Bison. Better than your average 'beef' burger.

Bison is a healthier alternative to beef if you're in the mood for a burger. It's much leaner and higher in iron which makes it a great grilling choice.
I'm always up for trying something new and challenging myself so tonight's dinner consisted of ground bison burgers and party quinoa salad.

I did stray slightly from the Clean Eating version of the recipe for the bison burgers, however, it was in the interest of adding more flavor while allowing the delicious ingredients to shine. I cooked these burgers on the stove top, but as the directions suggest you can absolutely grill them up on your barbecue outdoors.

The quinoa salad is slightly similar to my fiesta quinoa recipe with the addition of a few spicy ingredients to kick it up a notch. Dinner worthy, indeed!!

Yee-haw. Bon appetit.

Bison Burger Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml olive or safflower oil
• ¾ cup / 180 ml finely chopped onion
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup / 60 ml oat bran or oatmeal ground in a coffee grinder
• ¼ cup / 60 ml cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml molasses
• 1 tsp / 5 ml crumbled, dried oregano
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb / 454 g ground bison

Instructions

• Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. Cook the onion until soft and golden. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together egg whites, oat bran or oatmeal, sweet potato, molasses, oregano, sea salt and pepper.
• Stir in onions and bison. Mix the ingredients together with clean hands until just combined. Take a handful of the meat and create a flat patty. You can get your family involved here too, so they can make patties that fit them. Just make sure they use clean hands.
• Grill the patties for 7-10 minutes on each side or until the burgers reach desired doneness.
• If you would like to store the patties in the freezer to use later, wrap the patties individually in parchment paper. They can be stored for up to one month in the freezer.

**Nutrients (per patty): Calories-143; Fat-2g; Protein-22g; Carbs-6g

Quinoa Party Salad Ingredients
2 cups quinoa
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice 1 lime
1 tbsp ground cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes
3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Instructions

ONE: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain well. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Let cool.
TWO: Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, cumin and pepper flakes until combined. Set aside.
THREE: In a large bowl, combine corn, beans, bell peppers, jalapeno and cilantro. Add quinoa and stir to combine. Top with dressing, season with salt and black pepper and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.


**Nutrients per serving: Calories-364; Total Fat-10.5g; Carbs-56g; Fiber-10g; Sugars-3g; Protein-14g