Summer is here most definitely. With weather in the high 30C we are wilting each and every day. These perpetual days of sunshine are a perfect excuse to break out the "barbie."There are still those BBQ "snobs" that must have their charcoal and briquettes for maximum flavour, but I vote for ease of preparation. After a long day of work it is nice to throw a piece of meat and some veggies on, have dinner in 15 minutes and relatively no cleanup. That's what the lazy, hazy days of summer are all about...isn't it???
I also vote for the burger for a classic BBQ meal. Throw in a side salad and you have it made.
**Fajita Burgers with Guacamole**
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
2 lbs medium ground beef
35 gram package fajita seasoning mix or 2 T Mexican Spice Blend (recipe to follow)
8 buns or pita breads
lettuce, tomato, sliced onion for garnish
Mexican Spice Blend:
3 T chili powder
2 tsp each ground cumin and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder and paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
(Mix all ingredients together for spice blend. Store in a sealed jar or plastic bag. Keeps well at least 2 months).
Lightly oil and heat barbeque to medium. In a large bowl, whisk egg with sour cream. Crumble in beef, then sprinkle with seasoning mix. Using your hands, gently mix together. Mixture will be wet. Shape into 8 burgers, each about 1/2-inch thick. Using your thumb, make a shallow depression in the centre of each. Place burgers on grill.
Barbeque with lid closed until burgers are cooked through, 6 - 8 minutes per side. Serve tucked into warm buns or pitas and topped with "Great Guacamole Sauce" (recipe follows) and slices of onion, tomato and lettuce.
Serves 8
**Great Guacamole Sauce**
2 ripe avocados
1/2 lime
generous pinches of ground cumin, cayenne pepper and salt
1/4 small red onion
2 roasted red peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or coriander
1/2 cup regular sour cream
Cut avocados in half. Discard pits. Scoop flesh into a bowl. Squeeze in juice from lime. Sprinkle with cumin, cayenne and salt. Mash with a fork until fairly smooth with just a few chunks. Finely chop onion and red peppers. Stir into avocados with basil and sour cream. Add more seasonings, if needed. Keeps well refrigerated about 4 hours, but will darken a little.
