Accidentally Delicious Turkey Burgers

by Amazon al Dente at 10:56 PM PDT, March 16, 2009

Last night I was determined to make a nutritious dinner for the boys and got all the ingredients for turkey burgers as I thought I remembered reading them from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious recipe. But how's this for lazy--when it came time to prep the food, I was so panic-hungry and suffering from the shakes (this happens suddenly and without warning in pregnancy) that I simply couldn't be bothered to pull the book down and open it. Looking up a page number and turning to that page seemed a vast, complex sequence of events and a grotesque waste of precious time. This is the dearth of logic that also happens all during my pregnancies...

"OH SH@$, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE RECIPE!"

"Honey, do you want me to hand you the cookbook?"

"QUICK! NO TIME! JUST HAND ME THE TURKEY!"

"...but it's right here...I can.."

"JUST YOU AND THE BOYS GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Of course, there are two recipes in her book for making turkey burgers, and I think I mixed the both of them together, but nevermind. Whatever I made was accidentally delicious. I used some leftover organic chicken-flavored stuffing mix instead of whatever bread crumbs she called for (after all, stuffing IS bread crumbs) and I think that gave me a real flavor boost. I thought the recipe called for a cup of bread crumbs, but when I measured out a cup, there was so little left in the bag I decided to use it all. It was probably around 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey thigh
2 tablespoons low-sodium organic soy sauce
2 tablespoons organic ketchup
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
3 baby carrots, minced
1 scallion, white and green part chopped
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups organic chicken-flavored Thanksgiving stuffing mix
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk
some shakes of salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine everything. It just so happens I combined everything except the turkey, because I couldn't find it at first, and so everything had soaked together for at least 5 minutes while I hunted down the ground turkey. Don't ask... But I don't know if this made them taste better, adding the meat last while everything else soaked together, or if it wouldn't matter either way.

2. Squish it all together with your hands trying for an even distribution of little green and orange flecks across burgers. I made 6 big patties approximately 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick. One patty was smaller for the baby. The rest were evenly sized. They will seem overly moist. Don't be concerned. Turkey dries out while it cooks.

3. Cook in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil for about 5 minutes per side. Add cheese on top while they're hot if you want cheese. Or you could top it with some fancy Asian slaw and a hoisin sauce or something.

Next Day Brunch: I chopped up a leftover burger patty and used it to make great 2-egg omelets with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, scallion, and cheddar cheese.

--Sweet B

In topics: Recipes, What's Cooking?

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Pub Grub Reader Recipe: Bangers and Mash

by Amazon al Dente at 10:03 AM PDT, March 17, 2009

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, and thanks to all of you who submitted recipes for our March Reader Recipe contest, featuring great pub food! Our pick for tastiest way to honor the Irish is this recipe from Robin Mish at spice-guy.com. Serve up this classic pub grub tonight with a pint of your finest green beer.

Thanks for this great recipe, Robin! Readers, if you've got loads of great recipes to share, stay tuned to Al Dente for our monthly recipe contests. We'll put out a call for specific genres of recipes each month and post our favorites.

Sláinte!

Bangers and Mash

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon butter, divided
1/4 cup milk, or as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound beef sausage
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
1/2 cup water, or as needed

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes, and mash with 1 teaspoon of butter, and enough milk to reach your desired creaminess. Continue mashing, or beat with an electric mixer, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until heated through. Remove from pan, and set aside. Add remaining teaspoon of butter to the skillet, and fry the onions over medium heat until tender. Mix gravy mix and water as directed on the package, and add to the skillet with the onions. Simmer, stirring constantly, to form a thick gravy.
5. Pour half of the gravy into a square casserole dish so that it coats the bottom. Place sausages in a layer over the gravy (you can butterfly the sausages if you wish). Pour remaining gravy over them, then top with mashed potatoes.
6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until potatoes are evenly brown.

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Vietnamese Shrimp Pops with Peanut Sauce--from Weber's Way to Grill

by Amazon al Dente at 3:21 PM PDT, March 11, 2009

Here's another great recipe from Weber's Way to Grill. As far as technique goes, this is fairly easy, but it tastes like you put a lot of effort into it. Don't forget that you have until March 18 for your chance to win a free autographed copy of the cookbook.

Vietnamese Shrimp Pops with Peanut Sauce

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

WAY TO GRILL: direct high heat (450° to 550°F)
GRILLING TIME: 4 to 6 minutes
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, stirred
1⁄3 cup old-fashioned peanut butter, stirred
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Shrimp Pops
1 pound ground pork
¾ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the sauce ingredients. Place over medium heat and cook (but do not simmer), whisking constantly, just until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes (the sauce will thicken further as it cools). Remove from the heat.

2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the shrimp pop ingredients and process until a chunky paste is formed. Pour the vegetable oil onto a sheet pan and brush it evenly all over the surface. Using 2 spoons, shape the mixture into small ovals or quenelles, placing them on the oiled sheet pan as you make them. Turn them, making sure they are well coated with oil. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up the texture.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat.

4. Place a quenelle on the end of each skewer. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the shrimp pops over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice (cut one open with a sharp knife to test for doneness). Arrange the shrimp pops on a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

©2009 Weber-Stephen Products Co. Recipe from Weber’s Way to Grill™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission.

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Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil--From Weber's Way to Grill

by Amazon al Dente at 9:56 AM PST, March 6, 2009

Out of the five recipes I've tried from Weber's Way to Grill, this is my favorite so far. I'm not huge chicken eater, but the mix of prosciutto, basil, and tomato sauce is quite tasty. Also, even though you have to pound the breasts and use butcher's twine, the step-by-step photos make it really easy. And that's what sets this book apart from other grill books--EVERY recipe has step-by-step photos. This helps you get the technique right, which makes you look like a grilling pro. On to the recipe..

Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes

WAY TO GRILL: direct medium heat (350° to 450°F)
GRILLING TIME: about 12 minutes
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: butcher’s twine

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 8 ounces each, tenders removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 very thin slices prosciutto
4 thin slices provolone cheese, halved
8 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups good-quality tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

2. For each piece of chicken, use about 12 inches of plastic wrap. Place the chicken, smooth side down, to one side of the plastic, about 2 inches from the edge. Fold the remaining plastic over the chicken leaving an inch or so from the folded edge. This will allow the chicken to spread out as it gets thinner. Starting from the thick side, gently pound the chicken with the flat side of a tenderizer or the bottom of a small, heavy skillet, moving to different areas with every stroke until it is about ¼ inch thick and just about doubles in size. Do not pound too hard or the chicken might break apart.

3. Season each piece of chicken on both sides with the salt, granulated garlic, and pepper. Arrange the chicken with the smooth side down on a work surface.

4. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken. Then lay down 2 halves of the provolone and then 2 basil leaves. Carefully roll up the chicken, keeping it snug as you work. Tie 2 pieces of butcher’s twine around each piece to keep it together. Trim the loose ends of twine. Lightly brush each rolled piece of chicken with oil.

5. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until golden on all sides, about 12 minutes, turning a quarter turn every 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the tomato sauce.

6. Remove the twine from the chicken pieces, cut into slices, and serve warm on a pool of sauce. Garnish with torn pieces of basil.

©2009 Weber-Stephen Products Co. Recipe from Weber’s Way to Grill™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission.

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