Ellie Krieger's Better Burger With Green Olives and Mark Bittman's Chopped Salad

I am a big fan of Ellie Krieger's recipes. I feel like Ellie really knows how to write a recipe well and I love the way she delivers the maximum amount of flavor while keeping it healthy at the same time. I've been wanting to try Ellie's Better Burger with Green Olives for the longest time. When my friend Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice announced a Burger Free For All for this month's Burger Club Challenge I knew that I had to take this opportunity to make Ellie's Better Burger.



Ellie's burger can be made with lean ground turkey or lean ground beef. I used 95% Lean Hereford Beef, which is some pretty awesome beef. Every time I go to Fresh Market I stock up on it. Great taste, great texture, none of the fat. Ellie's burger is flavored with coarsely chopped green olives, parsley, and cumin. Not only is this a unique combination of flavors, it is delicious. The olives give the burger that briney, salty flavor while adding some extra texture and the cumin gives the burger a nice smoky flavor. I served my burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, sliced red onion and mayo. I loved this burger. I loved it so much that I ate 2 of them! Not so virtuous, I know...but I'm just trying to keep it real! I have to give this burger the highest burger club rating, which is a 4!! I'm already craving another one! You can find the recipe HERE online at the Food Network.



While on vacation up in Ohio one of my girlfriends made a delicious chopped salad with all sorts of yummy fresh produce. Every time us girls get together it seems as if we are always eating salad. This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are celebrating Girls Night In, making food that girls enjoy while hanging out, catching up, and being just plain silly. I had to represent and bring the chopped salad. It just wouldn't be a Girls Night In without one.



I used a recipe for Chopped Salad from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. The base of the salad calls for Romaine, chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped red onion, and chopped bell pepper. Bittman's chopped salad also calls for cucumber but I left it out and chose to add blanched and chopped green beans, chopped hard-boiled egg, chopped radishes, chickpeas, and boiled and chopped new potatoes. I sprinkled the salad with sunflower seeds and topped it with a homemade creamy Italian dressing. It was delicious!




I'm submitting this Chopped Salad to I Heart Cooking Clubs for Girls Night In!



I am submitting the Better Burger with Green Olives and the Chopped Salad to my friend Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup!



Don't forget to check out Reeni's upcoming Burger Club posting!!