I made these little miniature bunless burgers to go with my zucchini salad, one night a few weeks back. I had some ground beef on hand, and I knew I wanted something with a fresh favor to compliment the tangy marinated zucchini. I started chopping some garlic and onion; as this is the usual start to most of my meals, and the farm-fresh herbs sitting in the fridge, begging to be utilized, came to mind. It only seemed natural that I would pair crisp mint with my alltime favorite spice, freshly ground cumin.
Now, if you don’t have a spice grinder at home (a well-washed coffee grinder works), I would first suggest you invest in one. There is NOTHING compared to fresh ground spices- cumin, nutmeg, coriander and the like- are far, far better when freshly ground. However, if this isn’t accessible to you, I would recommend buying ground spices in small amounts- always organic (anything ground is more concentrated). I like the Simply Organic brand, in fact, I carry a cumin with me while traveling. {I understand how crazy this makes me look, I’m cool with that. For full disclosure, I also carry sea salt and tamari, and sometimes hot sauce.}
The fresh mint paired with savory cumin and crisp red onion make these burgers the perfect warm-weather appetizer or side, but I can see them being equally as delicious over rice, couscous or quinoa in the cooler months. They’re simple, inexpensive and packed with flavor- sure to become a favorite around these parts.
Cumin-Mint Beef Patties with feta
Makes about 12 mini patties (feel free to make them into four larger patties, if you so choose)
1 lb grass fed ground beef
2 tbsp chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
pinch black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup gluten-free or spelt breadcrumbs
1/4 cup crumbled greek feta cheese (made with goat and sheeps milk)
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mash together and form into 4 large or 12 small patties.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sear patties on both sides in a medium frying pan drizzled with olive oil.
3. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 5-8 minutes (for small patties) or 10-14 minutes (for large patties), until cooked through. Serve topped with fresh feta cheese.
Enjoy!
