Tasty Turkey Time (Totally Organic!)

Ok friends, I have a new recipe for you and a boat load of awful photos. Well, the pix are not so bad, but I think it's time to invest in some proper lighting or at least be sure that I'm making magical meals on the weekend when the sun bathes my kitchen with warmth and natural light.

Let me begin by saying that this meal was prepared with my son and WW in mind, meaning it is properly edible for an 18-month old and it is light and healthy.

So here we go: Turkey Burgers. Boring you say? Don't like them you say? Well, you have not had mine. Not only are these yummy, but they are a great way to get your kids (or any kid-like adults) to eat their veggies without them even knowing it! And if you have an outdoor grill, that's a plus!

Turkey Burgers


Organic Tasty Turkey Burgers

INGREDIENTS (all organic ingredients whenever possible)
  • 1 lb ground white turkey meat, 98% lean*
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 2 hand fulls spinach, finely diced (not frozen, not cooked)
  • 8 oz mushrooms, finely diced
  • 1/2 small red pepper, finely diced
  • 2 oz cheese (low fat if you are counting points, add up to 4 oz if you like)
  • 1 branch of fresh basil, finely diced
  • 1 large egg
METHOD
  • mix all ingredients in a large bowl
  • measure out 2 oz balls for young child - flatten to 1/2 inch thickness
  • measure out 4 oz balls for adult (or larger if necessary) - flatten to 1/2 inch thickness
  • grill outdoors if possible for added flavor
  • indoors, use a grill pan
  • do not over cook or burgers will dry out
YIELDS SIX 4 oz burgers, TEN 2 oz burgers (more or less depending on the amount of veggies added)


NOTE*
You can use dark meat if you want juicier burgers and are not watching your fat intake as closely. Ground turkey that is 85% lean is still a more healthy choice than regular hamburger meat.
Organic ground turkey costs a bit more than ground beef but is an excellent source of lean protein. One serving of turkey provides more than half your body’s protein requirement, with half the fat of beef and 30% fewer calories.Turkey also contains the trace mineral selenium, plus niacin and Vitamin B6.

Be sure to dice the veggies super duper fine. If they are too large your little one may pick out the veggies, like mine did, and not only that, but the burgers tend to break apart easily. The adult burgers pictured on this post have veggies that are a tad too large. Finely dice, and your burgers will be fine!

Then mix all the yummy veggies and cheese together with the turkey meat, along with an egg (to hold it together).

Turkey Burgers

For baby, measure out a 2 oz ball. For the adult who's watching her waist line, measure out a 4 oz ball. Flatten to 1/2 inch thick.

Turkey Burgers

Grill outdoors if possible, using an organic cooking spray. Cook until done, but do not over cook! The burgers should not be pink, but they should be extremely juicy! If they are not, you probably did leave them on the grill too long.

Get creative! Feel free to add various veggies to the mix, such at zucchini or yellow squash. You could even grate the zucchini, but remember, it's watery and if you add too much, then your burgers will fall apart. You could add a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs if this happens. In addition, feel free to add other greens such as arugula, cilantro or kale. Feel free to add fresh garlic. It's really up to you. Experiment to see what you like best!


My burgers, with a touch of cilantro dressing on the side.

Turkey Burgers — Up Close



Oliver's Burger

Turkey Burgers


Matt had a regular burger for dinner this night but made me promise to let him eat our delicious turkey burgers next time! Coming from a red meat and potatoes man, that's a compliment! Enjoy!