I've been tantalising you guys all week with this burger on Facebook. Trying to make you choose between a vegetarian option and this here mighty beef burger. For all you meat lovers there is no choice or comparison! Burger all the way. So for all you vegetarians I apologise... I will post the equally scrumptious Roasted Eggplant and Garlicky Tahini Pita next week to make up for this beefy goodness! Trust me you meat lovers will love this vegetarian options too but for now lets delve into this beefy goodness!

I crave a good burger every known and again. When I want to sink my teeth into a burger I want to feel good about what I am eating. Know what is in it, how it is made and that the ingredients and bun is fresh. Do you get me? Not feel nauseous, guilty and blah after delving into the golden arches and "famished" jacks versions of burgers. Don't get me wrong I have had my fair share of these types of burgers. I think I practically lived off them as a teenager. Now that I am older and wiser (and my metabolism has slowed down considerably) I want my burger to love me back a little. This would be my perfect beef burger with all the perfect fillings - crunchy lettuce, juicy sweet tomato, mustardy mayonnaise, dark barbecued onions with a juicy flavoursome beef patty topped with pickles! Yeah I'm a pickles fan once in a while!

My usual recipe of making a beef patty was drenched with two types of sauces, BBQ and tomato sauce. I wanted to try and make a version that is a little bit healthier to feed my boys (big and small). As I type this I look down as the crunchy chips photo and notice a big bowl of tomato sauce on the side.... So I guess I'm not exactly advocating total sugar free here! For those who are die hard sugar free folks I would exchange the tomato sauce for a big dollop of English or Dijon mustard!

To accompany a dashingly delicious beef burger would have to be some seriously good chips. These chips are very easy to make and are not deep fried! They're oven baked and they are crunchy and delicious. The secret to my Golden Crunchy Chips is to parboil floury potatoes cut into chips (not waxy ones as they won't do the trick) for a few minutes until just tender but still hold there shape. Drain them and then put the lid back onto the saucepan and shake the heck out of them for 5-10 seconds. By doing this you bash them around a bit and make the edges all furry and fluffy. This little bits that have been bashed up make the most deliciously crunchy chip. A little drizzle of oil will help them go golden and a sprinkling of salt to add flavour. How simple is it to make fresh chips with only 3 ingredients! With spring in the air it's time to fire up those BBQ's, dust off that outdoor setting and whip up one of these pretty special burger and fries!

Home style Beef Burger

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 6-8 patties)

500g premium beef mince
3 x spring onions, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 heaped teaspoon seeded mustard
2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
2 heaped tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 carrot, grated
1 teaspoon allspice pimento ( found in the spice section of the supermarket)
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 egg, lightly beaten (*Alternately you can use 1 egg and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs if you have no allergy issues)
2 large brown onions, cut in half and finely sliced

Dijonaise

1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

To serve

6 x seeded bread rolls, cut in half
lettuce, roughly chopped
tomato, sliced
Pickles

Instructions

Beef Patties

In a large bowl place the beef mince along with the spring onions (not the brown onion), garlic, mustard's, tomato paste, parsley, carrot, allspice, salt & pepper and egg.

Using clean hands mix the beef mixture together to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

Take small handfuls of the meat and make even sized patties about 7-8cm wide and 2cm thick using up all the beef mixture. Place patties onto a plate and cover with clingfilm. Place into the fridge if it will be more than 20 minutes until you cook them.

Heat a BBQ or fry pan to medium heat and drizzle a little oil onto the plate. Place the sliced brown onions onto the plate and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are starting to cook down and brown slightly. Add the beef patties to the BBQ and cook for 4-5 minutes each side. Continue cooking the onions until brown and caramelized. Remove the onions and beef patties from the BBQ onto a small oven proof tray. Place alfoil over the top of the tray to keep warm.

Dijonaise

In a small bowl place the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and mix with a spoon to combine ingredients. Spoon into a small jar to use now and store later.

Assembly

Grill the buns, cut side down, for 2-3 minutes on the BBQ or pan. Remove and butter then layer the lettuce, tomato, dijonaise, grilled onions, beef patty and pickles.

Enjoy with my Golden Crunchy Chips!

* A quick note about the Allspice Pimento - I found this spice in my local supermarket. It is different to general Allspice. It gives the burger the "tomato sauce" flavour without the sauce. I have used this spice previously to make my own tomato sauce with and it is what gives the sauce its "spicy" flavour.

Golden Crunchy Chips

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: bake boil side snack dairy free gluten-free vegetarian vegan sugar-free potato fall summer spring winter

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

6 medium floury potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon salt + a pinch

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

In a large saucepan fill half way with water and add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil.

Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds and then cut into length ways into chips. They don't have to be perfectly square.

Place the chips into the boiling water and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until a knife just goes through the potato but they are not falling apart.

Drain the water from potatoes leaving them in the saucepan. Place the lid back onto the pan and give the potatoes a vigorous shake for 5-10 seconds. This will give the potatoes rough and fluffy edges. Perfect to create crispy chips.

Drizzle in the olive oil and salt and give a little shake to coat the potatoes in the oil.

Spread out evenly onto the baking tray and place into the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.

A great substitute to potatoes would be sweet potato, by using the same method as I have described above you can have yourself a crunchy sweet potato chip alongside your juicy beef burger ~ heaven!

If you're more of a pie person why not check out my Perfect Pie recipe. Its a great way to use up leftover roast meat up or simple substitute that with some premium lean mince.