Tuna Burgers with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

Mmmm burgers… I love grilled burgers in the summer. Some friends, a barbecue, a warm day with the smell of the neighbours fresh-cut lawn wafting over the back yard fence…

While grilled beef isn’t that bad for you (read articles in the ’100 days of starvation’ and discover why fat isn’t the insidious evil destroyer of worlds it’s made out to be) grilled tuna is even healthier. These burgers are 435 calories each and are full of good stuff.

A tip: try to find whole-wheat buns that are baked at the store bakery rather than prepackaged ones from a manufacturer. That’ll cut down on the high fructose corn syrup, and the buns will be more fresh.

For the Sauce:

• 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Burgers:

• 1 pound sushi-grade tuna
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish
• 4 whole-grain hamburger buns
• 1/2 avocado, sliced

Prepare the sauce: Pulse the carrot and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar and process until smooth. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the burgers: Chop the tuna into chunks. Wipe out the food processor and add the tuna; pulse a few times to break up the pieces.

In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and process until well blended. Form into 4 patties; brush each lightly with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Preheat your grill, grill pan, or barbecue. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare or to desired doneness.

Toss the sprouts in the carrot-ginger sauce. Place the burgers on buns and top with avocado and sprouts.