Grilled venison burger with 3 salads (GAPS)

Grilled venison patties on pineapple with 3 salads and 3 dressings

Colourful burger feast without gluten, grains, sugar, nut or soya. The dairy dip is optional (to stay dairy-free, leave them out), but just to let you know, the grilled courgettes scream for it, they just love to dip themselves into the seasoned yoghurt.

The 3 salads and the 3 dips/dressings are:
• Grilled courgettes
• The green cucumber salad
• No-mush guacamole

• Minted cumin yoghurt dressing (goes merry with the grilled courgettes)
• Biting olive oil dressing
• Sweet mustard dressing

For the grilled venison patties you will need:
300 g venison mince (or beef / or lamb)
2 large onions
4 wet garlic cloves
small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 cm fresh ginger
pinch of Himalayan rock salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large egg
1 tsp linseed
1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium pineapple

coconut oil, for brushing

1 little gem lettuce

1. Put onion, garlic, parsley leaves into a chopper and chop finely.
2. Add the onion mix to the minced meat. Mix well.
3. Season: cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper. Add thinly sliced fresh ginger too.
4. Grind linseed (I used my marble mortar) and add 2 tsp water. Let it get jelly for a few minutes.
5. Add egg and linseed to the seasoned meat. Mix well.
6. Shape patties (small, medium large) to your liking. Arrange them on a plate, use baking paper between the layers, cover with another plate, put patties into the refrigerator for 20 to 30 mins to set.
7. Heat the grill (I used cast iron grill from Le Creuset) to medium. Brush the patties with coconut oil and grill them to your liking.
8. Clean the pineapple, cut into slices, brush with coconut oil, and grill them.

For the Grilled courgettes you will need:
2 courgettes
coconut oil, for brushing

1. Cut the courgettes in half, then cut each half into 4 slices.
2. Brush courgette slices with coconut oil, and grill them.

For the Cucumber salad you will need:
1 medium cucumber
1 green onion
1 small green pointed pepper
1/2 young leek, green end
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice up all the veg, thinly. Put them in a mixing bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

For the No-mush guacamole you will need:
a good handful of cherry tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
1 small onion
2 wet garlic cloves
1 serrano pepper /or jalapeño
small bunch of cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 lime
pinch of Himalayan rock salt

1. Finely chop the onion and the garlic. Put them in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the pepper in half and take out the seeds (leave them in if you want it extra hot). Finely dice the flesh of the pepper. Add to the onion.
3. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, then add to the bowl.
4. Cut the avocado in half, discard the seed, peel. Dice the avocado flesh, add to the bowl.
5. Add the freshly squeezed lime juice.
6. Mix in the cilantro (coriander leaves). Season with salt.

For the Minted cumin yoghurt dressing you will need:
1/3 cup fermented yoghurt
small spring of mint leaves
1/3 tsp ground cumin

Crush the mint leaves in a mortar. Mix in the yoghurt. Season with ground cumin.

For the Biting olive oil dressing you will need:
3 wet garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaped tsp chili flakes

Mince the garlic (or crush in a mortar), add olive oil, season with chili flakes. Combine well.

For the Sweet mustard dressing you will need:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 scant tbsp mustard powder

1. Mix the mustard powder with the honey.
2. Add the olive oil slowly.
3. Season with the vinegar. Mix well.

To assemble the GAPS burger:
1. Place one or two lettuce leaves on the plate.
2. Put a grilled pineapple slice on top.
3. Place a venison patty on top of the pineapple.
4. Place a slice of grilled courgette on top of the venison patty.
5 Top with 2 tbsp No-mush guacamole.
6. Put a small lettuce leaf on top. Enjoy!

For PALEO: Omit the yoghurt dressing.

[i] For more GAPS recipe ideas please visit my GAPS recipes selection.