Breakfast Burgers!

Burgers rule!

For breakfast, they rule more ... in fact, could assemble an army of followers and rule the world! That's how much they rule!

First up, make a burger ...

Get the best meat. As usual, I went for Aberdeen Angus fillet and had it minced.

Once cold, squeeze it between your fingers a few times to break down the structure. Form into a burger patty - that it! That's all there is to burgers. No rusk, no egg, no onion, no more fat. If you need a little help forming a patty, look no further than this: Burgers!

This is the perfect burger!

Pop them onto a griddle pan and put some streaky bacon under the grill along with a couple of waffles.

Waffles? Yes! Potato waffles ...

Carbohydrate does have a role in the paleo diet, especially useful for active days and best eaten earlier in the day. Breakfast (around 10:30) is perfect. As with all macronutrients, paleo is about sourcing the best - carbohydrate from starches are far superior to carbohydrate from grains or fructose.

I buy mine! Shock, I know, but they're not too bad - Bird's Eye brand. Potato waffles are pretty much just starch, in fact, the ingredients list as:

So, pretty much all potato, no sugar, which is rare for processed foods and the role of E464 prevents the potato from being saturated with vegetable oil. 

Good so far, but let's read a little more into E464.

From Wikipedia: "Use in whole grain breads Agricultural Research Service scientists are investigating using the plant-derived HPMC as a substitute for gluten in making all oat and other grain breads. Gluten, which is present in wheat, rye and barley is absent (or present only in trace quantities) in oat and other grains. Like gluten, HPMC can trap air bubbles formed by the yeast in bread dough, causing the bread to rise. Although it has not been widely studied, it is predicted that whole grain breads made with HPMC will have cholesterol-lowering effects."

Okay, so a gluten alternative ... akin to xanthan gum, or other such stabilisers?

I'm waffling on a bit here, but wanted to investigate these fully. Processed food? Yes, but "sometimes it is better to eat the wrong food with the right attitude than the other way around" Chris Kressler.

The paleo template is large enough an hegemony for each person to take as far as the want to, personally. If this is a step too far ... don't! Leave it off the plate, put the burger over a lettuce leaf or a portobello mushroom ... or for a starchier meal, slices of sautéed potato.

Back on track ...

We've got our burgers cooking, bacon grilling and something starchy cooking.

Pre-dress a plate with some cold foods - tomato wedges, pickled gherkins, sauerkraut, blueberries, cucumber, that kind of thing.

Prepare for the burgers by shredding some lettuce and mixing with yoghurt, soured cream or home-made mayonnaise. Thinly slice some cucumber, some cheese and get some mushrooms frying off.

When you're ready to serve up, get an egg frying.

Plate up with the cucumber on the potato, cut the burger in half to create two slices, placing a slice of cheese on each and the shredded lettuce between, a good dollop of some kind of spicy sauce on top, then slide the egg on to the very top. Crown with bacon and some herbs - coriander is good.

... now get outside and have fun!