How to grill grass fed burgers:

Grass-fed beef is more susceptible to overcooking simply because it is extra-lean. Less fat means that there’s less insulation to protect the proteins and baste the meat internally. But with these simple directions, you will easily master grilling these super healthy burgers to your complete satisfaction!

If you like moist burgers, here’s the secret:

• Shredded or diced sautéed vegetables, or finely diced fresh onions (you can buy onions already diced in the produce section) are mix-ins that can help protect the burgers from heat and keep them juicy.
• Optional; if adding a few veggies to your burger patties – (any leftover cooked veggies will work, just chop them up into real small pieces – you can even use a butter knife to chop them, don’t make a big deal of it).
• Mix the diced veggies by hand into the beef in a big bowl. Don’t over mix the beef, (the warmth of your hands melts the fats).
• Now divide the mixture into 4 evenly formed burger patties. If you have the time, it’s even a good idea, but not necessary, to chill the patties for 10 minutes or so before you toss them on the grill to help them keep their shape after all that mixing.
• If you are a grass fed beef purist: Just season your beef with a little salt and pepper, and gently shape into uniform patties. Some people use a big jar lid as a way to create same sized burgers (uniformity is nice, because they all cook more evenly), or you might like one of the many burger pattie shapers on the market. No matter how you choose to shape your burgers, just don’t pack them down tight- be gentle!
• Season the burgers, both sides, with sea salt just before cooking.
• Treat grass-fed hamburger as you would a steak.
• Place the patties on a well-scraped and oiled grate on the hottest part of the grill (preheated to 425 to 450 degrees).
• Then stand by for 3 1/2 minutes. (If you need to multitask, set a timer.) During this time, do not touch the hamburgers — and never press them, which only squeezes out precious juices.
• After 3 1/2 minutes, carefully flip them, and let the burgers cook another 3 1/2 minutes.
• If anyone likes their burger cooked beyond medium-rare, now’s the time to slide that burger over to the very coolest part of the grill, close the cover, and wait 3 to 5 minutes more. Don’t walk away from the grill!
• Once you remove the burgers, give them time to rest in a warm spot for a good five minutes.
• This small window of time is important, as it allows the hot juices drawn to the middle of the burger during cooking to flow back out to the edges, which allows the burger to completes the cooking process.

Sam’s easy go-to salad

• Put a great big handful, or two, of romaine lettuce on a plate.
• Top that with the shredded red cabbage (beautiful), and top that with the diced or sliced red and yellow peppers.
• If you are using frozen peppers, just grab a handful or two of the frozen sliced peppers, and spread them out on a flat sheet pan to thaw at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the meal.
• The frozen peppers might not turn out to be as perfectly crunchy as fresh peppers, but they will be perfectly delicious in your salads, and how simple can it get!
• Sam likes to put his salad dressing in a small condiment bowl off to the side of his salad greens. To enjoy his salad, he dips his fork into the dressing, and then “spears” a fork full of salad with his “flavoured fork”.
• He loves that he can get the full flavor of his dressing with every bite of salad, without having either a soggy “over dressed” salad, or a dry flavourless salad. Great idea! With this method, everyone at the table can enjoy their own favorite dressing too!
• Sam sets his grilled burger right down on his salad greens, pulls out the fork, and enjoys a wonderful and satisfying meal. He often washes that down with a big glass of water with fresh lemon. Or two.

Simple Method: (This is a super fast dinner)

1. Purchase your favorite “no sugar added” marinara sauce in a jar. (Don’t ever have to look at the label again once you figure out which brand you like. The first time around, look first at the amount of “carbohydrates” on the label, a high carbohydrate number will quickly tell you who has added sugar. Buy the lowest carbohydrate jar – it will have the best flavor and leave you with the most energy after eating it).
2. Buy a large can of clams (usually located near the tuna section in your grocery store).
3. Empty marinara sauce into a sauce pan. Open can of clams, drain them, add to marinara in sauce pan.
4. Heat on medium until bubbling, give it a stir now and then.
5. Get out the frozen bag of zoodles, and decide if you want eat them like soft, tender noodles, or if you prefer them “el dente”.
6. Cook the zoodles in the microwave to your perfect tenderness. See finishing instructions below:

Method 2. You love cooking italian sauces, and you know you are good at it:

1. Make your sauce from scratch.
2. Get some good plum tomatoes, canned or fresh, because you are worth it.
3. Don’t bother with the sugar, if you ever used it, but load up on the garlic and all the wonderful italian herbs / spices.
4. Go all out with a dash of anchovy paste like your grandmother would have done…and maybe some fresh mushrooms and /or onions lightly sauteed would be nice to add to the sauce.
5. Can of clams – drain and add to the bubbling aromatic sauce you’ve got going on the stove..
6. Make your own zoodles from fresh zucchini – green and yellow – just because you can.
7. Decide if you want to enjoy your sauce on the raw zoodles, or if you might prefer to have them lightly steamed.
8. Finishing instructions below:

Finishing for Both Methods:

1. Place a huge mound of zoodles on your plate, and top with all the marinara sauce you want. Enjoy.
2. When you are all done, use a spoon to “sop up” the last of the sauce.
3. Notice how good you feel! Full and satisfied, but not uncomfortable, overstuffed, or drowsy.
4. Maybe you feel so good, you even want to go for a short walk and ponder how great that experience was!

• Cut, or pull apart, chicken breast into nice bite sized pieces.
• Using enough butter to keep chicken from burning or sticking to the pan, heat butter in a frying pan until it starts bubbling.
• Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stand by watching.
• Once the chicken pieces start to brown, give them a little stir to flip the pieces over and around in the pan.
• Steam the green beans per package directions if frozen. If fresh, wash them, trim the stem top, and steam them in a couple tablespoons of water in the microwave.

Jim’s Salad Dressing:

• ¼ C California Olive Oil
• ¼ C Coconut Oil
• ¼ C Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (OR for a different flavor, use Medina White Wine Vinegar)
• 4 packets Stevia (or use your favorite healthy sweetener, to the equivalent of ¼ C sugar)

Mix all the ingredients with a stick blender, or whisk it with wild abandon, until everything mixes and emulsifies. It can be stored in a dressing container, in or out of the refrigerator.

Jim says:

• The healthy greens contain tons of chlorophyll, which helps your body get rid of toxic heavy metals you have probably accumulated just by living on the earth.
• Also loaded with Vitamin K2 – which helps your body move calcium into your bones and teeth. Who doesn’t want that?!
• Olive Oil that comes from a specific vineyard, rather than a general blend of olives from all over, is much heart healthier for you. Jim says California vineyards make some great single source olive oil!
• Coconut oil is a wonderful energy source…the liver delivers the goodness directly out for energy. Feeling an afternoon slump? How about some greens with this healthy dressing for a pick me up!

• Brown the ground beef in a skillet, add salt & pepper, and your spices as the beef is browning.
• If you like things spicy, cayenne pepper is great too. If you want “easy spicing” instead of individual spices, you can by a package of “taco seasoning mix”.
• Just watch the label for MSG…you do not want that in your food! Note: garlic lovers…go for it – another opportunity for garlic here!
• To serve: Rinse (and pat dry with paper towels) individual leaves of romaine.
• Notice how they are naturally shaped like little canoes? Fill them up with the taco meat, onions, tomatoes and salsa.
• Top them off with a nice healthy dollop of creamy Greek Yogurt – which you will soon see satisfies the “old need” for both sour cream and cheese at the same time. You’re already feeling better!