Monday, September 17, 2007

Burger and Fries... Vegetarian Style

Some days you really get a hankering for a burger and fries. But really, with all that supersizing, at 610 calories and almost 30 g of fat in McDonald's fries, plus a Big Mac weighing in at 530 calories and 30 g of fat, we tend to cringe a little bit at the thought of the tipping scales. Besides, if you're going to have a burger and fries for dinner, I for one would like some taste, not just meat, cheese and mayo on a bun, thank you very much! So, in order to satisfy my cravings and help the family eat a little better I came up with two better-for-you but still high in taste recipes, served together they're the perfect "burger n' fry" combo.

Personally, I like spicy fries, but feel free to just use salt if you want, or nothing at all. These are "wedge-style", and have a nice kick to them.

Country Fries
4 servings
3 medium baking potatoes
1 egg white
1 tsp each paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and salt
  1. Preheat oven to 500F.
  2. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
  3. Cut potatoes into 36 wedges, place in bowl of cold water.
  4. Whisk egg white, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a large bowl until frothy.
  5. Dry potato wedges, add to egg white and toss to coat.
  6. Spread on baking sheet and bake on bottom rack 25 minutes, turning half way through.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 130.3
Total Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 22.0 mg
Total Carbs: 28.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
Protein: 4.5 g


As for the burger part of this burger n' fry meal, I have never ever had a tastier burger than the Jamaican Jerk burger from an Ottawa staple that has been talked about on the blogs before: The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro. Their menu is huge, with 62 topping combinations, 7 burger patties, 2 buns and 12 sides to choose from! They also have an incredible selection of milkshakes that are all to die for, though my favourite will always remain the chocolate peanut butter. As far as burger toppings go, apparently the combination of Kraft Dinner and a hamburger is a winner (according to my old history teacher) but I always return to my classic favourite. My recipe is for all intents and purposes what you can expect to recieve if you ordered a Jamaican Jerk burger with a portobello mushroom cap and a whole wheat bun. Insane tastiness with just the right amount of kick to get your heart beating, a good warm-up for those -40C winters in the capital!

Jamaican Jerk PortaBurger
Makes 4
½ C. vegetable oil
½ C. vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 Habanero peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 T fresh ginger, grated
1 T chopped fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ C red wine vinegar
2 T brown sugar
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. allspice
4 T fresh lime juice
4 portabella mushroom caps, stems removed
4 slices pepper-jack cheese
4 slices ripe beefsteak tomato
4 T chopped green chili peppers
4 whole-grain rolls, sliced and toasted
  1. Add all ingredients through lime juice to a blender.
  2. Puree until smooth.
  3. Arrange mushroom caps in a small, deep dish. Pour marinade over.
  4. Cover and refrigerate 4 – 6 hours, turning caps halfway through.
  5. Heat grill to medium-high. Remove caps from marinade and blot dry.
  6. Place caps (gill side down) on grill, cover and cook 4 minutes.
  7. Flip, top each with a slice of cheese and cook, covered, 4 minutes more.
  8. Place 1 slice tomato on the bottom half of each roll. Top with mushroom caps, then add 1 tbsp chilis to the top of each. Top with remaining bun half.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 329.8
Total Fat: 17.7 g
Cholesterol: 25.2 mg
Sodium: 381.7 mg
Total Carbs: 33.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.4 g
Protein: 13.9 g

2 comments :

  1. Mmmm I like spicy fries too---and these look delicious!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Talk about your comfort foods!!I have heard of portabello mushroom burgers before. I wonder if my dad the vegetarian would like it????? It's worth a try and I will take your recommendation that it is delicioso!!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the feedback!