Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Plus, my favorite burger, brain-healthy sides, and desserts to kick off summer cookouts
Hello, everyone. It’s Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., a holiday synonymous with cookouts and grilling and indulging in summery foods. For me, this is more of a being-outdoors-all-day holiday than a food holiday. That being said, we’ll be cooking out and burgers are definitely on the menu. A batch of Spinach and Artichoke Dip from my book is perfect for snacking while grilling, so I am thrilled to be sharing the recipe with you today.
You may be wondering how burgers fit into a brain-healthy way of eating since I’ve talked about the importance of reducing saturated fat and eating more plants. Here, I show you how to make an outstanding turkey burger that’s deeply flavorful while keeping within a brain-friendly fat profile. I give you some ideas for vegetarian swaps and great sides that happen to be good for you, too.
Turkey Parm Burgers
My recipe for Walnut Parm (here and on page 184 of my book) inspired these better-for-you burgers packed with umami flavors and brain health superstar ingredients. Walnut Parm is a nut-based condiment that enhances just about everything it touches. Nutritional yeast gives it a cheese-like quality, along with a good dose of B vitamins, but you can use real Parmesan cheese instead if you like. Walnuts provide brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and miso paste kicks in with health-promoting microbes.
The burgers stay light and juicy, thanks to grated zucchini and a low-and-slow grilling method. Gentle grilling means avoiding direct high heat which can create inflammatory particles in food. Using lower temperatures also helps keep the nutrient-dense ingredients from seeping out. Don’t press on the patties as they cook, and if you have an instant read thermometer, be sure to use it here. Read more here about brain-healthier grilling techniques. Find the Turkey Parm Burger recipe here.
Upgrade our condiments
Ditch the usual burger condiments (they are mostly ultra processed foods) for easy toppings made from real food. Look for good-quality mustard with a short ingredient list and actual whole mustard seeds instead of the yellow processed stuff. Instead of ketchup (notorious for its high fructose corn syrup), make this easy, stir-together spicy yogurt sauce that accents the burgers’ Mediterranean flavors. Harissa, a red pepper paste that comes in a tube or a jar, does wonders for yogurt or plant-based mayo, or you could use another spice paste you like. Find the Harissa Yogurt Sauce here.
I also like topping my burger with whole roasted red peppers from a jar. Drain well, slice into burger-sized pieces and add when the burgers are done.
A Delicious Plant-Based Burger Swap
Portobello “burgers” are becoming one of my favorite ways to eat mushrooms. Buy as many portobello mushrooms (the ones with the large caps, not the Baby Bellas) as you want to make into burgers.
Here’s how to make 4 Portobello Burgers: Remove the stems of 4 portobellos. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce), and balsamic vinegar. Use just enough to thoroughly coat all sides. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and let marinate while you prepare the grill, about 20 minutes. Place gill side up on a medium-hot grill. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until grill marks form on the smooth side of the caps and the mushrooms are tender. Serve as you would burgers.
Brain Healthy Sides
Whenever enjoying grilled foods like burgers, make sure to serve with an abundance of vegetables, like leafy greens, grilled peppers, onions, and zucchini. That’s because the phytonutrients in plants help keep you from absorbing some of the inflammatory substances created when you grill meat. If three-quarters of your plate is filled with plants, you are doing great.
Here are two of my favorite burger side dishes:
Roasted Broccoli Salad with Avocado and Tahini
To make ahead, roast the broccoli, stir together the sauce, and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. Scatter the broccoli on a platter or shallow bowl and allow to come to room temperature. Just before serving, add the diced avocado and drizzle with the sauce.
Warm Kale Blackberry Salad
This warm salad/side dish is one of the most popular recipes on my site. I love including it in cooking classes as it scores high marks for being ridiculously easy and incredibly tasty. Not to mention, it hits 5 brain health food groups: berries, leafy greens, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. This is equally good served at room temperature, so you can get it ready before you start to grill.
Berry-Packed Desserts
Finally, what would a Memorial Day feast be without a fun dessert? This easy Raspberry and Blueberry Almond Clafouti is always a hit, and it is mostly sugar-free. (I use a small amount of monk fruit sweetener instead.)
If berries are not quite in season yet, I lean on frozen ones for this Wild Blueberry Polenta Crisp. Both of these desserts can be made ahead of time and warmed just before serving or devoured at room temp.
A Crowd-Pleasing Dip
The Spinach and Artichoke Dip from my book (page 88) just might be the most popular recipe. It’s the perfect appetizer to bring to a cook-out, too, because you can make it ahead of time and it’s great served at room temperature. You don’t have to mention that its creamy decadence comes from cashews instead of mayo and sour cream. There’s just a dusting of Parmesan on top, but you can easily swap out nutritional yeast to make it fully plant-based.