I cooked: Jamie Oliver's Cracking Burger

The general misconception about burgers are that they are bad for you, more so if you've watched the movie Super Size Me.

Even burgers can be a light fare if you make them with lean ground red meat - lean being the operative word - is a great choice for women who are trying to shed pounds. It's an excellent source of protein. And protein takes longer to digest, helping you feel full and cutting the likelihood that you'll snack later on. - Bonnie Gluck, M.S., R.D., a clinical dietitian at New York Methodist Hospital in New York City.

Well, not all burgers are bad for you, especially if they are homemade with fresh ingredients and prepared by hand with beef mince. We made some burgers this weekend using Jamie Oliver's Cracking Burger recipe and they turned out really well. The burger was wonderfully juicy and more superior in taste, unlike fast food restaurant burgers which can be a little dry. And best of all, they're healthy and not greasy (we used less than 1 tbsp of oil for this recipe).

So, the next time we throw a BBQ, we're ditching the Ramly burgers and making our own.

Jamie Oliver's Cracking Burger

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Makes 3

Ingredients

5 Jacob crackers

4 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 2 tbsp dried parsley)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

220g good-quality beef mince

1 medium egg

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Olive oil

Iceberg lettuce, washed and dried

1 tomato, sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 burger buns

3 slices Cheddar cheese

1. Place the crackers in a plastic bag and smash up until fine (we used a rolling pin). Break any big bits with your hands and place in a large bowl.

2. Add the parsley, beef mince, and mustard to the bowl.

3. Crack in the egg and add salt and pepper. Mix everything well.

4. Using your hands, divide into 3, and mold each piece into a roundish shape around 3/4 inch thick.

5. Drizzle the patties with some olive oil, put on a plate and refridgerate until required. This will help them firm up.

6. To cook, preheat a frying pan for 4 minutes on high heat, then turn down to medium. Place the burgers in the pan and use the turner to lightly press down on the burger so that it is in full contact with the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.

7. Halve your burger buns, spread with some butter and lightly toast them in the frying pan for 30 seconds.

8. Assemble your burger with lettuce, onion, tomatoes and cheese as desired. Serve your burger with a side salad or some chips if you're feeling naughty.

Ready for assembly

A mighty fine burger

Your carbs, protein, dairy and vegetable, all packed in one burger.

Note: It is important to cook your burgers well as raw hamburgers contain harmful bacteria such as E.coli.

*This recipe was featured on DailyBuzz Moms- Burger Bonanza on 17 April 2013.

Macarons @ Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

Andy the Anchorman (in studio): Move over cupcakes, we have a new 'IT' dessert in town and her name is Macy the Macaron. Today, we bring you an exclusive interview with the leading lady herself about what makes the perfect macaron, at one of the city's macaron hotspots, Nathalie's Gourmet Studio at Solaris Dutamas. Over to you, Berry.

Nathalie's macarons are packed in a clear box to showcase the dazzling colours

Berry: Bonjour Mademoiselle Macy. You're looking exquisite.

Macy: Merci beaucoup Monseuir Beh-ry.

Meet Macy the Macaron :)

Berry: The macaron craze has been taking the nation by storm. So tell us, what brings you to this part of the world?

Macy: We started out in France and we thought it would be a nifty idea to venture into USA, Britain and other parts of Europe. We're also a big hit in Asian countries such as Japan and Singapore. We heard that the Malaysians are a bunch of dessert lovers, so here we are trying our luck!

From Paris, With Love

Berry: Oh, we do love you cute little macarons. Care to share what makes a perfect macaron?

Macy: Firstly, there is the upper crust; it needs to be crisp with a smooth domed top and flat base plus a ruffled circumference (also known as the "foot"). It has to be light and airy when you bite into it. And the filling should be moist, with a chewy and melt-in-the-mouth consistency.

Looking good, baby!

Berry: How many flavours are you available in?

Macy: Well, at Nathalie's, they have a huge range of flavours, 16 if I'm not wrong.

Berry: You are quite a sensation over here, turning heads with your colourful personality. What's your favourite colour?

Macy: Anything goes, as long as it's bold and vibrant! The more colourful, the better.

Sophisticated, fashionable candies for grown-ups

Berry: Mademoiselle Macy, it was a pleasure meeting you and we wish you the best of luck in Malaysia.

[looks at camera] And thank you for tuning in to BBC (that's Berrylicious Broadcasting Channel) for the hottest news on the baking circuit. Back to you Andy.

[starts munching on a macaron (hopefully not Macy!!) as soon as cameras are turned away]

The leaning tower of macarons

Our verdict: Nathalie's is well-known for her macarons, so a visit to her restaurant is not complete without sampling some of them. We tried 8 flavours; framboise (French raspberry), noix de coco (coconut), nougat, caramel, matcha (green tea), rose-litchee (lychee), lavender-abricot, and praline. Although the macarons here have the characteristics of a near-perfect macaron, we found the crusts to be too sweet. For me, the best flavours were the fruity ones (my favorite flavours were framboise, rose-litchee and lavender-abricot), as they take some of the edge off the overpowering sweetness of the crust. Overall, we also felt that the Daniel Rebert macarons we had previously were slightly better than Nathalie's due to it's more unique flavours.

Opening times: 9.00am to 6.00pm. Closed on Sundays. Nathalie's also serve breakfast and lunch daily, click here for the review of our previous visit.

Price: RM4.40++ each

Location: Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, Solaris Dutamas, Unit A4-01-5, Jalan Dutamas, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Walk to the left hand far end [left when you're facing the main road] until you spot Heidelberg Kaffehaus, then take the escalators to the fourth floor)

Tel: 03-6207 9572

Website: http://www.nathaliegourmetstudio.com/

GPS Coordinates: 3.1711, 101.66583