By Dr. Karen Lindsay and Professor Fionnuala McAuliffe

Serves 4
Ingredients
For the burgers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g minced beef
2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs, such as tarragon, chives, thyme and parsley
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
25g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
4 toasted wholemeal burger buns
For the gherkin relish
75g gherkins, very finely chopped
1 tomato, very finely chopped
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
For the vegetables
1 aubergine, trimmed and cut into bite-size chunks
1 courgette, trimmed and cut into bite-size chunks
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
2 red onions, trimmed, peeled and cut into quarters
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced through the root into quarters
1 tsp thyme leaves
Olive oil

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C. Place all the prepared vegetables in a roasting dish, sprinkle over the thyme leaves and drizzle all over with olive oil. Toss the vegetables until well coated in oil and evenly spread out in the dish. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are quite tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, for the burgers, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan on a low heat, add the onion, season with salt and pepper, cover and sweat on a low heat for 10 minutes or until very soft but not browned. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
3. Place the cooled onion in a large bowl and mix together with the mince, garlic, mixed herbs, egg and breadcrumbs. Shape the mixture into 4 evenly sized burgers.
4. Heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the burgers for 8-10 minutes on each side or until well browned and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the gherkin relish by tossing all the ingredients together and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the burgers on wholemeal buns along with the gherkin relish and roasted vegetables.

Bio:

Fionnuala McAuliffe is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at National Maternity Hospital Dublin.

Dr. Karen Lindsay is a Postdoctural Fellow