Home-made Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Sometimes dining out with friends or family can be irritating, especially watching someone else devouring a burger - torture in my opinion!!! Although the situation has recently improved locally, what with the increase in awareness of coeliac disease and gluten intolerance, I still try to avoid dinner in Bar & Grills as I find it extremely hard to resist a nice juicy burger in a fresh toasted bun. 

Having said that however, don't be discouraged. Restaurants who may not serve gluten-free burgers, or gluten-free sandwiches and wraps, may still cater for coeliacs and the majority of restaurants in Malta now do serve gluten free pizza and pasta on request or have other gluten free options available. 

I have been told that there are a few new local restaurants who are now serving gluten-free burgers but to be honest I have not tried these out as of yet. I am so content with my own personal recipe, that whenever I get the craving for some carbs or junk food, I quickly follow the below recipe and make home-made burgers - can't get any better than home-made anyway! What's more, I always keep a stock of frozen buns in my freezer so I don't need to worry about making bread when the craving sneaks up on me. I just grab a bun from the freezer and pop into the microwave on defrost setting - simple! 

The fun thing about burgers, is that you can always opt for a different topping according to what you fancy at the time.. bacon, mushrooms, fried eggs, lettuce, you name it! My personal favourite - glazed onions and melted cheese .. divine!!! 

Moreover, keeping in mind that burgers are not the healthiest of meals, I tend to avoid fried chips as an accompaniment. Alternatively, I usually prepare baked sweet potato fries with my burgers. As I mentioned in my Sweet Potato Soup recipe http://www.my-glutenfree-kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/01/sweet-potato-soup.html I absolutely love sweet potatoes and these compliment burgers quite nicely! 

Home-made burgers can't be beaten, and you know exactly what goes into the mixture!

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Ingredients: 

- 500 grams beef mince 

- 1 large onion, finely diced 

- 1 garlic clove, crushed 

- 1 tsp paprika 

- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely copped 

- 1 large egg 

- salt & pepper

- handful crushed cornflakes or gluten free breadcrumbs

- vegetable oil for frying, 

- gluten free bread roll 

- cheddar cheese for topping 

- sliced onion, veg oil, honey, soy sauce, mustard + pinch sugar

- sweet potato 

Method: 

Add the first 8 ingredients to a large bowl and season well. Use your hands to pound the mixture to a thick paste: this way it will stay together when you cook it. If you think the mixture looks too dense, add breadcrumbs or crushed corn flakes to lighten. 

With floured hands, divide the mixture into 6 balls, then roll each one and flatten into a burger shape. Sit on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. (If freezing, open-freeze on tray until solid at this point and then transfer to plastic bags later). 

In the meantime, slice a large onion and lightly fry in oil. Add a dash of soy sauce, a teaspoon of mustard, a tablespoon of honey and a pinch of sugar to the onions. Let simmer until onions are soft. 

Slice sweet potatoes into chips or wedges. Place on a greased baking tray. Season with salt & pepper and bake until soft. 

Heat a large griddle pan on a high heat and add a little bit of oil.  Cook the burgers for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and let rest for 2 minutes before serving on a gluten free bun, topped with caramelized onions and cheese. Serve with baked sweet potato fries and gluten free sauce of your choice. 

Note: This recipe can be used to make mini burgers as finger food at parties. Definitely a crowd pleaser!