Burgers with Avocado-Bacon-Cilantro Salad

As I mentioned in my last post, my husband has been really craving burgers lately.  Luckily, burgers are totally Paleo- as long as there is no bun or fries.  So for this meal I decided to make burgers, only these would be wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, and I would try something more Paleo for the side.  I came across this recipe idea on Pinterest (of course), and it looked really delicious and definitely Paleo friendly (once I swapped out the sugar for honey). I thought it would be a nice accompaniment for burgers, and I was right- super delicious!  For the burgers, I wanted to add some flavor to the meat since I would have to forgo the cheese, so I put together a little spice mixture for the ground beef.  Instead of cheese, I topped the burgers with tomato.  All-in-all, this was a fairly easy and quick meal to make, and very healthy & Paleo!  Here is what I did:

Burger Spice Mixture
(I won't lie, I didn't measure perfectly- just threw stuff in and mixed it with a lb of ground beef- so these are estimates)

• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 T salt
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t black pepper

I cooked this on a grill pan on the stove since it is freezing outside, but they would be great on the grill too!

Avocado-Bacon-Cilantro Salad
(serves 2)

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 avocado, cut in half then into thick slices
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation
Fry up the bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Keep about 2 T of the bacon fat in the skillet, and turn the heat to medium-low.  Add garlic, water, lime juice, and honey and simmer for about a minute, while stirring.  Add salt & pepper and the cilantro and stir. Crumble the bacon into the pan and give it a final stir until it's all combined. Plate the avocado slices, and then pour the bacon mixture over top.  Serve while warm!

This was another delicious meal, and I encourage you to make these recipes together or even individually as a part of another Paleo meal.  Gotta love bacon!