Cupcake Burgers: Beetroot, chilli & ginger

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 4 Maris Piper potatoes, 1 small beetroot, ginger, chilli flakes

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this fabulous coloured and zingy mash is wonderful. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 

2) Peel and cut the potatoes, then boil in hot salted water for 20 minutes and strain away the water.

3) Finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

4) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

5) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife and grate into your blender along with a teaspoon of powdered ginger and dried chilli flakes to taste

6) Spoon the mash into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake!

Cupcake Burgers: Avocado, cheddar & bacon

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 1 avocado, 4 Maris Piper potatoes, 50g cheddar, black pepper, pancetta

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this fabulous coloured and fabulous tasting avocado mash is exquisite. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) First make the avocado mash, then finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. 

2) Pour away the juices from the mushroom and add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

3) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

4) Spoon the mash into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake! I topped this with crispy fried pancetta for decoration.

Cupcake Burgers: Roast pepper & goats cheese

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 150g goats cheese, 1 bell pepper

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this roast pepper and goats cheese being the richest. Just be warned, the heat of the burger will begin to melt the "frosting" if you don't let it stand just a little before serving. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) Finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. 

2) Add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

3) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight.

4) Slice the top from a bell pepper and remove the core and seeds. Slice into slivers and roast on a foil tray at the top shelf of the oven, with the burgers on the middle shelf at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.

5) Take out the peppers and leave to cool for 2 minutes, turning off the oven to keep the burgers warm, but not allowing them to overcook.

6) Add the peppers and goats cheese to the blender and pulse until a mousse is formed. Spoon into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake!

Quinoa burgers

Ingredients 1 cup quinoa, 1 leek, cheddar, 1 egg, 1/2 courgette, butter

Serves: 4 preparation: 30 minutes

I've been working on a number of fritters and burgers recently for those with intolerances and this quinoa burger turned out beautifully. So much so that I ate two last night and considered making more. Little piggy...

Quinoa is cooked like a cereal, but is technically a seed. It's high in lovely amino acids like lysine and a good source of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Plus... it's yummy. I often eat it like a porridge but it makes a great burger too. Give this fabulous leek and cheddar mixture a try.

1) Soak the quinoa for 5 minutes and rinse well in a sieve. Depending on where you buy it, it naturally has an acrid coating called saponin which you don't want flavouring your food!

2) Cover the quinoa in salted water and bring to the boil for about 15 minutes, stir continually as it soaks up the water and fluffs up, then remove from the heat.

3) Chop the leek and grate the courgette before sizzling in a little butter. Add the quinoa and stir through before setting aside to cool.

4) Whisk an egg and stir through the quinoa mixture, then cut small cubes of cheddar and stir through the mixture.

5) Form patties with your hands or by pressing into a circle mould, then bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Red rice burgers

Ingredients 1 cup Red rice, 1 bell pepper, white onion, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, butter, 1 garlic clove, 1 egg

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

I went to London as a teenager on a theatre trip with some school friends, and on the final night, I ordered a brown rice burger for dinner. It was the first time I'd ever had one and to this day it remains one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. It took me 14 years to dare to recreate it (with my own spin, naturally) as I was worried that it would never live up to the glorious burger of my memory. I'm pleased to say that this spicy, juicy burger is even better. Give it a try.

1) Cover the rice with salted boiling water and, stirring frequently, simmer for 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

2) Remove the core and seeds from a bell pepper and finely dice it. Peel and finely dice a white onion, and crush a clove of garlic.

3) Fry off the onion in a little butter, then add the pepper and garlic along with the spices and sizzle on a low heat for 20 minutes until completely soft.

4) Add the cooked rice, straining off any remaining water in the pan and stir to incorporate. Set aside to cool just enough for you to be able to handle the mixture.

5) Whisk an egg and stir into the rice, then form patties with your hands, or by pressing into a circle mould. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees and serve with salad and the condiments of your choice in a bread bap.

