties, yogurt-feta sauce, and tomato salad evenly among buns. Serve immediately, with fries.

MINT AND FETA LAMB BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• 1 For the burgers: In a large bowl, combine the lamb, feta, mint and salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Divide the mixture evenly into four balls
• 3 Form each ball into a patty no more than 3/4 inch thick
• 4 In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat enough of the oil to just coat the bottom
• 5 Place the burgers in the heated skillet and cook for about 10 minutes
• 6 It may be necessary to turn down the heat if the burgers seem to be browning too quickly
• 7 After 10 minutes, turn the burgers over and continue to cook, adjusting the heat as needed to ensure they are cooked all the way through, about 10 more minutes
• 8 For the salad: While the burgers are cooking, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, mint, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste
• 9 Set aside
• 10 To serve: Place burgers on individual plates and spoon the tomato-cucumber salad over each one, dividing the salad evenly among the plates

FETA LAMB BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare burgers: In a large bowl, combine lamb, feta, mint and salt and pepper to taste. Divide evenly into four balls. Flatten each ball into a patty no more than 3/4 of an inch thick.
• In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat enough oil to just coat the bottom.
• Place burgers in hot skillet; cook about 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the burgers seem to be browning too quickly. After 10 minutes, turn the burgers and continue to cook, adjusting the heat as needed to ensure they are cooked all the way through, about 10 more minutes.
• To prepare salad: While burgers are cooking, combine tomatoes, cucumber, mint, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• To serve, place burgers on individual plates; spoon tomato-cucumber salad over each one.

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 FETA SAUCE AND CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine lamb, curry powder, and 2 sliced scallions; season generously with salt and pepper. Mix gently with a fork (do not overmix); form into 4 oval patties to fit on bread (each 1 inch thick).
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season patties with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix feta, yogurt, and remaining scallion, mashing cheese gently to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 4 slices of bread with feta mixture; top with cucumbers, lamb patties, and remaining bread.