Middle Eastern Beef Burgers

This recipe was modified from the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook. The original recipe called for bulgur wheat, but I substituted a prepackaged tabbouleh mix which really enhanced the flavor. The "flat belly" part comes from monounsaturated fat: in this case, olive oil.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 12 patties

Ingredients

• 1  lb ground beef, 95% lean
• 6  ounces  tabbouleh salad (boxed mix, such as Fantastic World Foods)
• 3⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1  small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon ground allspice
• 1  teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4  tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a microwave-safe dish, heat 1 cup of water to boiling and add the tabbouleh mix. Let it sit while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Combine mint, onion, cumin, allspice, salt, pepper, beef, and tabbouleh in a large bowl and mix well with clean hands. Divide into 12 patties.
3. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbl. olive oil over medium-high heat and add 6 of the patties. Cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
4. Repeat with the remaining 2 Tbl. olive oil and 6 uncooked patties, cooking until browned and crispy.
5. For a more authentic meal, serve with cucumber-mint yogurt sauce.