Middle Eastern Cilantro Pine Nut Burger with Gyro and Roasted Pepper Eggplant Hummus Spread
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil for brushing grill
Spread:
2 large yellow or red peppers, cut in half and seeded
2 mild chili peppers (banana peppers),stems removed
Olive oil to brush peppers
½ cup walnut pieces
2 fresh cloves of garlic
Juice of half medium lemon
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounce tub eggplant hummus
Patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
3 ounce package of pine nuts
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ medium red onion, chopped
½ cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
12 slices pre-cooked gyro meat
6 onion rolls
Olive oil for brushing onto rolls
6 slices red onion
Instructions:
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat gas grill to medium-high.
Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil when heated.
Brush peppers with olive oil and place on grill. Cook for five minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cool, scrape charred skin off. Put in food processor or blender. Pulse until peppers are chopped. Add walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, turmeric, cumin, dill, black pepper and garlic salt. Blend together until all ingredients are pureed. Drizzle olive oil into food processor while it is still running and let it blend in. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in hummus, mixing together well.
Mix chuck with all ingredients well, handling the mixture as little as possible. Form into 6 patties.
Place patties on grill rack, cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. During last three minutes of grilling, place gyro slices onto grill to warm up. Brush buns with olive oil, place on grill and toast lightly.
To assemble: Spread even amounts of spread on both sides of buns. Place onion slice on bottom bun, add burger, 2 slices of gyro and bun top. Enjoy this tasty Middle Eastern delight.