Beetroot, apple & cheddar fritters

Ingredients Beetroot, apple, rice flour/ polenta, eggs, cheddar, poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Preparation: 40 minutes

Fritters are traditionally a sort of savoury doughnut, but thin like a pancake full of stuff, but like potato cakes - I like to make mine a bit thicker. Beetroot and apple are a fabulous and virtuous combination, and cheddar goes perfectly with both so this crispy yet juicy fritter with a melting centre makes and excellent vegetarian version of a burger, and by using rice flour or polenta it's great for those with intolerances too!.

1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool, grate into a bowl.

2) Peel and core the apple, then grate the apple into the beetroot. Add the polenta/rice flour a little at a time along with the poppy and sesame seeds, until the mixture is a little more dry.

3) Whisk an egg and stir into the mixture.

4) Form a patty around a chunk of cheddar and drop onto a lightly oiled pan. Sizzle for 2-3 minutes on each side then serve, or bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes.

Pork & apple burgers

Ingredients 400g Sausage meat, 1 apple, sage, 1/2 white onion, butter

Serves: 6 preparation: 20 minutes

Making burgers is so quick and simple that I refuse to entertain the idea that there is any excuse for the kind of specimens that come under the category of "convenience food" and "fast food". They're unhealthy, low quality and truly no faster. Pork, apple and sage are such classic flavour combinations - give this a try as a fun BBQ alternative to beef.

1) Peel and finely dice half a white onion, peel, core and dice the apple and and fry both together in a little butter with some chopped sage for 2 minutes.

2) Combine the onions, apple and sausage meat - you could use a blender but I prefer to leave the apple chunks intact and use my hands. Season with  a pinch of salt and pepper first.


3) Form patties with your hands, packing the meat quite tightly and either BBQ, grill or bake in the oven.  For best results, sizzle the outside of the burger first using the juices from the onion, apple & sage pan.


I served with fresh lettuce from the garden and ketchup in a burger bun

Turkey, stilton & broccoli burgers

Ingredients 400g turkey mince, 200g white stilton with apricots, 1/2 head of broccoli

Serves: 6 preparation: 40 minutes


Since I made The Boy my turkey and stilton meatballs he has been completely addicted to the combination (and to making jokes about eating balls with his friends on Facebook...) so I decided to treat him and make him a meat version of the plantain, stilton and broccoli burger I created recently.


1) Steam or boil the broccoli for about 20 minutes - this recipe needs it to be soft rather than al dente but there should still be some nutrients left in there!


2) Drain the broccoli and pulse in the blender until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the crumbled cheese and turkey mince and pulse until it has come together into a ball.


3) Divide into 6 patties, pressing firmly into your hands and rolling into a ball - these need to be relatively solid or when they cook, the turkey juices and steam will separate.


4) Sear the outside in a pan with a little olive oil before baking in the oven for about 20 minutes

Plantain, stilton & broccoli burgers

Ingredients 1 plantain, 100g white stilton with apricots, 5 broccoli florets

Serves: 2 preparation: 1 hour

Plantains are fabulous. They're a kind of savoury banana that grow in tropical climates and are used quite a lot in Caribbean and Mexican cooking. When shopping for plantain please remember that the best ones are the ripe, almost completely black ones. Don't cook with unripe ones as the flavour and texture will probably put you off for life! This burger has a gorgeous thin crust, a slightly sticky soft centre and the gorgeous classic flavour combination of stilton and broccoli enriched with the sweetness of plantain and apricot.


1) Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the entire plantain into it. Boil for 25-30 minutes. You will know it is ready as the skin will split and virtually peel itself! I like to steam the broccoli florets over the pan of boiling plantain but if you don't have a steamer, boil the broccoli in a separate pan for 20 minutes until soft.


2) Pulse the plantain in a blender, then add the crumbled cheese and drained broccoli.


3) The mixture should look a little like breadcrumbs but be moist enough to press together into patties with your hands. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until a golden crust has formed

Spinach, feta, olive & sun-dried tomato bean burgers

Ingredients 400g spinach, 1 potato, sun dried tomatoes, olives, feta, haricot beans, old bread, pistachios, sesame seeds, 1 egg.

