Chopped veggies keep lean lamb burgers juicy

Beef may claim to be what's for dinner in America, but in the Middle East that honor often goes to lamb. It's prepared in innumerable ways, but my favorite is when the lamb is ground, spiced, and grilled, then topped with some kind of yogurt sauce and finally tucked into a pita.

The only problem with ground lamb is that what's available at the supermarket often is quite fatty. Generally speaking, of course, fat is where the flavor is - and the moisture. But lamb fat is saturated fat and it's best to keep our intake of saturated fats down. Happily, lamb is packed with flavor, which means that even the leaner cuts deliver big lamb taste. What about the missing juiciness? We've replaced it with veggies.

For the leanest ground lamb, it's best to grind it yourself in a meat grinder or have your butcher do it.

If neither of those options is open to you, you can "grind" your lamb using a food processor. I put grind in quotes, because when you do it with a processor it's more like chopping than grinding. Anyway, here's how: cut the meat into 1-inch cubes and freeze them for 30 minutes. Freezing the meat helps it to "grind" more evenly and prevents the processor from overheating the lamb in the process. Put the meat in the processor in batches and pulse until it gets to the desired consistency. But be careful not to overdo it. You don't want to turn the lamb into mush.

This burger remains super-juicy thanks to some onions and zucchini. We caramelize the onions to optimize their flavor, and grate, salt and drain the zucchini.

Makes 4 servings

1 medium zucchini (10 to 12 ounces)

Kosher salt

11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

11/2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided

Ground black pepper

1 pound lean ground lamb

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Olive oil cooking spray

4 pita bread halves

Grated carrots and chopped cucumbers, to serve

1. Use a food processor or box grater to coarsely grate the zucchini. Transfer the grated zucchini to a strainer. Toss the zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let it drain over the sink for 15 minutes. When it is done draining, working with a small handful at a time, squeeze out the zucchini to get rid of as much liquid as possible.

2. While the zucchini is draining, heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the squeezed zucchini and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

3. Heat a grill to medium.

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce - combine the yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5. When the zucchini mixture has cooled, add the lamb, oregano, the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well, then shape into 4 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Spray the burgers lightly with olive oil cooking spray, then grill until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

5. Serve each burger in a pita half, topped with the garlic sauce, carrots and cucumber.

Per serving: 500 calories; 250 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 28 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 110 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 35 g protein; 640 mg sodium.