Really Good Burger with Iconic Tomato Sauce

Makes 8-10 patties | 15 minutes | Freezer-friendly

When we talk about getting more iron from food, it’s easy to focus on individual ‘iron-rich’ ones. But another way to think about it is to look at the whole plate.

Take a family favourite like a burger. Start with beef mince and you already have a source of haem iron, a form of iron that’s absorbed more readily than non-haem iron from plant foods.

Then you can build from there.

Some butchers can blend a small amount of organ meat, such as liver or spleen, through your mince for another source of iron (and other nutrients).

Plus, we’ve created a simple, homemade version blended with Iconic Iron (that can be frozen ready for future meals) to give you another way to incorporate iron into the meal.

The result? One Really Good Burger and a few simple ways to bring more iron to the family table.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• large sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
• large bunch of parsley, leaves and stems finely chopped
• large sprig of oregano, leaves removed and chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (can be gluten-free)
• macadamia or olive oil to cook
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. With wet hands, roll the mixture into 9 balls, then flatten into patties.
3. Heat enough oil to coat the base of a large frying pan.
4. Fry the patties on medium heat until golden, turning once, until they’re cooked right through.
5. Serve on a toasted bun if desired (or use large lettuce leaves as a bun), garnished with grilled onions, egg, salad greens, sliced tomato, cucumber and some living sprouts.

Nutritional Information:

Grating vegetables into these patties increases the plant content of a burger, valuable for adults and children alike. Organic, grass-fed beef is a good source of iron for great oxygenation of tissues, as well as nutritious fats, including omega-3, and it is preferable to grain-fed beef.

Iconic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 500 ml passata, preferably 100% tomatoes with no added sugar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1–2 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup, to taste
• ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves, optional
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Contents of 2 capsules Iconic Iron (added after cooking)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for around 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add the passata, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, honey or maple syrup, paprika, allspice, cloves if using and salt.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
4. Blend until smooth, then allow the sauce to cool.
5. Once cooled, open 2 capsules of Iconic Iron, add the contents to the sauce and blend or stir thoroughly to combine.
6. Transfer to a clean jar to store in the fridge, or portion into an ice-cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the portions to a freezer-safe container.

Tip: Make a double batch and freeze it in portions so there’s always some ready to go with burgers, meatballs, homemade chips or whatever else is on the family menu.