OH HEY GUYS.  Life has been crazy.  Ranch makes it better.

I'm getting back into that whole, being sent all over Central IL to spend 40 hours each week working dietitians only to come home to grad school homework.  Let's put it this way.  I'm not in the mood to think creatively.  Food consists of lots of eggs.  Lots of eggs.  Because who doesn't love eggs?  And the fact they've been on sale recently may be a part of it too...

Anyway... this past Sunday was the Super Bowl.  While football happened, I think we can all agree the real winner Sunday was left shark.  So there was a gathering of sorts for the game.  I'm sorry I meant for the "Katy Perry concert featuring football."  Sorry I'm not very funny.  This gathering was a bunch of the dietetic interns so clearly it was more or less a healthy Super Bowl party.  And this amazing ranch dip was made.  Shout out to Katie (or should I be blaming her...) for making me dream of ranch this week.  

I'm all for making things from scratch, don't get me wrong but I've been craving ranch like no other and wasn't about to go to the store to buy extra spices when I had 2 packets of ranch seasoning right at home.  Do you ever just have those moments where you want something right away and don't want to wait?  That's the story of my life.  I love instant gratification.  Like if I have an insane cookie craving, I have no patience to wait and defrost one from my freezer, or bake a batch from scratch...NO I have to run to the store and buy cookies.  My impatience can almost be an inconvenience sometimes.  But not with these burgers.  Ranch seasoning makes instant gratification exactly that:  instant.  Hence the inspiration for my ranch burgers.  Ranch tastes good on a burger so why not mix it in?  You could totally make the ranch seasoning blend from scratch but when you're busy, who wants to spend more than 20 minutes cooking and cleaning?  I'd like to argue that this meal took 15 minutes to make.  That's right; I dare you to come time me.  

While the burgers cook, you prepare the ranch dip.  Who doesn't love ranch dip?  This is creamy and tart and has all the ranch flavor you love.  And I made it with Greek yogurt!  So it's got protein and it's low in fat.  It's the best because it's healthy ranch.  If you aren't a Greek yogurt fan, you could always do light sour cream and half yogurt.  It's a good way to ease yourself into becoming a yogurt dip lover.

I suggest you eat your ranch sliders with your ranch dip.  Maybe even on a delicious bun with avocado, sriracha and some sharp cheddar.  Excuse me while I go make that sandwich now.  And if you're feeling extra crazy, some baked green bean fries to dip in that ranch?  My mouth is watering.

I don't know about you, but Sunday mornings are one of my favorite parts of each week mid-summer through late-fall because of one thing-- the farmer's market!  I love chatting with the vendors, sampling local breads, local produce and everything else in between.  There is so much to be discovered at the farmer's market I highly suggest checking when the local market in your town is.  This past Sunday, I went down with my dad.  Together, we picked out items to include in our Father's Day dinner that I agreed to cook later that evening.  We left with some great produce and even some ground bison.  Keep reading to see how I prepared everything!

Next time you are looking for a low-fat meat to prepare for dinner, consider bison for your next stir fry, pasta sauce, or even hamburger.  This nutritious meat is lower in fat than beef (making it a great alternative red meat), and lower in cholesterol than chicken.  Remember though, the lower fat content makes it very easy to overcook bison.  One cooking tip would be to cook your bison "low and slow."  This means set your oven or grill to a lower temperature and cook for a little bit longer.  This will help to avoid cooking tough bison meat, and instead wowing everybody with your perfectly tender bison meal.    

High Protein, Low Fat:
A 3-ounce serving of bison meat contains 122 calories, 24.2 grams of protein and 2.1 grams of fat, including just 0.8 gram of saturated fat.  This is less fat than even grass-fed beef, according to a 2012 article published in "Mother Earth News."


B Vitamin Benefits?
That's right!  Consuming bison will boost your intake of B vitamins.  A serving of bison contains riboflavin, niacin, B-6, and a whopping 41% of the DV for B-12!  B Vitamins are essential for hair, skin, and eye health, in addition to ensuring a healthy liver and healthy nervous function.  So what are you waiting for, eat up!

 Keep Your Heart Healthy:
Next time you make a recipe that calls for beef, try subbing in bison.  You'll be less likely to develop clogged arteries according to a study published in April 2013 from "Nutrition Research."  This study reported that while eating beef increased both triglyceride levels and markers of inflammation in study participants, eating bison demonstrated smaller increases in triglyceride levels and little to no increase in the markers of inflammation.


High In Minerals:
A 3 oz serving of bison will give you 56% of the DV for iron, in addition to providing significant amounts of phosphorus, zinc and selenium.  Iron is especially important for forming red blood cells, which bring oxygen to where it is needed in the body.  


Nutritional Comparisons For Bison and Other Proteins:

BISON BURGERS

Ingredients:
2 pound ground bison
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, optional/to taste

Instructions:
In a large bowl mix the bison with all of the ingredients listed. 
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook a small portion of the meat. Taste the burger to see if you need to add salt. Add salt to the meat mixture to taste. Divide the meat into 8 evenly portioned round patties and set aside (.25 lb burgers).  
Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat.  Place a piece of foil coated with cooking spray on the grill.  Cook patties on the grill, about 3 minutes per side.  Bison should be cooked to a medium rare to rare temperature.  There should still be some pink in the meat.  
Serve burgers on an onion bun with garlic spread and sauteed onions!  Enjoy.

Nutrition:  (for one .25 lb burger)
Calories:  164, Fat:  4 g, Saturated fat:  .9 g, Potassium:  345.8 mg, Carbohydrates:  6.1 g, Fiber:  .6 g, Protein:  24.8 g protein