Unless we are having guests for Shabbat lunch, I usually serve whatever food is leftover from our Friday night dinner. But this past week, I found a recipe that seemed like it would be quick and easy to prepare in advance for our Shabbat afternoon meal. Plus, it was a great way to surprise my family with something new and different. Well, not only were they surprised, they were downright delighted. The whole family ended up liking this dish so much, they’ve requested that it be added as a regular staple in our weekly menu.
I found the recipe for Spiced mini burgers with cucumber relish in Woman’s Day magazine. Speaking of which, let me digress for a moment. I’ve become addicted to the recipes in Woman’s Day. Each month, they feature numerous amazing recipes, as well as a calendar of Monthly Meals that includes food suggestions for each day of the month. You can also access these calendars and recipes online so it’s a snap to pick and choose what you want to make in advance for the week or even the month. They even allow you to create your own shopping list, which has greatly simplified my trips to the grocery store. Woman’s Day has become one of my new best friends when it comes to planning and preparing meals for my family. And thanks to a few substitution tricks, I’m generally able to make most of the recipes Kosher.
OK, back to these yummy burgers. Per the description in Woman’s Day, this simple is a take on souvlaki, a popular Greek street food that pairs meat with grilled vegetables on a skewer or pita. This version is open to all sorts of interpretation: Layer it in a pita pocket or on crisp baguette, or try using ground lamb instead of beef and adding crumbled feta to the cucumber relish. When my husband first saw it, he called it a Gyro.
Either way, it’s way delicious and although the original recipe called for Greek Yogurt, which is dairy, I simply substitued WholeSoy & Co Plain Yogurt that I found at WholeFoods Market. I was honestly surprised by the wonderful taste. I was expecting 
something kind of yucky and it really has a sweet, refreshing taste. I even mixed it in with my Puppy’s food last week when she had a tummy ache so she could get some probiotics in her systems. I’ll be using this new product find a lot!
Enough of my talking. Here’s the recipe as found in Woman’s Day magazine with a few hints I learned while making this delish dish:
Spiced Mini Burgers with Cucumber Relish – Beef Recipes – Woman’s Day
- 1 pound(s) ground beef (I used Solomon’s Ground Beef that I buy by the case from the KC Kosher Co-op)
- 2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon(s) olive oil
- 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/4-in. pieces
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (I made one batch with the onion and one without since my hubbie hates onions. Both were good).
- 1/4 cup(s) fresh mint, roughly chopped (I’ve started growing mint in my backyard. Easy to grow and so fun to just pick what I need!)
- 4 piece(s) flatbread (I used Kronos Pita Original 6″ rounds. My hubbie also ate one of these on a Challah roll. Both ways are yummy)
- 1/4 cup(s) nonfat Greek yogurt (SUBSTITUTED WHOLESOY & CO PLAIN PARVE YOGURT)
Directions
- Form the beef into twelve 1/2-in.-thick patties and season with the cumin, oregano, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. (I made tiny little burger patties but afterwards my hubbie said his mom makes them in more of an oblong shape, sort of like a hotdog. This shape probably makes more sense if you’re going to eat these burgers in a pita.)
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook half the patties to the desired doneness, 3 minutes per side for medium; transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining patties. Return the first batch of burgers to the skillet and add the lemon juice; turn the burgers to coat. (I probably doubled the recommended time because I can’t stand even a slight pink color inside my burgers)
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, mint, remaining Tbsp oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. (I halfed the cucumber mixture and added onions to only one half to please the onion haters in my house!)
- Spread the flatbread with the yogurt and top with the burgers and cucumber relish.
Try this recipe tonight and let me know what you think.
Happy Kosher Treif Cooking!
Kosher Treif Cooking 
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im in seach of ground beef recipes for shabbos day and this looks great! were the burgers good enough on their own to eat without the yogurt/relish? also- do you mix anything with the beef, or just put on top?
Elianna, the burgers are definitely good enough to eat without the yogurt and cucumber mixture. My daughter loves them plain.