The Sneaky Chef: Bonus Burgers

Even though Noah refused to eat these, I still thought they turned out deliciously! We hardly ever eat hamburgers, so it could just be that this is something unfamiliar, which is a no-no in Noah's world.

Bonus Burgers
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/4 cup Purple Puree*
3 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
8 to 10 cheese slices (optional)
8 to 10 whole wheat hamburger buns or English muffins
Garnish with pickles, mustard, ketchup, etc.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix egg, Purple Puree, ketchup, salt, and bread crumbs. Add meat, mixing with hands until well combined. If too sticky, add a few more bread crumbs. Using damp hands, shape mixture into 8 to 10 patties that are fairly thin. Spray skillet with non-stick spray and set over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook the burgers on each side for 3 minutes, then flip to add and melt cheese. Serve with buns and condiments of your choice. You can find whole wheat bread crumbs in natural or organic food stores but can make your own by pulsing whole wheat bread in the food processor. 3 slices yield about 1 cup.

Purple Puree
Ingredients:
3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (or 2 cups frozen chopped spinach or collard greens)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp. lemon juice
3-4 tbsp. water

Directions:
Bring spinach or collards and water to a boil in a medium pot. turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse under cold water to thaw a little, then drain. Fill the bowl of your food processor with blueberries and cooked spinach (or collards), along with lemon juice and 2 tbsp of water, then puree on high until as smooth as possible. stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. This makes 1 cup of puree.

I will admit that of the 3 "Sneaky" recipes I have made in the last week, Noah has liked none of them. But this could just be because he's been especially resistant to eating anything other than snacks all week in general. Jeremy and I both thought all the recipes tasted well. So I'm not giving up! I used fresh spinach and blueberries for this one and froze the leftovers. Make sure you immediately empty your blender and do not allow the purple puree to rest there! It was a challenge to get the blender clean. I am finding that these recipes are all pretty quick and easy to do, provided that you already have the "make ahead" recipes, such as the purple puree, already made. I would suggest making double or triple recipes all at once, when you have the time to devote to cooking, and freezing the leftovers. That should make for some easy, nutritious dinners. I should also add that the author states that a pureed form of a fruit or vegetable is highly concentrated so the small amount you add to your recipe should pack a punch! Oh, and the 8-10 meat patties made by this recipe are Happy Meal sized burgers, so you may need to double the recipe to fill up your crowd. Adding 2 tbsp. of pureed chickpeas is also suggested. My meat patties fell apart somewhat easily so maybe extra egg and bread crumbs would be helpful. Happy Sneaking!