Low Calorie Burgers with Mustard Sauce

With more and more people choosing to eat at home, finding something to please the family that is quick, and healthy, is not always easy. This recipe is a low-calorie burger that is spiced up with the addition of a mustard sauce. The burger and sauce are approximately 170 calories, and if you add a hamburger bun, check the packaging, but this usually adds about another 120 calories. You can use ground beef or lamb, and both are equally good.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• 1 beaten egg
• 1/3 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1/2 slice)
• 3 tablespoons skim milk
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef or lamb
• 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded cucumber

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, parsley, and salt. Add meat and mix well. Shape into six 1/2-inch thick patties.
2. Place meat patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 inches from the heat for 5 minutes. Turn and broil 5 to 7 minutes more or until meat is no longer pink.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, and dill weed. Stir in cucumber. Spoon sauce over burgers.
   

Nutrition information per serving: 170 calories, 17 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 101 mg cholesterol, 237 mg sodium, 253 mg potassium.

This recipe can be found with many other great ideas for saving calories without going crazy, in the Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook.

Two Leaves and a Bud

As I am from England, I grew up drinking tea in a tea drinking family (yes, the English way with milk and sugar), and now drink both tea (without milk and sugar), and coffee.

In England to "put the kettle on" is a kind of reflex action to any situation, good or bad. If friends come round to visit, or if you have anyone working on your house (plumbers, electricians, construction workers, etc.) the first thing you ask is, "would you like a cup of tea?", and the natural response to any kind of problem is to make a cup of tea.

Not only is tea warm and comforting, it calms the nerves, and research continues to show the health benefits of tea, especially green and herbal teas. In fact a recent study by the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida found that increased intake of tea reduced the risk of breast cancer among women under the age of 50 by up to 37%, and previous reports have found the benefits of tea consumption to include a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, a lower cholesterol level, improved blood pressure management, and alleviation of symptoms for common illnesses.

Gourmet Fusion is now carrying a full selection of teas by the Two Leaves and a Bud company. These include black, white, green and herbal teas. All are in easy to use tea sachets filled with premium whole leaf tea. The sachets are made of biodegradable cornstarch based nylon, pyramid shaped to allow the whole leaves to circulate and infuse properly. The tea itself is single origin whole leaf organic tea, and many of the teas are also Kosher certified, an increasingly important consideration.

We are selling the single origin tea in boxes of 15 sachets, or if you would like to try a selection of teas we offer a tea sampler, which includes black, green and herbal teas (8 individually wrapped sachets). Then if you are looking for a gift for a tea drinking friends, why not choose one or more of our tea travelers? These eco-friendly, brightly packaged tinless tins, contain 4 biodegradable tea sachets with six teas to choose from.

Two leaves and a bud is now available online and in the Gourmet Fusion store at Leaping Lotus, Solana Beach, California.