Serves: 4 preparation: 30 minutes


This is one of my favourite recent recipes and I can see myself making these time and time again. The burgers are like an explosion of flavour - olive BAM, tomato BAM, feta BAM but there's the silky smooth potato and spinach to balance it out - the beans add a great texture and the crispy, nutty crust is fabulous.


1) Peel and dice the potato, then boil in hot, salted water until soft. Drain, mash and set aside to cool.



2) Drain the can of beans and slice them in half. This sounds laborous but it needn't be - just line them up and slice multiple beans at the same time! stir into the mashed potato.


3) Blitz the spinach in a blender and stir into the bean and potato mixture.


4) Dice the feta, tomatoes and olives and stir into the mixture.


5) Blitz your bread in a blender until fine breadcrumbs are formed. Crush a handful of pistachios in a blender and stir through the bread with some sesame seeds.


6) Whisk the egg and roll the patty into it before rolling it through the breadcrumbs, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Spinach & ricotta bean burger

Ingredients 400g spinach, 1 potato, 1 can cannellini beans, nutmeg, pistachio nuts, old bread, sesame seeds, ricotta cheese.

Serves: 4 preparation: 30 minutes


Spinach and ricotta are a match made in heaven - delicate, soft and comforting - and this bean burger is absolutely delicious.


1) Peel and dice the potato, then boil in hot, salted water until soft. Drain, mash and set aside to cool.


2) Drain the can of beans and slice them in half. This sounds laborous but it needn't be - just line them up and slice multiple beans at the same time! stir into the mashed potato.


3) Blitz the spinach in a blender and grate in some nutmeg and season with black pepper before adding 2 tablespoons of ricotta.


4) Stir the spinach and ricotta mixture into with the potato and beans and form patties.


5) Blitz your bread in a blender until fine breadcrumbs are formed. Crush a handful of pistachios in a blender and stir through the bread with some sesame seeds.


6) Roll the patties in the breadcrumb mixture, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

5 bean chilli & sweet potato melting burger

Ingredients 2 sweet potatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans and haricot beans, maize, pistachios, sesame seeds, old bread, coriander, 5 jalepenos, Philadelphia

Serves: 4 preparation: 30 minutes


I love bean burgers and this is a fabulously spiced with a scrumptious melting Philadelphia centre to cut through the heat.


1) Peel and dice the sweet potato, then boil it in hot, salted water until soft. Drain, mash and set aside to cool.  


2) Stir the beans into the sweet potato (Tesco sell "taco beans", 1 can of which is perfect - but rinse away the sauce, otherwise it will make the mixture too wet) and add a teaspoon of cumin and some chopped jalepenos to taste.


3) Sift in a little maize flour and stir through, adding more bit by bit until the mixture has stiffened just enough to form a patty with.


4) Blitz your bread in a blender until fine breadcrumbs are formed. Crush a handful of pistachios in a blender and stir through the bread with some sesame seeds.


5) Slice the patty in half and fill with a good teaspoon of Philadelphia. Form the patty back around the cheese to ensure there is no place for it to bubble out. Roll it in the breadcrumb mixture, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Lamb, strawberry & basil burgers

Ingredients    500g lamb mince, 60g basil, 300g    strawberries, 1 tsp basil oil, 1/2 small white onion, 1 garlic clove, balsamic vinegar

Makes: 8 burgers Preparation: 20 minutes

Tomato and strawberry are virtually interchangeable as far as flavours go and I often substitute strawberry for tomato in salads or sandwiches. Both go perfectly with basil, balsamic vinegar, cream cheese or mozzarella and the strawberry provides a wonderful platform for the rich lamb of this burger.

1) Slice the tops from the strawberries and puree in a blender until smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds and rough flesh and set aside.


