Lemon Tahini Dressing with The Camper's Special (aka Bean and Grain Burger)

    

 I have no idea why this is called a Camper's Special, but I do know it's pretty special and I'm a happy camper when I eat it. It's my favorite thing to order at one of my favorite restaurants, Sammy T.'s, and I've been ordering it for years. What makes it special? Well there's the bean and grain burger smothered with grilled peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. And then there's the Chi-Chi dip (AKA hummus) hiding inside the cheese (mozzarella and cheddar) covered wrap. But really what I love is the Lemon Tahini Dressing that's served on the side. I wish they'd bring it in a vat.

     I looked far and wide for a Lemon Tahini good enough to enjoy with my Camper's Special at home, and made countless batches from countless recipes. None were what I was looking for. But then I had dinner with a dear friend and there it was, hiding in plain sight on her salad- the elusive, delicious Lemon Tahini Dressing.  Just what I needed to go with my homemade Camper's Special.

     Even if you don't have a Camper's Special to eat with it, this Lemon Tahini is fabulous for pouring over your salads or drizzling on your stuffed pita sandwiches or for dunking your veggies. Please excuse me while I go make a vat of it.

Lemon Tahini Dressing
Arthur Gordon, Irregardless Cafe, Raleigh N.C.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. tamari
1/4 c. onion, minced
2 Tbs. green pepper, minced (My dressing looks a little pink in the photo- I used a red pepper)
1  stalk celery, minced
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 c. light olive or grapeseed oil
Directions:
2 Tablespoons water (I omit this, because I prefer a thicker dressing)
Blend (or process) the tahini, tamari, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Puree well if you want a smooth texture. Process in lemon juice and white pepper. With motor running, add oil and then enough water to get desired consistency. I prefer it a little on the thick side but that's just a matter of taste.

Camper's Special Top your Bean and Grain Burger (recipe follows) with hummus, sauteed onions, green pepper, tomato and mushrooms. Wrap it in a grilled flour tortilla and top it with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Heat at 350F until cheese is melted. Serve warm with lemon tahini dressing. Yum.

Bean and Grain Burgers

Recipe adapted from Sammy T's  Published in The Best in the World: Fast, Healthful Recipes from Exclusive and Out-of-the-Way Restaurants

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1tablespoon olive oil

1 (19 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and ground or coarsely chopped

3 slices whole wheat bread, blended in food processor

1/4 cup sesame tahini

1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/3 cup raw wheat germ

Gently saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are slightly browned. Mix onions together with remainder of ingredients EXCEPT the wheat germ. Form mixture into 8-10 patties. Coat each patty in raw wheat germ and grill on a non-stick surface until heated through and gently browned.

Chicken and Oat Burgers

 I will be the first to admit that I am not a good juggler. Oh, I manage OK when I have a routine and nothing major happens to get it out of kilter. But when I add something new to to my ever-growing list of things to do, I always end up dropping my blog something. So what's new? Hubby and I joined the local YMCA and have been making use of its many opportunities this week. We've both been working out and coming home feeling great, but exhausted. Eventually I'll figure out how to keep everything up in the air.

 I found the recipe for these burgers posted on the bulletin board as I was leaving one evening, and picked up the ingredients on my way home. Quick and easy to put together, we both enjoyed them- and not just because we were both ravenous from working so hard! Instead of being dry like many chicken burgers I've tried, they were juicy and full of flavor. Low fat, heart healthy and delicious, I know I'll make them again. I think the next time I make them though, I'll make half of the recipe into meatballs. They'll be awesome with spaghetti!


Chicken (or Turkey) Oat Burgers
adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey) breast
1 cup regular (not quick) oats
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 egg whites from large eggs, lightly beaten
*Wheat germ (optional) * I added about 1/2 cup because my chicken mixture wasn't firm enough to make patties. (I think it's because I didn't drain my tomatoes enough.)
Directions:
Combine first seven ingredients. If mixture is not firm enough to form into burgers, add wheat germ. Heat grill pan or electric grill (I used a George Foreman) on medium high heat. Coat surface with cooking spray. Divide mixture into 9 or 10 patties. (If the mixture is too wet to make into firm patties, use an ice cream scoop to scoop a patty sized amount onto the grill pan.) Cook patties 6 minutes on each side, or until done. (I cooked mine about 6 minutes in the George Foreman Grill. The time will really depend on the size of your burgers and the heat setting.)
Serve on a whole wheat bun with your choice of toppings. They were really good with spinach, tomato, avocado, provolone cheese and a thin slice of red onion!

Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf

 Hubs came home the other night with a pound of extra lean ground beef. Do you think maybe it was his way of hinting that he needed a break from the mainly vegetarian fare I've been dishing up lately? While red meat isn't exactly the first thing I think of as being on a heart healthy diet, hubby's cardiologist actually gave it his blessing. Who knew? I found this recipe for meatloaf  (in the American Heart Association Cookbook) that I spiced up just a bit to incorporate ingredients I had on hand.

 The original recipe makes a meatloaf glazed with barbecue sauce, raspberry spread and crushed red pepper flakes. I substituted my Habañero Gold Jelly for the raspberry spread and pepper flakes, and ended up with a sweet spicy glaze that gave the red pepper and onion studded ground beef just enough zip to make it a treat. It was great hot for dinner, but what I'm looking forward to are the meatloaf sandwiches I can make with the leftovers!

Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf
adapted from The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th edition
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (lowest sodium available)
1/4 cup habanero gold jelly* slightly melted
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
2 egg whites
*the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup all-fruit raspberry spread plus 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. 
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and jelly.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup barbecue sauce mixture and the remaining ingredients. Shape the mixture into an oval and place on baking sheet.
• Spoon the remaining barbecue sauce mixture on the top and sides of the meat loaf.
• Bake for 50 minutes, or until the meat loaf registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the meat loaf stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This post has been submitted to the Hearth-n-Soul blog hop at Girlichef.

Bean and Grain Burgers with Lemon Tahini

I relish a good hamburger as much as the next person. But with our cholesterol numbers haunting us, hubby and I find that more and more we're opting for more healthful vegetarian fare, like this bean and grain burger.  I've enjoyed this burger countless times at one of my favorite restaurants, Sammy T's, for years, but never realized I could have it any time I wanted- until I found the recipe here. It turns out that the burger I had been ordering because it was out of this world delicious, is also a good choice healthwise!

Another way to enjoy this meatless wonder? At Sammy T's it's called the Camper's Special. It's this same burger topped with hummus, sauteed mushrooms and onions, green peppers and tomatoes. It's wrapped in a grilled flour tortilla, covered with melted mozzarella and cheddar, and served with lemon tahini sauce. Try one. Or even two. The cows won't be offended.

Bean and Grain Burgers

Recipe adapted from Sammy T's  Published in The Best in the World: Fast, Healthful Recipes from Exclusive and Out-of-the-Way Restaurants

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1tablespoon olive oil

1 (19 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and ground or coarsely chopped

3 slices whole wheat bread, blended in food processor

1/4 cup sesame tahini

1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/3 cup raw wheat germ

Gently saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are slightly browned. Mix onions together with remainder of ingredients EXCEPT the wheat germ. Form mixture into 8-10 patties. Coat each patty in raw wheat germ and grill on a non-stick surface. Serve on a multi-grain roll with lemon tahini (recipe follows) and/or your favorite toppings.

*****Campers Special**** Top your Bean and Grain Burger with hummus, sauteed onions, green pepper, tomato and mushrooms. Wrap it in a grilled flour tortilla and top it with melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Serve warm with lemon tahini dressing. Yum.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1/2 cup sesame tahini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 clove mild garlic

2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari (add more 1 tsp. at a time if mixture is not salty enough for your taste.)

Dash of Sriracha sauce or a pinch of cayenne

3/4 cup of water

Place first 6 ingredients (all except water) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add water gradually until desired consistency is reached. Keeps fresh refrigerated for 7-10 days. This sauce is best if made ahead of time (an hour or so) in order to allow the flavors to blend.