I have to thank one of my favorite people for this one…Rachael Ray! She made a burger on her show a few weeks ago. I had all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge, so I had to make them for my family.  And who doesn’t love a burger? Especially when you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it! They’re generally healthy already, so I didn’t need to make too many modifications. My kids usually like greens anyway, so I didn’t need to trick them. But what better way to get your kiddos to eat their vegetables?! So go ahead, eat your greens…cause they’re inside the burger!

-Tammy

Health tips:  diabetes-friendly, kidney-friendly*, kid-friendly, low-carb (if you eat it like I did, wrapped in lettuce)

Burger Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 cups (packed) baby kale or baby kale mix
• 1 pound ground beef, 93% lean (or you can use ground turkey/chicken breast)
• 3 – 4 TBS grated onion with juices
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 slices Monterey jack (or any other cheese of your choice)
• 4 whole wheat Kaiser rolls, split and toasted
• Lettuce, tomato and thinly sliced onion

Avocado Ranch Ingredients:

• 1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted and peeled
• 3/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 TBS chopped fresh chives
• 2 TBS chopped fresh dill
• 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 TBS.)
• 1 large clove garlic, grated
• 1 TBS green hot sauce, such as Tabasco Green Jalapeno Pepper Sauce (this is a lot less spicy then the red Tabasco sauce…trust me, it’s delicious!)

Steps:

1. In a food processor, pulse the greens until very finely chopped (if you do not have a food processer, just hack the greens with a knife until finely chopped).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped greens and the meat. Add the onion (grate it right over the bowl) and its juice and the Worcestershire; season with pepper (and a little salt of you don’t have kidney disease). Form into 4 patties. Rinse out the processor bowl and return it to the base.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet (or your outdoor grill) over medium-high. Add the oil, one turn of the pan. Add the patties and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. During the last minute or so of cooking, top each patty with 1 slice of cheese; tent loosely with foil to melt the cheese. If you are using an outdoor grill, drizzle a little olive oil on the patties (or use a little cooking spray) and grill. Add the cheese the last minute.
4. In the food processor, combine the avocado, Greek yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, garlic and hot sauce (season with a little salt if you do not have kidney disease) and process into a smooth, thick dressing.
5. Serve the patties on the rolls with the lettuce, tomato, onion and lots of dressing. I ate my burger wrapped in lettuce instead of the bun. This is a delicious option for someone
   who is watching their carbs or is diabetic. Enjoy without the guilt!

* Many people who have kidney disease are on a low potassium/low phosphorus diet. Avocado’s contain potassium, but in this recipe, the avocado ranch goes a long way. It comes out to 1/4 of an avocado per person. Same with Greek yogurt, it contains phosphorus. But divided among the family, a little goes a long way. We had leftovers, so it didn’t even equal that much. I felt extremely comfortable giving this amount to my husband who has kidney disease. DaVIta.com (a well-known kidney website) actually recommends eating Greek yogurt.