National Burger Day: Six delicious recipes to stick on the barbecue

TODAY marks National Burger Day, and what better way to celebrate than tucking into a tasty dish.

A survey from Waitrose has revealed that the UK’s barbecue hero is the humble burger, with 66% of the nation saying that a BBQ simply isn’t a BBQ without this key ingredient.

We agree, and it’s a great excuse to serve up a treat with a twist with these tasty burger ideas.

For more BBQ Recipes visit Waitrose.

Carrot, coriander and chick pea burgers

Make these veggie burgers several hours in advance, or even the day before, and chill them so they have a chance to firm up a little before cooking.

Preparation time:20 minutes
Cooking time:10-15 minutes
Total time:30-35 minutes
Makes: 6

Ingredients

400g can chick peas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
75g white or brown breadcrumbs
300g carrots, grated
½ x 28g pack fresh coriander, chopped
2 tsp Belazu Rose Harissa paste
1 British Blacktail Free Range egg
240g pack Waitrose Roasted Garlic Flatbread
Fragata Spanish hot peppers and soured cream, to serve

Method

Drain the chick peas and crush in a food processor until almost paste-like. Tip into a bowl.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned. Add to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, carrots, coriander and a little seasoning.
Mix the harissa paste with the egg and stir well into the carrot mixture. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 6 even-sized pieces. Press each firmly into a ball and flatten into burger shapes. Chill until ready to cook.
Light the barbecue about 30 minutes before cooking to allow the flames to die down. Cook the flatbread according to pack instructions or by heating it on the barbecue. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes, gently turning once, until golden. Cut the flatbread into wedges and serve with the burgers, peppers and a dollop of soured cream.

LOVE life Big beef and puy lentil burgers

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time:15 minutes
Total time:25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 large carrot
1 shallot, finely chopped
250g pack Waitrose LOVE life puy lentils & quinoa
400g Waitrose Aberdeen Angus lean beef mince (5% fat)
1 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients sun-dried tomato paste
1 medium egg, beaten
2 x 205g bags Waitrose garden side salad, to serve

Method

Coarsely grate the carrot and squeeze out any excess juice. Place in a large bowl with the shallot.
Add the lentils and quinoa, beef mince, sun-dried tomato paste and the egg. Combine well and shape into four even-sized burgers.
Grill the burgers for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the salad.

Cook’s tip

Burgers made with lean mince and bolstered by fibre-rich puy lentils and quinoa offer a quick and healthy supper. A spoonful of sun-dried tomato paste lends a rich, intense flavour. Alternatively, you could add whole toasted spices, such as cumin or fennel (lovely with pork), a handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil, some chopped pickled jalapeños or preserved lemons. If making lamb burgers, add a spoonful of Belazu chermoula paste.

Black bean burgers with celeriac chips

Low Fat
Vegetarian
Preparation time:15 minutes
Cooking time:35 minutes to 40 minutes
Total time:50 minutes to 55 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 small celeriac (about 500g-600g)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
400g can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 slice rye bread with sunflower seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
¼ x 25g pack fresh parsley, finely chopped
Pea shoots or watercress and vine ripened tomato salsa, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Cut away the skin from the celeriac and quarter the flesh. Cut each piece into 1cm thick slices, then across into small chips. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a roasting tin and put it in the oven to heat up for a few minutes. Once the oil is hot, carefully tip in the celeriac chips, turning them to coat. Season and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until pale golden, turning once or twice with a fish slice.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Tip the beans into a bowl and mash well with a fork. Crumble in the rye and sunflower seed bread. Add the onion, caraway seeds and parsley. Season and mix together well. Shape into 4 even-sized burgers.
Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and gently fry the burgers for about 2 minutes on each side until hot and slightly crisped. Transfer to serving plates with the celeriac chips and serve with pea shoots or watercress and the tomato salsa.

Tuna burger & wasabi tofu ‘mayo’

Low Fat
Attributes
Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time:5-8 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 tsp sesame seeds
240g pack 2 Waitrose 1 Yellowfin Tuna Steaks
Spray olive oil (x 4 sprays)
½ x 300g pack Clearspring Silken & Smooth Tofu
1 tsp Chinese rice vinegar
1 lime, plus wedges to serve
½ tsp wasabi paste or powder, or to taste
100g cucumber
2 essential Waitrose Giant Wholemeal Baps, halved and toasted
2 tbsp sushi ginger
75g pack pea shoots

Method

Place the sesame seeds on a plate. Press the tuna into the seeds to coat. Warm a frying pan with spray oil over a high heat. When hot, add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare, or 4 minutes each side for well done.
Meanwhile, to make the ‘mayo’, place the tofu, rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon lime juice, wasabi and seasoning in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into long thin strips. Spread some mayo on the cut sides of the baps. Top with the tuna, followed by the cucumber, ginger and pea shoots. Serve immediately with wedges of lime to squeeze over and any remaining mayo on the side.

Turkey burgers with avocado yogurt and sweet potato chips

LOVE life recipe: low in saturated fat

Low Fat
Preparation time:25 minutes
Cooking time:45 minutes
Total time:1 hour 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 tsp vegetable oil

500g turkey thigh or breast mince

2 tsp Wahaca habanero chilli sauce (or another chilli sauce)

50g fresh breadcrumbs

3 garlic cloves, crushed

28g pack coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves torn

1 lime, zest and ½ juice

2 sweet potatoes (about 300g each), cut into 1.5cm-thick chips

1 small avocado

75ml low-fat Greek style natural yogurt

4 LOVE life wholemeal seeded rolls, halved and toasted

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6; heat 3 tsp oil in a baking tray. Thoroughly mix the turkey, chilli sauce, breadcrumbs, garlic, coriander stalks and ½ the lime zest; season and shape into 4 patties roughly 2cm thick.
Carefully scatter the sweet potato chips in the hot oil, making sure they are spread out evenly; season and bake for 40-45 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp.
Meanwhile, set a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush the burgers with the remaining 1 tsp oil. Fry for 5 minutes on each side, until browned, then place on a foil-lined tray in the oven below the chips and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
With a fork, mash the avocado, yogurt and remaining lime zest and juice; season. Stir through the coriander leaves just before serving.
Assemble the burgers in the buns with the avocado yogurt and remaining coriander leaves, with more chilli sauce and extras such as sliced tomato, red onion or baby gem leaves, if liked. Serve with the chips.

Spinach and salad onion beef burgers

1 of your 5 a day

Total time:Ready in 25 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

250g essential Waitrose Spinach
400g can essential Waitrose Borlotti Beans, drained and rinsed
450g essential Waitrose Extra Lean British Beef Mince
50g Cooks’ Ingredients Bread Crumbs
Bunch salad onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 egg, beaten
Splash of Tabasco
3 Waitrose LOVE Life White Oaten Rolls
75g pack Waitrose Pea Shoots
2 tbsp tomato ketchup (optional)

Method

Place the spinach in a colander in the sink. Pour over a kettleful of boiling water to wilt the spinach. Drain well, squeezing out all the excess water then roughly chop. Preheat the grill to high.
In a large bowl, roughly mash the borlotti beans with a fork, then add the wilted spinach, beef mince, breadcrumbs, salad onions, cumin seeds, beaten egg and a splash of Tabasco. Shape the mixture into 6 equal-sized burgers.
Cook the burgers under the hot grill for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Split the oaten rolls in half and toast the cut surfaces until golden brown.
Put a toasted roll half on each serving plate, top with a handful of the pea shoots, then a burger. Serve with small pots of ketchup on the side.