Spicy Garlic Bison Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Who doesn’t like a good burger? There’s nothing like grilling out on the patio with friends. Even better when you don’t have to compromise your fit-foodie lifestyle to dig into it. Here’s to another all-American favorite made entirely from clean elements. It’s a win-win!

Prep time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yields: 4 meals

What to do:

Put raw ground bison meat into a large bowl. Add  liquid aminos, turkey bacon, garlic, jalapeño, salt- free seasoning and cheese. Mix well by hand, then  form into 4 evenly sized patties (tip: Keeping patties loose and not too tightly packed aids in making your burger tender and juicy). Let marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour. Fire up the grill! Place patties on hot grill over open flame and let cook for 4 – 6 minutes untouched, then flip patties over, and cook for an additional  4 – 6 minutes on the second side. Typically 4 min- utes per side will bring them to a nice medium (pink  inside, most tender) and 6 minutes per side will bring them to well done (solid dark color inside, most safe to eat). (Cooking time will vary based on whether you use a gas powered grill or charcoal and the temperature of your fire.) During the last 2 minutes of meat cooking time, place buns on a warming rack above the grill. Place cooked patties on lightly toasted buns, then  top them with sliced onion, tomato and kale or spin- ach leaves. Optional: Add mustard, to taste.  For the sweet potato fries...  Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a pota- to peeler to remove skin from sweet potatoes, then  cut into “French fry” shaped pieces. Coat the bottom of a baking tray with aluminum foil, then place your fries onto this surface, evenly spread in a single layer. Add sea salt and olive oil, then mix such that these elements coat the fries. When oven has reached 450 degrees, place tray of fries into oven and let cook for 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve up hot and fresh! Yum. 

What to use:

• 1 pound lean ground bison meat (at least 90% lean)

• 2 tablespoons liquid aminos

• 2 strips of turkey bacon, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons salt-free seasoning

• 2 ounces fat-free pepper jack cheese, shredded

• 4 100% whole wheat hamburger buns

• 1 white onion, sliced

• 1 Roma tomato, sliced

• 1 handful of kale or spinach leaves

• Mustard, to taste (optional)

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil