Winter lamb burger and golden beet chips

This may look like a naughty burger and chips, but this is my seasonal health food version of that old favourite. I made the burger bun using an oven roasted mini pumpkin, and sprinkled the top with sesame seeds. The sauce is home made cranberry sauce, and the chips are actually roasted golden beets. A great way to get in lots of vegetables, and trick your mind into thinking you are having fast food. (Not so fast though as you have to prepare it all!) I made homemade minted lamb burgers. However you can use easily replace the lamb burger for a veggie burger if you prefer to keep it vegetarian / vegan.

I called it a winter burger, because it is made with seasonal ingredients such as pumpkin, homemade cranberry sauce, and golden beets.

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin

• 2 teaspoons Sesame seeds

• Pinch of salt, pepper and olive oil to season

• Cranberry sauce

• 1 red  onion

• a few sprigs of Thyme

• As many lettuce leaves as you want per burger

• As much Avocado as you want per burger

• As much Golden beets as you want as a replacement for "chips"

• Burger patty of your choice

Directions

To make your burger bun and patty

1. Chop the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds

2. Season with salt pepper and olive oil

3. Roast the pumpkin in the oven for an hour at 190ºC

4. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the top of the pumpkin

5. Make your burger patty of choice - I mixed lamb, with mint, salt, pepper and cumin, but you can make burgers with whatever ingredients you have!

For the golden beet chips

1. Make the golden beet chips by thinly slicing the golden beets, and seasoning with salt, olive oil, and a few sprigs of thyme

2. Roast the golden beets for 20 mins at 180ºC

3. Pan fry the burgers for a few minutes to brown them and then finish them in the oven

Serve with burgers in the pumpkin "bun" with homemade cranberry sauce (see previous recipe for homemade cranberry sauce), lettuce, red onion and avocado.

Serve the golden beet chips on the side.