Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto

November 26, 2014 7 comments Article

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (10) Happy day before Thanksgiving to everyone in the States! I’m so excited about all of the cooking and baking in the next 48 hours! I love cranking up the Christmas music when everyone is in the kitchen doing various jobs on Thanksgiving day.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto1 Of course, I’m starting to get a little overwhelmed, like I do every year, at the amount of food we have right now. We should be eating well for at least a week. Yay for leftovers!

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto2 I don’t know about you but I have a lot to be thankful for this year. My family has had a pretty crazy and life changing year and God has blessed us so much and gotten us through some wild parts of our recent adventures. So many stories there, but those are for another time. Let’s talk burgers.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (6) I know that fresh basil pesto and burgers are not the first thing you would expect this time of year but it’s getting so summery here. Hey, at least there’s turkey involved here.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto3 I was going for a lighter burger and I thought I’d throw some veggies in there too. You guys have to trust me on this, you can’t taste zucchini at all.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto4 I even got my veggie-hating brother to eat this and he had no clue that it was nutritious. Sophie ate almost an entire burger and that is saying something. I guess she is like every other 6-year-old out there because she always leaves a lot of food on her plate.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (7) Most people associate turkey with being dry and bland but not these. Uh uh, these are so juicy and full of flavor. Top them with that pesto and avocado, you can’t forget about the avocado, and you’ve got an amazing combo.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (9) You can add cheese too, if you want. My family has so many different taste preferences so we pretty much had every variation going on and they were all good. Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (8) We always make big batches of everything to feed everyone in the gang so I made a lot of burgers. I got through about 6 on the skillet before I realized it was going to take forever to finish so I decided to try them in the oven to save time and sanity and I was really happy with the result. Just be sure to line your pan very well if you choose to bake them or the juices will burn on your pan and that’s no fun to scrub. Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (2) This is definitely something that I will be making again and I hope you try them too! Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (4)

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Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 burgers

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto

Ingredients

    Pesto:
  • 1 cup pine nuts (you can sub walnuts)
  • 1 1/3 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • Burgers:
  • 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium)
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon oregeno
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 hamburger buns (try these or the ones from this recipe
  • tomato slices
  • fresh lettuce leaves
  • avocado slices

Instructions

    Pesto:
  1. Combine all ingredients for pesto in blender or food processor and pulse until roughly smooth.
  2. This can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator until ready to use.
    3. Burgers:
  3. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic, and seasoning in a large bowl. Add zucchini, onion, egg white, and turkey and mix until well combined.
  4. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and pour in olive oil. Form turkey mixture into 6 patties and place a few on skillet. Cook on each side for 5 - 7 minutes until fully cooked. (These take longer than your average burger because of all of the moisture in the zucchini so try to be patient.) Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess moisture.
    5. Assemble burgers:
  5. Slice buns in half, toast, and spread with pesto. Place burgers on buns and layer with avocado, tomato, lettuce, and any other desired toppings.

Notes

You can also bake these burgers. Place on foil lined baking tray(well lined) and bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 20 - 30 minutes turning halfway through until fully cooked.

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Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (3) Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Avocado and Pesto (5)

 

Categories: Breads, Homemade & DIY, Main Course, Sauces & Such, Sugar-Free, Summer

