Greek Burgers with Radish Tzaziki

This recipe began with a radish.  I was inspired by the fuschia and green orb that looks like a tiny spirograph painting on the inside. The Watermelon Radish, an occasional guest in my veggie box, had been cut into sticks for a veggie tray and shaved into salads. The fuschia color in this batch was so vibrant, however, I wanted to do something a little different than just serve them in a salad. Grass-fed beef awaited transformation in my fridge and having recently been experimenting with Greek flavors, I thought I would try a new take on burgers. The Greek Burger with Radish Tzaziki was born.

A few produce notes – Radishes in general are full of vitamin C, super low in calories and provide many antioxidants and minerals. Like the Black Radish, the watermelon radish is an heirloom variety, however, unlike the black variety which is better with cooking, the watermelon radish is crunchy, sweet and easy to eat in salads or even just by itself. The fun color and sweet taste is more kid-friendly and they look vibrant cut into sticks on a veggie tray.  But if you can’t find them, regular red radishes can easily be subbed in for this recipe since the yogurt tones the flavor down. To grow your own, you can order seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom.

Greek Burgers with Radish Tzaziki

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• Burgers

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/2 head chard, leaves only, finely chopped

• 1 lb ground beef or buffalo

• 3 oz feta, crumbled

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Radish Tzaziki

• 1/2 cup grated radishes (any variety will work)

• 3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt (6 oz)

• 1 tsp dried dill

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 2 tsp garlic, minced

• juice of one lemon

• To Serve

• Romaine lettuce or spinach

• Whole Wheat Buns or Pitas, optional

Directions

• For Burgers:
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute onion until softened, then add the garlic and chard. Saute until the chard has totally softened and shrunk. Squeeze out as much extra liquid as possible. Transfer the chard to a large bowl and crumble in the ground beef, feta, egg, spices and salt. Mix well, preferably with your hands. Form into four patties and set on a plate into the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Prepare the tzaziki and shred lettuce if using. Make your side dish now while you’re at it and toast your bread, too.
• Heat a large skillet or your grill. Cook the burgers until they register 160 degrees internally. Place the burgers on top of the buns or lettuce then top with tzaziki.
• Tzaziki
• Mix everything together and let stand for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

• I served this with green beans and tomatoes. The only change to make this paleo is to serve it with no bun or make it gluten free with a GF bun.