Beef Burger with Beet Relish and Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

600 g good quality ground beef
1 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
olive oil to cook and drizzle
250 g cherry tomatoes on the vine
splash of balsamic vinegar
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed to neaten (optional)
handful of wild arugula leaves (optional)

Beet relish

250 g cooked beet in natural juices,
3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
handful of Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil

Cucumber raita

1 large cucumber
handful of mint leaves, chopped
3 to 4 tbsp plain yogurt
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Method

1. Put the ground beef into a large bowl and add the paprika, cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt (or less to taste) and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well with your hands, then shape into 4 neat patties. Place on a plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes to set the shape.
2. Make the beet relish. Roughly chop the beet and place in a food processor along with the capers, parsley, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped—you don’t want to purge the beet. Season to taste and transfer to a bowl.
3. Make the cucumber raita, peel the cucumber and quarter lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Roughly chop the flesh and place in a bowl. Add the chopped mint and toss with enough yogurt to bind. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat the barbecue or heat a little olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Brush the burgers with olive oil and cook on the barbecue, or pan-fry allowing 3-1/2 to 4 minutes on each side for medium burgers. Remove to a warm plate and let rest for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes to the barbecue or skillet and drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape.
5. Serve the burgers with the tomatoes, beet relish, and cucumber raita. For a neat presentation, spoon the raita into lettuce cups and garnish with a handful of arugula.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Gordon Ramsay

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Advertisement

Poached Eggs on Spinach with Yogurt and Spiced Butter

Ingredients

1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 cup Greek yoghurt
3-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried chili/ hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 loaf Turkish flat bread, cut into 4 squares and halved horizontally
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups spinach
8 large eggs
sea salt and black pepper, to season

Method

1. Preheat the grill/broiler to high.
2. Mix the garlic and yogurt. Put the butter, cumin, dried chili/hot red pepper flakes and sea salt flakes in a small saucepan. Put the flat bread on a baking sheet. Fill two deep frying pans/ skillets with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Heat a wok, then add the oil and when hot, add the spinach in batches. Toss around the wok so it cooks evenly and when it is just wilted, take it off the heat, season and cover.
4. Reduce the heat under the frying pans/skillets to low so the water is barely simmering and break 4 eggs, far apart, into each one. Leave for 3 minutes.
5. Grill/broil the bread, cut-side up, until lightly toasted, then transfer to serving plates.
6. Spread some garlic yogurt over the bread and heap a mound of spinach on top. Using a slotted spoon, sit a poached egg on top of each square of yogurty bread.
7. Quickly heat the spiced butter until bubbling, pour over the eggs and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: 100 Ways with Eggs

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Grapefruit Lemon Syrup Cake

Ingredients

170 g instant polenta
50 g plain flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup reduced-fat plain yogurt
2 tbsp reduced-fat margarine, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely grated pink grapefruit rind
2 tbsp grapefruit juice
2 eggs
2 egg whites
165 g caster sugar

Lemon Syrup

1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Method

1. Grease a deep, 18 cm-round pan, line base with paper.
2. Sift polenta, flour, baking powder and salt into large bowl.
3. Combine yogurt, margarine, oil, rind and juice in small bowl, mix well.
4. Beat eggs, egg whites and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Beat in yogurt mixture until smooth.
5. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined (do not over-mix). Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake in moderate oven (180°C) for 50 minutes or until cake is cooked when tested.
6. Make lemon syrup. Combine all ingredients in small pan, simmer, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Continue simmering, uncovered, without stirring, for 3 minutes or until syrup has slightly thickened. Transfer to heatproof jug.
7. Remove cake from oven, turn immediately onto wire rack positioned over an oven tray and turn right side up. Drizzle hot lemon syrup over cake, cool.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Simply Lite Food

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup thick natural yogurt
1-3/4 cups caster (superfine) sugar
2 cups self-raising flour
lemon frosting
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Place the oil, eggs, rind, lemon juice, yogurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Sift over the flour and stir until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into a greased 24-cm fluted ring tin and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
5. While the cake is still hot remove from the tin and place on a plate.
6. To make the lemon frosting, gently stir together the sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over the cake and allow to set.
7. Serve warm.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Source: Donna Hay

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
4 slices bread
4 thin slices good quality ham
4 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp plain yogurt
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Butter the bread slices and sandwich them, buttered-sides together. Place the ham on top of the sandwiches and sprinkle a little of the grated cheese over the top.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet large enough to take 2 sandwiches. Place the top slices of bread (with the ham and cheese on top), buttered-side down, into the skillet. Top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered-side up. Cook until the base of each sandwich is golden brown.
3. Preheat the broiler to hot. Mix the remaining cheese, yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste together. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread an equal quantity of the yogurt mixture on top of each sandwich. Place under the preheated broiler and cook until lightly browned. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Brunch

---

Today’s Comic