Cal Smart Herby Beef Patties
with DIY Red Pepper Sauce and Spinach Couscous- Wheat
- Milk
- Barley
- Oats
- Rye
- Sesame
- Soy
- Soy
- Sulphites
- Milk
- May contain traces of allergens
- Egg
- Wheat
- Fish
- Mustard
- Sesame
Inspired by Balkan cevapi 'sausages', these little beef patties are bursting with savoury flavour. Ajvar, a silky saucy dip, combines roasted peppers and smooth eggplant. We make our version with roasted pepper pesto to save you some extra work!
Ingredients
250 g
Ground Beef
½ cup
Couscous
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit(s)
Eggplant
28 g
Baby Spinach
3 unit(s)
Garlic, cloves
unit(s)
Garlic, bulb
¼ cup
Greek Pesto
(May be present: Soy, Sulphites, Milk)
¼ cup
Roasted Pepper Pesto
(Contains: Milk May be present: Soy, Sulphites)
2 tbsp
Italian Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Barley, Milk, Oats, Rye, Sesame, Soy, Wheat May be present: Egg)
1 tbsp
Mediterranean Spice Blend
(May be present: Soy, Sulphites, Wheat, Egg, Fish, Milk, Mustard, Sesame)
1 unit(s)
Lemon
Not included in your delivery
0.31 tsp
Salt*
½ tsp
Oil*
0.13 tsp
Pepper*
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
- Peel, then cut half the eggplant (whole eggplant for 4 ppl) into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Add eggplant, half the Mediterranean Spice Blend and half the Greek pesto to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with pepper, then toss to coat.
- Roast in the middle of the oven until tender and golden-brown, 10-12 min.
- Zest, then juice half the lemon. Cut remaining lemon into wedges.
- Roughly chop spinach.
- Finely grate garlic.
- Combine breadcrumbs, half the garlic, remaining Greek pesto and remaining Mediterranean Spice Blend in a large bowl.
- Crumble in beef, then season with pepper. Stir to recombine.
- Form mixture into eight 2-inch-wide patties (16 patties for 4 ppl).
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add 1/2 tsp oil, then patties. (NOTE: For 4 ppl, pan-fry patties in two batches, using 1/2 tsp oil per batch.)
- Pan-fry patties until golden-brown and cooked through, 3-4 min per side.**
- Meanwhile, add 2/3 cup water and 1/4 tsp (1/2 tsp) salt to a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high.
- Remove from heat, then stir in couscous and spinach. Cover and set aside, 5 min.
- Fluff with a fork, then stir in lemon zest and 1 tsp (2 tsp) lemon juice.
- When eggplant is done, transfer to a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until a coarse paste forms.
- Add roasted pepper pesto, 1 tsp (2 tsp) lemon juice and 1/4 tsp (1/2 tsp) remaining garlic. (NOTE: Reference garlic guide.)
- Season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine.
- Divide couscous between bowls.
- Top with patties and sauce.
If you've opted to get beef, cook it in the same way the recipe instructs you to cook the pork.**
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: The eggplant pesto sauce was delicious and flavourful, though some found it overly garlicky.
- Ease of prep: Some had difficulty keeping the patties together while cooking.
- Suggestions: Consider reducing the amount of raw garlic in the sauce for a milder flavour.
