Ingredients:
1/3 cup finely crushed nonfat or low-fat garlic croutons
3 tablespoons honey or regular Dijon mustard, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon pressed garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/3 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
4 leaves butter lettuce
2 medium-ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Tarragon or white wine vinegar
Sourdough bread, thickly sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat grill to the highest setting.
2. In a large bowl, using a fork, evenly mix the crushed croutons, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, green onions, garlic, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add meat; using your hands, generously fold crouton mixture into meat until evenly distributed.
3. Form meat mixture into 4 patties using Burger Mate. Set burgers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to grill, up to 1 day.
4. Spray onions and burgers lightly on both sides with cooking spray. For a two-sided contact grill, cook onions 7 to 10 minutes, until tender, and burgers 6 to 8 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 160 degrees. Halfway through the cooking time, baste each burger with about 1 teaspoon of the remaining mustard. For all other grills, cook onions 14 to 20 minutes and burgers 14 to 16 minutes, basting meat and turning both halfway through the cooking time.
5. On each of 4 plates, place a lettuce leaf and top with one-fourth of the sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and tarragon vinegar. Place a burger next to the lettuce and top with one-fourth of the grilled onions. Serve immediately with thick sourdough bread slices.
Warm Tarragon Potato Salad:
1 1/2 pounds small, thin-skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons tarragon or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Light salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons capers, well-drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Directions:
1. Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
2. Fill a 4- to 5-quart pan with 2 to 3 cups of water. Place a steamer basket in the pan; bring water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add potato chunks and cover. Steam for 7 to 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain well; place in a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to keep warm until other ingredients are ready.
3. In a small bowl, using a wire whisk, mix vinegar, garlic powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Uncover bowl with potatoes. Using a large spatula, evenly mix vinegar mixture, capers, and green onions into potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set aside until ready to serve.