Burgers with Roasted Eggplant & Red Capsicum & Minted Yoghurt

This is a flash Mediterranean-style hamburger, without the bun. I have served the burger on a bed of crushed chickpeas for texture, but you could use hummus for a similar flavour. This makes great picnic or barbecue food and goes well with a full-bodied Shiraz. Recipe adapted from Cuisine magazine.

Ingredients
1 cup yoghurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
750g minced beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large (350g) eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces
2 red onions, cut into 2cm pieces
2 red capsicums, cored and cut into 2cm pieces
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups wild rocket leaves
grilled flatbread to serve

Method
Combine the yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the mint. Season to taste. Refrigerate until serving. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Crush the chickpeas coarsely with a potato masher, leaving some whole. Stir in the tahini, garlic, remaining lemon juice and the oil, and season to taste. Set aside.

Combine the mince, onion and allspice, season to taste and mix well. Shape the mixture into 6 burgers. Place the eggplant, onion and red capsicum in a roasting pan, toss with ¼ cup oil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and stir in the balsamic vinegar.

Brush the burgers with oil and grill, panfry or barbecue on both sides until browned and cooked to your liking (3-4 minutes each side for medium).

Spoon the chickpea mixture on to plates, top each with a burger and some rocket, and serve the eggplant mixture on the side. Smear minted yoghurt around the plates and drizzle the whole dish with a little extra oil. Serve with grilled flatbread. Serves 6.

Barbecue Lamb Salad with cucumber, capsicum and orange dressing

Barbecue Lamb Salad with cucumber, capsicum and orange dressing is a refreshing simple summer salad. You can make it with warm or cold barbecue lamb. 

Serves 4
500g lean lamb leg steaks, trimmed of excess fat (or you can use already cooked meat)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/4 cup sweet sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
3 teaspoon salt reduced Worcestershire or soya sauce

2 cups mixed salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 yellow or red capsicum, slised
1/2 red salad onion, sliced

DRESSING
½ orange, for juice and zest
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Trim any visible fat from lamb and place in a large dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the lamb, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Heat a barbecue, grill pan or non-stick fry pan to high. Remove lamb from marinade and cook to desired effect, for the most tender and moist cut its best still pink inside, about 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness.

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Slice thinly.

Arrange salad leaves in a bowl with the cucumber, capsicum and onion and top with sliced lamb. Shake together the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and pour over the salad.



Enjoy!