Hamburgers are the quintessential summer food.  They make their appearance at just about every outdoor gathering - whether there are kids present or not.  Sometimes, though, they can get pretty boring.  There are plenty of ways to enliven them and I am going to throw my variation into the mix.

In class we made mini-burgers and put them into pita bread.  We topped them with a cabbage and brussels sprouts slaw, which the kids couldn’t get enough of - me too.

Mini-Beef Burgers with Carrots and Zucchini

1lb. ground beef - preferably grass fed

1 medium carrot - shredded

1 medium zucchini - shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients taking care not to over mix.  Form small balls with the meat and flatten into a patty.

Grill or broil as you normally would with any hamburger.

Red Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts Slaw

1 medium red cabbage - sliced thin

1 pint Brussels sprouts - sliced thin

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tsp. granulated sugar or agave

1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the cabbage and Brussels sprouts.  Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt and pepper.  Add more vinegar or mayo or sugar to season to your tastes, if necessary.  Pull the cabbage and sprouts apart with your fingers, separating it into thin string-like pieces.  If they are too long, break them in half.  Gradually add the cabbage and sprouts to the bowl, tossing to coat the cabbage before adding the rest. 

Refrigerate until you plan to use it.

Place a burger into a mini-pita or one piece of a quartered pita.  Top with slaw and serve.

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