Recipe: Gluten Free Burger with Chimichurri

Summer is here in Calgary and that means flowers blooming, friends over for barbeques and firepits.

I have also been making a lot of sauces from scratch lately and decided that on Fridays I will share a new and tasty burger with you. It has been a lot of fun playing with spices, sauces, and side dishes so I hope you will follow along with me on Fridays and see what I have been making.

Having a gluten free bakery in the area has also been a blessing for me for I am able to get great tasting gluten free hamburger buns here. Before the bakery I would make lettuce wrap burgers, which were fine, but I am sorry… there is nothing like a burger and bun combo. Heh, don’t we all just want to feel like everyone else out there? I know we cannot get a fast food burger anywhere, but homemade ones are always better anyhow.

This first burger comes from the great appetizer, Caprese salad. I love fresh mozzarella, great tomatoes and fresh basil on a plate. I picked up fresh mozzarella at my local cheese store, some great heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market and went to work in the kitchen. In a caprese salad you use fresh basil, I was unable to find any today so decided to substitute a freshly made chimichurri sauce instead. I as not disappointed with the substitution-the flavor combo was wonderful.

Todays burger is a chimichurri, mozzarella, fresh tomato burger. What makes it so good is the fresh ingredients, try to get some fresh mozzarella, pick up some farmers market tomatoes and make a fresh sauce. Yum!

Recipe: Chimichurri

2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves (or use 1 tsp dried oregano)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

To make the chimichurri, combine the parsley, oregano, and garlic in a food processor.

Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the paprika, vinegar, oil, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Burgers

Lean ground sirloin (I like the sirloin I get at superstore)*
Lightly toasted gluten free hamburger buns (in Calgary I use GF Patisserie, in Toronto Aidens bakery has a great gluten free hamburger bun)
Large heirloom or steak tomato
Fresh mozzarella (Superstore, Sobeys carries fresh mozzarella or use your local cheese shop)
Chimichurri sauce

*I do not add anything fillers to my burgers other than some spices at times.

To assemble the burgers

Before you take the burgers off the barbeque top each one with a large slice of fresh mozzarella, let it melt for a few minutes.
On bottom half of bun top with the burger and mozzarella.

Top the burger with 1 Tbsp chimichurri sauce, and then a fresh tomato slice.

Place top of hamburger bun on burger and EAT!

For other great recipes your family will love this Summer, grab a copy of my cookbook, which contains 55 other delicious recipes your kids and the rest of your family will love… all absolutely gluten-free, including these 3 amazing dessert recipes: Gluten-Free Creme Caramel, Gluten-Free Raspberry Cake, and a classic Gluten-Free Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp!