Salisbury Steak that won’t cause a coronary.

I grew up on “hamburger steak and gravy”. I made it several hundred times before I went to college and I bet I made it a different way each time. Hamburger steak and meatloaf were like blank canvases for me. I could experiment with all kinds of flavors. Most worked out great. Some did not. The Great Grape Jelly BBQ sauce experiment was one of the not-so-great. But no matter what variations I made, there were a few items that were consistent: beef (usually the fatty cheap beef), bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper. After that, the imagination flourished.

This version is about half the calories and fat of those long ago meals. The taste is not exactly the same. I’m sure my father would know the difference. However, I like this version better. I liked it so much, I made a lighter version of mashed potatoes.

Slimmed down Salisbury Steak.

• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 1 cup onions, DIVIDED and minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup dry panko crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2  Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1/4 cup water

Mashed potatoes and cauliflower

• 3 large baking potatoes, washed and cubed
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 cups of cauliflower florets
• 1 Tablespoon of butter
• 2 wedges of Laughing Cow garlic and herb spread

1. Cook onions in oil over medium-low heat about 5 minutes
2. In a large bowl, combine  1/2 of the sautéed onions, ground beef, ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg,  salt and black pepper.
3. Shape into patties.
4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Set aside on a dish.
5. Add mushrooms to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes.
6. Return patties to the skillet with the mushrooms.
7. In a small bowl, blend flour and  broth until smooth. Mix in  other 1/2 of the onions, vinegar, water, and Worcestershire sauce.
8. Pour over meat and mushrooms in skillet.
9. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Potatoes and Cauliflower

1. In a 2qut saucepan, add potatoes and salt. Cover with water and boil 15 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and simmer 10 more minutes or until potatoes are completely done.
3. Drain completely. Add butter and cheese spread wedges. Using a masher or a mixer, smash the vegetables to desire consistency. Add pepper to taste.