Bikini-friendly burger recipes to try this weekend

Your barbecue guests are in for a shock (and a treat!) when you serve up these healthy, tasty, beef-free burgers.

1. Stuffed Portobello Burgers with Caramelized Onions
1 Tbsp butter
2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
8 portobello mushrooms
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
3 oz roasted red peppers
4 oz sliced low-fat mozzarella
1 loaf focaccia bread

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium. Remove stems from mushrooms, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place eggplant slices on grill, cook for 2 minutes per side, then set them aside. Add mushrooms to grill, stem sides down, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Flip mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes.

4. Top 4 mushrooms with red peppers and mozzarella, then cover each with a remaining mushroom, stem side down. (Stem sides should be facing each other.) Cook for 2 minutes or until cheese has melted; set aside.

5. Meanwhile, slice focaccia bread in half lengthwise down the side, then slice each half into 4 squares. Toast squares on grill, 2 minutes per side.

6. Place each stuffed mushroom on a focaccia square; top with onions, eggplant, and focaccia square.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 536 cal, 14 g fat (5 g sat), 81 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 909 mg sodium, 26 g protein

Quick Tip: Still lust for red meat? Try ground bison. This sweet-tasting meat gives you all the satisfaction of a traditional burger, but with only 7.3 grams of fat and 152 calories per serving.

Get Inspired: Before-and-After Photos of a Fast-Food Lover Who Lost 105 Pounds!

2. Lentil Quinoa Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms
½ cup quinoa
1 can (19 oz) lentils, rinsed
½ cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 gloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
1/3 cup cilantro
Juice of half a lemon
½ cup walnut pieces
1 Tbsp butter
½ lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup dry red wine
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 100% whole-grain buns

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes. Let quinoa cool.

2. In a bowl, combine half the lentils, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, cumin, cilantro, lemon juice, cooked quinoa, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a food processor or blender; process until well combined. Add remaining lentils and walnuts; pulse until they're incorporated. Form into 6 patties.

3. Preheat grill to medium. Mean­while, melt butter in skillet over medium heat; add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in wine and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Brush burgers with oil and cook for 4 minutes per side. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve burgers on buns and top with sautéed mushrooms.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 445 cal, 15 g fat (3 g sat), 62 g carbs, 13 g fiber, 305 mg sodium, 19 g protein

Quick Tip: Burgers made with beans or fish provide heart-healthy omega-3s and soluble fiber, says Molly Kimball, R.D., of Ochsner's Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans.

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3. Asian Salmon Sliders with Citrus Yogurt Sauce
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Juice of half a lime
Juice of half an orange
1 tsp honey
1 lb skinless, boneless salmon
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 piece ginger (1 inch), chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 small 100% whole-grain pitas

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine yogurt, lime juice, orange juice, and honey; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium. Wash salmon and pat dry. Chop half the fish and place in food processor along with sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Process into a pasty puree.

3. Chop remaining salmon and add to puree along with bread crumbs and cilantro. Pulse until combined. Form into 12 small patties and brush with oil.

4. Grill 4 minutes per side. Stuff pitas with burgers and yogurt sauce, or serve on greens.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 292 cal, 11 g fat (2 g sat), 27 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 446 mg sodium, 23 g protein

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