Chicken Burger with Parsnip "Fries"

In my ever quest to use leaner meats in my cooking I atempted my first chicken burger.  Yes the chicken is a better option then beef, however I'm not saying this is the perfect healthy burger as it has nice bits of bacon throughout!  The use of shredded apple and honey keep the burger moist a little sweet.  We found that a little honey mustard on this burger with some spinach worked very well.  To give the affect of french fries with all that fat we made parnsip fries.  These were seasoned and tossed with a little olive oil and roasted in the oven.  All around a very flavorful meal.

Burger:

1 lb ground chicken

1 stalk of celery finely chopped

1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning

1 apple shredded (medium sized, I used mactintosh but granny smith would work well)

2 tablespoons honey

salt and pepper to taste

4 strips of cooked bacon crumbled

Toasted buns

Optional Toppings:

dijon or honey mustard

spinach

cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl combine seasoning, celery, apple, bacon, honey.  Add in chicken and mis to just combined, don't over mix.  Form into four patties.  Cook on grill or griddle, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Place on bun and add optional toppings.

* Since this recipe makes four patties I did freeze two cooked patties between parchment paper for another night.

Keep scrolling for Parnsip Fries recipe

Parsnip Fries:
2-3 parsnips peeled and sliced into sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried thyme crushed (or Rosemary)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parnsips on a foil lined baking sheet.  Toss to olive oil and all seasonings.  Bake 10 minutes then turn parsnips over. Bake another 10 minutes.  Should be golden brown and fork tender.

"Octoberfest" Turkey Burger

On eof the best things about fall is the change of menu.  Bringing in apples, pumpkin, and more comfort foods.  Beign that today is October 1st it seems like a good time to also think about octoberfest. This is a delicious perfect burger for October.  I discovered this in EveryDay with Rachel Ray it was the burger of the month.   It sounded interesting and I happened to have some ground turkey on hand.  So why not give it a try. I think the flavors worked well together and it will stay moist. The added bacon drippings help a lot.  And it pairs very well with a pale ale or your favorite lager.  Serve it at your  Octoberfest party.  My husband must have liked it as he rated it blog-worthy!

Recipe: (from EveryDay with Rachel Ray October 2013)

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/2 cupped onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp superfine sugar or 1 tbsp light agave nectar
2 tbsp cidar vinegar
1 1/2-2 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 slices mustard seed- flavored Beemster (gouda) OR smoked Gouda
4 rolls split toasted (I used a brioche, but a pretzel roll would be awesome)
spicy brown mustard
sauerkraut, warmed
bread and butter pickles

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  crisp the bacon bits, 2-3 minutes, keep stirring. Add in the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes.  Add the sugar and vinegar, stir.  Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl, season the turkey with and pepper.  Add the parsley, Worcestershire and the cooked bacon mixture and drippings.  Stir to combine, then form 4 patties.  Heat skillet over medium-high.  Add burger and cook, 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping only once. Place cheese on top and melt.  Slather bun with mustard, top with saurkraut and pickles.  Enjoy. 

Black Bean "Nacho" Burger

Recipe: Taken from September 2012 Fitness magazine

1 15 oz can drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 cup finely crushed blue corn tortillas
1/3 cup salsa, plus more for serving
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 hamburger buns
sliced avocado for serving

Use a food processor or a potato masher to smash black beans until chunky, leaving some partly whole.   Stir in crushed chips, cheese, salsa, pepper, scallion, and egg.  Set mixture aside for 10 minutes then shape into patties.

Place patties on plate and cover with plastic wrap place in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add patties and cook until golden brown on one side, 4-5 minutes.  Flip and cook until golden brown on other side another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve on buns topped with salsa and avocado.  (we use a toasted onion roll!)

Asian Turkey Burger

In an effort to make healthier selections I have been wanting to try ground lean turkey instead of ground beef. However like many I had a resistant husband. When a coupon and a sale inspired me to make the leap. His reaction was "really ground turkey what are you going to do with that?"  I came across what sounded like a great recipe for Asian turkey burgers.  I thought why not let's give it a try. I had a wonderful recipe already for an Asian slaw, this went wonderfully on top of the burger.

The flavors of this burger and the slaw on top complimented each other so well.

My husband's only issue with the burger....I made them a little too fat! Other then that his reaction after being skeptical about the ground turkey was "oh my god that is a good burger!"  He would like to see it again soon on our weekly menu.

Recipe:

Asian Turkey Burger-

Ingredients

     

    For the mayo-

    

    3 tablespoons mayonnaise

    1 tablespoon of Sriracha

    For the burgers-

   

    1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

    1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

    1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro  

    3 cloves minced garlic

    2 scallions, finely chopped

    3 tablespoons soy sauce

    1 tablespoon sesame oil    

    1 tablespoon minced ginger

    1 teaspoon red pepper flake

    Hamburger buns

    For the Asian Slaw-

     1 red or orange bell pepper- thinly sliced

     1 onion (red or yellow)- thinly sliced

     1 carrot- thinly slice or shredded

     2 tablespoons of soy sauce

     1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

     1 teaspoon minced ginger

     1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

• To make the mayo, mix together the mayonnaise and the Sriracha in a small bowl and set aside.

• Next prepare the slaw so the flavors can blend while the burgers cook.  Mix all the liquid slaw ingredients in a medium bowl.  Toss the sliced vegetables in the sauce and set aside in the fridge.

• Using your hands, mix all the ingredients for the burgers in a large bowl until just incorporated.  Scoop out mixture and form into a patty. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

• Heat a grill pan (or an outdoor grill)   Lightly oil the pan.  Grill the patties about 5 to 7 minutes per side, until well browned on both sides and a meat thermometer reads 165.  

• As burgers finish grilling toast buns on grill.  When buns are ready spread mayo mixture on top of bun.  Burgers can be served with the slaw on top.  If you would rather eat slaw as a side top burgers with tomato and lettuce.  I also topped our burgers with swiss cheese which worked wonderful with the flavors but tasted great without!

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