The Sneaky Chef’s Barbell Burgers

"A man often says he wants something he can 'sink his teeth into' and there is a distinctly masculine quality to chewing or gnawing on foods like meat," says Lapine. "Alfalfa sprouts and yogurt just won't do!" So, the best way to get your mate to eat healthier is to give him foods that fit the "manly" bill while sneaking in some healthy ingredients that don't make him think he is actually eating healthier.

Lapine adds, "Chances are, after he's eaten tasty – healthier – foods, he won't care that they include ingredients that are good for him." The Sneaky Chef's How to Cheat on Your Man (in the kitchen) is an invaluable cookbook to have in your kitchen because you will be feeding your whole family healthy and delicious meals.

To round out this healthy, hearty meal, partner these burgers up with Brainy Brownies by the The Snkeay Chef.

Read on for sneaky cooking secrets or watch Missy Lapine on Corner Kitchen >>

Sneaky Chef Barbell Burgers

Makes 4 servings

"Taking fat, juicy burgers away from our men isn't an option," says Sneaky Chef Missy Chase Lapine. "But we can help minimize the damage from the saturated fat in the beef with a healthy hidden dose of oat bran fiber, spinach, blueberries and tomato paste." Make these burger patties ahead of time and chill them for an hour before grilling so they're firmer and easier to handle.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Purple Puree (recipe follows)
1/4 cup oat bran, plus addition as needed
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
4 hamburger buns or English muffins, preferably whole grain
Optional extra boost: lettuce, tomato slices, grilled onions and mushrooms
Perfect Pesto (recipe follows)
One and Only Guacamole (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high or heat an indoor grill pan to medium-high and spray with oil. In a large bowl, mix tomato paste, Purple Puree, oat bran, Worcestershire and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well with your hands until combined. If the mixture is too sticky, add more oat bran.

2. Using damp hands, shape mixture into four 1/4-pound patties. At this point, the burgers may be prepared a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator or frozen. To proceed with cooking, spray both sides of the burgers with oil and place the on the prepared grill or grill pan. Cook for 4 to 7 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Serve on whole grain buns slathered with Perfect Pesto or One and Only Guacamole.

Like this? Watch Missy cook up some scrumptious seaside fillets >

Purple Puree

Makes 1 cup of puree

This is one of the Sneaky Chef's healthy make-ahead recipes that can be added to burgers, meatloaf, smoothies, brownies and other sweet and savory dishes.

Ingredients:
3 cups raw baby spinach, rinsed
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries, no syrup or sugar added
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons of water

Directions:
Puree all ingredients in a food processor until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom and use a tablespoon of water or more, if necessary, to smooth out the puree.

Sneaky Chef's Perfect Pesto

Makes 2 cups of pesto

"Pesto is a pretty healthy sauce to begin with but a few sneaky substitutions bump it into the all-star category. Vegetable broth knocks out half the fat and the extra green veggies will slip right under your man's veggie-detecting radar screen," says Lapine. This perfect pesto can be tossed with pasta, swirled into soups, and used as a cold sauce for simple grilled chicken, fish, steak or burgers.

Ingredients:
6 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed, packed
1/2 cup walnuts
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup Green Puree (recipe follows)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
Place basil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add walnuts, garlic, salt, lemon juice, broth, Green Puree and pepper and puree on high until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream the oil through the processor's feed tube. Add the cheese and puree for a few more seconds. Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for three days or in the freezer for three months.

One and Only Guacamole

Makes about 2 cups of guacamole

"Guacamole is one of the few green health foods that most guys will gladly dip into," says the Sneaky Chef. "In this recipe, the addition of broccoli, spinach and peas in the Green Puree increases volume while simultaneously turning this snack into a superfood."

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup Green Puree (recipe follows)
Optional extra boost: 1/2 cup chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes, handful of cilantro, and/or chopped jalapenos, to taste

Directions:
Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and add it to a bowl with lime juice, salt, Green Puree, and optional extras, if using. Blend lightly with a fork and serve.

Like this? Give Missy's deviled eggs a try >

Green Puree

Makes 2 cups of puree

This is a make-ahead puree that Lapine uses in recipes for pesto, guacamole, mashed potatoes and even meatballs. This puree is high in antioxidants and folate. Use in the above pesto and guacamole recipes.

Ingredients:
2 cups raw baby spinach leaves, rinsed
2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 cup sweet green peas, frozen
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Directions:
Pour two inches of water into a pot with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Put a vegetable steamer basket in the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for 10 minutes or until very tender. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of steaming and drain. Place vegetables in the bowl of a food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water and puree on high until very smooth. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. Use another tablespoon of water or more, if necessary, to smooth out the puree.

More Sneaky recipes

Gluten-free desserts
Healthy Milkshakes from the Sneaky Chef
SheKnows TV features Missy Lapine on Corner Kitchen