2) Peel and slice the onion and add half of it, along with the clove of garlic and a handful of chopped basil to your blender. Puree until finely chopped, then add the lamb mince and 2-3 tablespoons of the strawberry puree. Season well with salt and pepper, then blend until the mixture combines to form a ball.


3) Divide the meat into separate patties and sizzle in a pan with a drizzle of basil oil, turning regularly until cooked.


4) I like to further enhance the flavour of this burger by smothering it in my basil, strawberry and balsamic dressing. To make the dressing pulverise the remainder of the 60g of basil in a mortar and pestle, then stir through two tablespoons of strawberry puree and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

Melting plantain & cashew burger

Ingredients 1 Plantain, cashew nuts, cheddar,  1 jalepeno, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil

Plantains are fabulous. They're a kind of savoury banana that grow in tropical climates and are used quite a lot in Caribbean and Mexican cooking. When shopping for plantain please remember that the best ones are the ripe, almost completely black ones. Don't cook with unripe ones as the flavour and texture will probably put you off for life! This burger has a gorgeous thin crust, slightly sticky soft plantain and a spicy melting centre. Definitely an ideal introduction to plantain if you've never tried it.


1) Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the entire plantain into it. Boil for 25-30 minutes. You will know it is ready as the skin will split and virtually peel itself!


2) Blitz a handful of cashew nuts in the blender until you have rough chunks of nut. Add the peeled plantain into the blender and pulse until it combines with the nuts and a slightly sticky ball is formed.


3) Using your thumbs, depress a hollow into the ball and fill with grated cheddar and finely chopped jalepeno. Reform into a ball ensuring that the cheese is locked away in the centre. Season with chopped oregano, salt and pepper.


4) Add a few drops of olive oil into a frying pan and sizzle the burger for a few minutes before flipping over. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Chicken, bacon & parmigiano burgers

Ingredients 4 chicken breasts, 3 rashers of unsmoked bacon, parmigiano, old bread. (makes 8 burgers)

1) Pulse 1 almost stale crust of bread in the blender until breadcrumbs form - set aside.


2) Mince 4 chicken breasts in the blender.
(Your butcher will be able to mince chicken breasts for you (it's rare to find minced chicken in a supermarket, though you could substitute turkey mince if you like which is more readily available and lean for those who are dieting)


3) Add the bacon rashers and pulse in the blender - this should form a sort of sticky meat ball so break it apart with a wooden spoon before adding the breadcrumbs and a generous knob of parmeggian, freshly grated.


4) Pulse in the blender until another meatball forms. This should not require seasoning due to the salty tang of the bacon and the parmeggian but this would be fabulously enhanced with some chopped parsley stirring through it.


5) Separate the ball into 8 patties by rolling a handful of meat and flattening it a little with the palm of your hand.


6) These are best cooked on a BBQ, or if you're dieting use a grilling machine which allows any fat to drain off. I cooked these in a pan for 10 minutes, turning continually and using the flat of a spatula to press the patty. 

Beef & cheddar burger

Ingredients Beef mince, white onion, cheddar cheese, 1 egg.

1) Whisk an egg and add half of it to a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.


2) Finely dice a white onion and fry in a little butter. Stir the onion into the egg and add the beef mince.


3) By hand, mix the ingredients, squeezing the meat until it is integrated.


4) Cut a lump of cheddar and form the burger around it. Wrap in cling film and allow to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes or barbeque. Serve slathered with ketchup.

Lamb & mint burgers

Ingredients 500g lamb mince, white onion, mint leaves

Making burgers is so quick and simple that I refuse to entertain the idea that there is any excuse for the kind of specimens that come under the category of "convenience food" and "fast food". They're unhealthy, low quality and truly no faster.


1) Finely dice half a white onion and fry in a little basil oil.

2) Add the onions to a blender along with the lamb mince, some freshly chopped mint, a pinch of salt and pepper and blitz.


3) Form patties with your hands, packing the meat quite tightly and either BBQ, grill or cook in the oven. 


I served with fresh lettuce from the garden and ketchup in a burger bun but these are also fabulous with feta and pitta!