Artichoke Curry Bison Burgers [Paleo] [Low Carb]

1 lb ground bison (local if possible)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil (since grass fed meat is very lean)
1 free range egg (optional- some ground flax or psyllium powder keeps it together nicely)
1 small jalapeño with seeds
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4" piece fresh ginger root, minced
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2-3 sliced red onion, garnish

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
2 T. crushed red pepper
dash hot curry powder (to taste)

Ok, I'm going to cheat here and use old instructions on how we make our burger patties. No methodology has changed, so here's the scoop:

To make burgers:
First mince or finely chop the garlic and ginger in a food processor. In a large bowl, mix fresh or defrosted meat, the minced garlic and ginger, seasonings, olive oil, and egg (if the egg is included).

If you're not using egg, you can omit it entirely or add the psyllium powder or freshly ground flax now. If you use flax, be sure to buy whole flaxseed (it is cheapest in bulk or Whole Foods brand in packages with the cereal and oatmeal). Grind the flax right before use with a small coffee grinder or blender since pre-ground flax or stored ground flax has rancid fat. The delicate Omega 3 fats in flax are easily destroyed with light, heat, and time so it is best and easiest to grind it fresh each time and ensure good quality fat. More on flax here and in my upcoming flax informational post "The Flax of Life" (Jon loves that title), but for now back to the bison:

Pat meat mixture into 4-6 patties and grill 3-5 minutes. Remember that grass fed buffalo (bison) meat is very lean and requires significantly less cooking time than normal meat; keep a close eye on it. These cook great on the grill or in a pan with a lid for quicker cooking. If you like your burgers medium or rare as I do, then pay special attention to cooking time and remove burgers when they are still raw inside - they will continue to cook afterwards.

Serve with sides of your choice. Since I prefer my meat on the less dead side (there are more enzymes which have not been destroyed by cooking and it tastes better to me!), I like these burgers best fresh. They do fine as reheated leftovers, but nothing really compares to a fresh juicy burger! If you like a tangy flavor, drizzle some gluten free and corn syrup free bbq sauce over the burgers. I use the Kraft light bbq sauce since it is gluten and dairy free.

Jon actually made these burgers with my instructions and it was a nice break for me. The curry powder adds a great flavor and it's not "spicy" hot like some people might assume. As many of you have heard and as our local blogging nutritionist Melissa at Gluten Free for Good has said before, curry powder has a wide array of health benefits. The active ingredient in curry, curcumin, has been shown to protect the brain for Alzheimer's, help heal digestion and inflammation (that's a huge Celiac concern), and prevent tumors. It has even been rumored to help STDs and skin cancer. I can't even do it justice here with my limited time, so I'll rant more on it in the future (you're spared for now!) The World's Healthiest Foods site has a good little summary here.

Once you're finished reading up on the healthy side of curry, throw a hearty dash or two into your burgers, whether vegetarian/vegan bean or tuna burgers, or carnivorous high B12 grass fed beef or bison patties or a low fat turkey and spinach burger. Grill on. Yum!