Summer Grilling

Remember the whole explanation about why my back deck is a serious health hazard? Right, well....even though its a little shaky, and splintery, and rotting...my grill still sits out there (actually its the only thing out there because I'm afraid anything else would be too much for the deck to handle). And I cannot stop using my grill...ever. I use my grill in 3 feet of snow some days. Besides, if anything just screams "SUMMERTIME!!!" its grilling...and grilling burgers specifically.
I enjoy a good burger as much as the next person, although I am currently going bunless (that sounds a little dirty doesn't it?!  lol). I like to pile my burgers up with onions, pickles and lettuce; then drown them in mustard, with a little ketchup in there too. However...like salads, burgers can get boring if you do the same old thing all the time, so I play around with them. I've done Greek lamb burgers, jalapeno burgers, double-patty-cheese-in-the-middle burgers...oh and many more. Tonight though, I tried something I haven't done before. I don't know why I haven't done it, because with my love of feta cheese you'd think it would have been at the top of my experiment list...oh well...I'm trying it now!!

Warning: If you do not like feta cheese, I would not eat this burger! But you really don't know what you're missing, you poor, poor thing you. If you really felt it necessary you could substitute for a cheese you do enjoy.

Also, this burger incorporates onions and such into the meat itself, but you can absolutely still serve onions and lettuce and whatever you like on the top! I might recommend Tzadziki Sauce (below and in archive) because it complements the Greek-ish elements in the burger.

Feta Stuffed Burgers
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground beef (I use 96% lean)
1 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 C ground flax seed (not flax meal, as that is too fine)
1/4 pound feta, in blocks, not crumbled

Directions:
Mix the beef, onion, garlic, oregano, paprika, parsley, lemon zest, egg, oil and flax in a large bowl.
Grab 1/4 of the mixture, form a ball, flatten it to about 1/4 inch thick, place a slab of feta on one side, fold over to cover and seal the sides.
Grill, over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.
You may top with whatever you like.

Tzadziki Sauce Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, cut into large chunks
1 C. plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 tsp lemon juice (depending on your preference)
salt and pepper

Hubby ate his burger on a bun, since carbs don't have the same evil affect on him as on me :-)
And yes....those are veggies you see on the side there! Our local Sprouts Farmer's Market sells these; they are sliced veggies with a sprinkle of salt, and then dehydrated. Makes you feel like you're getting the crispy chip satisfaction, without all the added junk. And my Pixie loves them! Can you hear my maniacal laughter over there? This is one of my "sneaky veggie methods" since the kid wont touch them if they're obvious.