Issue date:
July 31-Aug. 2, 1998
Great alternative burgersWhat's on your grill this summer? For good health, try turkey, seafood, mushrooms.
RECIPES RECIPES RECIPES!
 Spinach and Cheese Turkey Burger
Mushroom Burger
Salmon Burger
Fabulous Turkey Burger
"Crab" Burger
 ancer researchers urge people to avoid or cut back on red
meat, eating no more than 3 ounces daily and preferably less. (Portion
tip: A 3-ounce serving is the size of a deck of cards.)
Red meat -- beef, lamb and pork -- is tied to a higher risk of colon
cancer and possibly breast, prostate, pancreatic, stomach and kidney
cancer.But poultry and fish are less hazardous and, in some cases,
even protect against cancer. So burger lovers would be wise to
substitute poultry, seafood and vegetables for the usual ground beef.
And you can make any burger more healthful by following these tips: Pile on the ketchup, chili sauce, tomato-based barbecue sauce and tomato
slices. Tomatoes, especially processed sauces, are rich in antioxidant
lycopene, linked to lowering cancer risk.Load your burgers with all kinds of antioxidant vegetables -- onions, pickles, cabbage
or coleslaw, dark green lettuce, watercress and olives. And serve lots
of vegetable side dishes: green salads, coleslaw, grilled peppers,
eggplant, onions, squash and broccoli. Antioxidant vegetables and fruits
lessen cancer risk.Mix antioxidant herbs (including garlic, basil,
oregano and rosemary) and vegetables (such as spinach) into burgers
before grilling.Precook burgers for 1 minute in a microwave before
grilling. This squelches the formation of 95 percent of cancer-promoting
heterocyclic amines (HCAs), created when animal products cook. After
precooking, grill over low or medium heat. Overcooking creates
carcinogenic chemicals. Remove char.Cook poultry burgers till no pink remains, to reduce salmonella danger.Mix 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein (soy) plus 2 tablespoons of water into 1 pound of
ground meat or poultry. This can cut the production of nearly all
carcinogenic chemicals.Drink tea before or with grilled burgers. Tea helps block the formation of specific cancer-causing chemicals in grilled and fried meat and poultry.Skip meat entirely -- eat veggie burgers.
GO TO TOP
SPINACH AND CHEESE TURKEY BURGER 1 pound lean ground turkey
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
and squeezed of all liquid
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
4 tsps. blue cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Combine turkey, spinach, garlic, red pepper. Form 8 thin patties (these are the bottom and top layers of
4 burgers). Put 1 teaspoon blue cheese in middle of 4 "bottom"
patties. Cover each with a "top" patty. Press edges to seal in
cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until done (no pink), 4-5
minutes each side. Serve on whole-wheat bun with Sour Cream Sauce and
slices of onion and tomato. Serves 4. Sour Cream Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream and 1 tsp. fresh horseradish. Per patty:
219 calories, 23g protein, 12.5g fat (3.7g saturated), 3.4g
carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 161mg sodium. GO TO TOP
MUSHROOM BURGER 1 Tb. canola oil
6 ounces (3 1/2 to 4 cups) diced portobello mushrooms 1/3 cup minced onions
1 large crushed garlic clove
1/2 cup commercial garlic- and herb-seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste In a large skillet over medium
heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms
and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked down and
liquid has disappeared, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Combine with rest
of ingredients; form into 2 patties. Sprinkle on black pepper. Grill on
both sides until heated through. Serve on whole-wheat bun. Serves
2. Per patty: 242 calories, 9.6g protein, 10.5g fat (1.5g
saturated), 28g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 831mg sodium. GO TO TOP
SALMON BURGER 1 large (14.75-ounce) can salmon (pink or red), skin removed 1 medium potato, baked or boiled, peeled
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsps. freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper Mash salmon and potato; mix
in soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Form into 4 patties. Sprinkle with
cracked black pepper on one side. Spray with olive or canola oil and
grill on each side about 4 minutes. Serve on whole-wheat buns with Asian
Sauce and raw shredded cabbage. Serves 4. Per patty:
166 calories, 19.7g protein, 4.8g fat (1.2g saturated), 10g carbohydrates,
0.7g fiber, 935mg sodium. Asian Sauce: Mix 1 Tb. soy sauce with 2
tsps. horseradish or wasabi (Japanese horseradish). GO TO TOP
FABULOUS TURKEY BURGER 1 pound lean ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
3 finely minced scallions with 3 inches green tops
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed Combine all. Form into 4 patties. Grill until
no pink remains. Serve on whole-wheat buns with Yogurt Sauce. Serves
4. Yogurt Sauce: Mix 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt with 13 cup
each of the following: chopped mint, chopped tomato, and chopped seeded,
peeled cucumber. Salt to taste. Per patty: 236 calories, 24g protein,
14g fat (4.6g saturated), 2.2g carbo-hydrates, 0.8g fiber, 223mg
sodium.
GO TO TOP
"CRAB" BURGER 1/2 pound imitation crab (substitute real crab if desired)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
2 Tbs. finely chopped green pepper
1 tsp. crab seasoning, such as Old Bay
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs Chop imitation crab coarsely. Combine all
ingredients. Form into 4 patties. Spray both sides with olive or canola
oil and grill 4 minutes each side. Serve on a whole-wheat bun with one
of the following sauces, dill pickle and lettuce or cabbage. Serves
4. Tartar Sauce: Mix 2 Tbs. low-fat mayonnaise and 1 Tb.
pickle relish. Cocktail Sauce: Mix 3 Tbs. ketchup, 1 tsp. horseradish and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Per patty: 116 calories, 10.7g
protein, 2.2g fat (0.2g saturated), 15.5g carbohydrates, 0.6g fiber,
818mg sodium.
GO TO TOP
Photo Credit: KAREN SCHULD FOR USA WEEKEND
SCIENTIFIC SOURCES FOR THIS COLUMN (8/2/98)
Meat and cancer cautions
Journal of the National Cancer Institute;89 (21): Nov. 5, 1997
p. 1570-1571
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