Recipe: Hamburger Pilaf

Ham your burger tonight

We completely forgot about this oldie, but goodie recipe.  Our Hamburger Pilaf is a wolf in cow’s clothing.  It was created to make unsuspecting dieters and youngsters think they were eating a naughty dish, (whispers softly) when really they are not. We use lean, lean, beef mainly because, as a girl, the sight of visible fat makes me feel nauseous. What we love about our hamburger pilaf is that it has practically everything you would find in a hamburger, bar the bun, but in a healthy package. In addition, all of the ingredients are items from your regular larder, cooked in one pot and takes next to no time to prepare. The meatiness of this dish coupled with the tanginess of the ketchup and acerbity of the mustard are a fabulous combination.  

Like a hamburger, this is also open to fun and imaginative possibilities if you want to throw in your own ideas.

Ingredients: 

• 250g Lean beef mince
• 1 small Onion, chopped coarsely
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 Small carrot, grated
• 1 ½ tbsp Tomato ketchup
• 3 tsps Dijon mustard
• 2 tsps Worcester sauce
• 1 Medium hot green chilli, chopped
• 100g long grain rice, washed and rinsed
• 1 Beef stock cube
• 300ml Hot water
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the onions in a large pan on a high heat with a little bit of water to prevent them from burning.
2. When translucent, add the beef mince and sprinkle over a little salt whilst it browns.
3. Once browned, stir in the garlic, carrot and Worcester sauce.
4. Add the ketchup and mustard and turn the heat down to medium.
5. Stir the rice into the mix
6. Dissolve the stock cube in the remainder of the water and pour into the pan.
7. Leave to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. 

Serve with a salad made with ingredients that you would expect to have in your favourite burger. We had some grilled peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mixed rocket and spinach and crumbly feta.  Lastly in a bid to resurrect the mini gherkin we plonked a few on top.  Is it 1986 again?