Burgers with Caramelized Cauliflower

 and Curried Mango Salsa

Tired of mashed or riced cauliflower? Try this: thick cut cauliflower slices, grilled in a pan and finished in the oven until tender. Top with your favorite burger or thin-sliced meat and a scoop of mango salsa. I used a combination of lamb and beef for my burgers. The lamb matches well with the curry salsa, but turkey or beef will work fine.

Ingredients:

For Caramelized Cauliflower:

1 head of cauliflower, stem and leaves removed, core left intact

Olive oil

For Curried Mango Salsa:

1 mango

1 large apple

1 small onion

¼ red bell pepper

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablepoon gingerroot, grated

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Sea salt

For Burgers:

1 pound ground beef, lamb, turkey, or a combination

1 lime (optional)

Cilantro (optional)

Cauliflower Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Carefully place the cauliflower on its stem. Slice carefully near the middle of the head, from top to bottom, making about a 1” slice. (Some florets may fall off the head. Just keep these to cook separately.) Make a second slice.

Heat a little olive oil in an ovenproof pan.  Place the 2 slices in the pan and cook until browned on one side. Very carefully flip them over and brown on the other side. Place the pan in the oven and continue to cook for about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven.

Salsa Preparation:

Peel and chop mango, apple, and onion into ½” dice. Chop bell pepper into small pieces. Place these ingredients into a saucepan. Add the raisins, vinegar and gingerroot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and spices along with a dash of salt. Cook for three more minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the fruit thicken as it sits.

Burger preparation:

Shape burgers and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired temperature.

Place one of the cauliflower slices (or half a slice), on a serving place. Top with a burger and a scoop of the mango curry salsa. You can serve them with a little squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro for extra zing.