- Prepare sweet potatoes and get them in the oven
- (while sweet potatoes bake) Prepare salsa and blend
- Prepare burgers and start grilling!
- Grill corn and spring onions
- Place lettuce in bowl, add sweet potatoes, corn and spring onions to salad.
- Prepare dressing and add to salad.
- Place salsa on sliders.
Smokey mini burgers (sliders) with spicy nectarine salsa
Sliders are an American way of saying mini burgers. You can double these and make them regular sized burgers, they are just so much cuter this way! If you want to serve these with bread, I love using mini whole wheat pitas, but you can use whatever you wish. In the last minute or two of the burgers grilling, throw the bread on the grill too!
Servings: people USA imperial/metric conversion: |
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Ingredients:
Salsa
- 3 nectarines chopped
- 1 green spicy pepper finely chopped (seeds removed for less spice)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and zested
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger peeled and zested
- 1/2 purple onion finely chopped
- 1 lime juice of very juice lime (or 2 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Salsa
- Mix all ingredients and serve on top.
Salad with sweet potato fries, toasted corn, grilled spring onions
This salad is so filling and can be a whole meal in itself. If you want it to be dinner by itself, feel free to add leftover noodles, chicken, cheese, fish, meat or tofu that you may have ‘lying around’.
Servings: people USA imperial/metric conversion: |
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Ingredients:
Sweet potato fries
- 3 sweet potatoes cut into wedges
- 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/4 tablespoon garam masala spice blend
- 1/2 tablespoon sumac powder
- 1/2 tablespoon zaatar spice blend
Grilled corn and spring onions
- 4 ounces lettuce leaves roughly torn or chopped
- 2 corn on cob large
- 1 small bunch spring onions bottoms and tops trimmed
Red wine Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, dill, basil (optional)
Directions:
Sweet potato fries
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Place parchment paper on sheet pan. Place sliced sweet potatoes on sheet pan but try not to overlap.
- Add olive oil and spices and use hands to coat evenly. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden on the outside and soft on inside
Grilled corn and spring onions - salad
- Place on hot grill pan, after burgers
- turn once or twice
- remove when still crunchy but charred, 3 minutes per side
- Slice corn off cob and slice spring onions into large pieces
- Place in bowl with lettuce and sweet potato fries
Red wine Vinaigrette
- place all ingredients in jar and shake well!
- TIP: If you still have food processor around after making salsa, don’t wash it! Place all ingredients in and blend.
Have a question about these recipes? Need a substitution for an ingredient? Chef Zissie is here to answer!
Simply use the comments box at the bottom of this page or click the button below. Please try and ask on Sunday to ensure you get your answer on time!
Leftover tips for tomorrow’s lunch:

Deconstructed burger salad:
- Make some extra salad with dressing on the side.
- Gather all leftover burgers that no one will want to eat the next day and cut or break them into small pieces and add them to the salad for protein.
- Eat room temperature- pack with dressing on the side!
I can’t find nectarines for the salsa, what else can I use?
Mangoes, peaches and plums (its a summer salsa). If you are making this recipe and its the middle of the winter and you cannot get any of those, you can use canned peaches or frozen mangoes (It will work but wont be the same).
I dont have a grill pan, can I make these in a frying pan?
Yes, they wont have the charred flavor but will still be delicious. Add oil to the hot pan and sear for the same amount of time (as instructions in recipe) on each side.
I dont have a grill pan, can I make these on my grill outside?
YES! Even better!!!!
Can I use canned corn instead of corn on the cob?
Yes, you can even toast the canned corn in a saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil and salt.
Can I use ground chicken instead of ground meat?
Yes! It will be a totally different flavor but will still work. Use all measurements and ingredients the same.
I cant find smoked salt, what can I use instead?
You can use smoked paprika and regular salt (it won’t be the same flavor depth but it will work in a pinch!)