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch

October 29, 2014 2 comments Article

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (10) Today could use something epic. What do you think, hows about we makes us some fried pickle burgers! Yea, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (3) Okay, so I need you guys to use your imagination a little bit here, you know why? Well, because I had a total brain lapse and I somehow forgot to put cheese on my star burgers. I know, how can you forget something like that. I was taking pictures and wondering the whole time why they looked kind of naked but I didn’t have that slap-yourself, duh moment until I was editing. I felt really stupid.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch It wasn’t totally my fault. I happened to have strange men in my kitchen while I was trying to finish these burgers for my hungry crowd. No, they were not trying to rob the place or anything. They were fixing the kitchen sink. I don’t think I ever mentioned that our sink has been driving me crazy for weeks. It has had a leak that caused a flood if you dumped too much water down the drain at once, ask me how I know this. Plus, the faucet had been dripping and the handle had been screwed tight so many times that it would just pop off if you tried to stop the dripping. Very annoying.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (2) Luckily they fixed it so at least the cheeselessness my burgers was not in vain. Anyway, I need you to imagine the cheese on them for me so I don’t feel like such an idiot, because there has to be cheese. You think you can do that? That would be great, thanks.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (4) Is anyone familiar with artichokes? I had never even held an artichoke until I made this recipe. I pretty much had no idea what I was doing so I did a bunch of reading on the best way to cook and use them. If you are wondering why they are called artichokes it’s because that is what will happen if you eat the wrong parts of them.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (9) I think I roasted mine too long but that was partly because of my oven, remember I told you that the top went out. They looked pretty creepy when I was done. My sister asked me if I was roasting a dead bird. Yep, they were pretty toasted. I think they looked pretty cool though. Definitely fitting for this weekend.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (6) So artichokes are more labor than I thought at first but that is probably because I am an artichoke rookie. Next time I will get it much faster and not choke because I don’t even know what parts are edible. You have to try it. You can read all day long about the right and wrong things to do but I find that experience is the best teacher.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (5) The flavor of these burgers as a whole is worth it all you guys. The fried pickles dipped in that ranch and then also on the burger, Yum! Everyone wants me to make more.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (7) Oh, and if you have extra ranch after everything is gone you can use it as a pasta sauce. I just added a little milk and seasoning and tossed it with pasta and chicken and it was really good.

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch (8)

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The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

The Fried Pickle Burger with Roasted Artichoke Garlic Ranch

Ingredients

    Burgers:
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80/20 blend)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons worchestershire
  • 4 slices your favorite cheese
  • 4 hamburger buns (I used my favorite bun recipe)
  • fried pickles(recipe follows)
  • roasted artichoke garlic ranch for spreading on burger and dippinf pickles(recipe follows)
  • tomato slices and lettuce for serving
    • Fried pickles:
  • peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 cups sliced dill pickles, drained
  • 1/2 cup pickle juice
    • Roasted artichokes and garlic:
  • 2 large artichokes, washed
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • vegetable oil for drizzling
  • salt
    • Roasted artichoke garlic ranch:
  • 1 cup real mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or water until desired consistancy
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. First you need to make the artichoke dip. Start by roasting the garlic and artichokes. If you are unfamiliar with artichokes there are many articles and videos out there that can help you know what is edible and what is not.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Cut lemon and squeeze the juice into a large bowl then fill with water. Break off small outer leaves. If your variety has thorns use scissors to snip thorn tips from remaining leaves then trim stem ends with knife. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise, rinse well, and drain briefly. Use a spoon to remove the "hairball" or choke in the center. Place in bowl of water to prevent them from discoloring while you prep the other.
  3. Cut top off of garlic and place on roasting pan. Rinse artichokes and pat dry then place beside garlic on pan. Drizzle with oil and salt then bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You can prep the stuff for your burgers and pickles while they roast.
  4. Place artichoke hearts and garlic in food processor and pulse until well chopped add all other ingredients for ranch and blend until smooth.
  5. Now for the burgers: mix ground beef with salt, pepper, and worchestershire in a stainless steel bowl. Divide into 4 patties and place on foil lined tray. Make a slight well in burgers to keep them flat while cooking. Heat grill over medium-high heat. Cook on each side for 3 - 5 minutes until thoroughly cooked inside. Add cheese to tops of burgers, place on fresh peice of foil, then wrap and make a foil packet to keep warm.
  6. Pickle time: Heat 1 inch of oil in a pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, whisk the flour and other ingredients for batter in a large bowl until smooth. Spread the pickles on paper towels and pat dry. Dip in batter and fry on each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
  7. Now assemble the burgers: Toast buns if desired and spread with ranch. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, burgers, and fried pickles, plus any other toppings that you want.
  8. Serve hot with a side of fried pickles and extra ranch for dipping.
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Categories: Appetizers, Main Course, Other, Sauces & Such, Snacks, Summer

BBQ Bacon Hamburgers on Bagel Buns _

Barbecue Bacon Gouda Cheeseburgers on Homemade Bagel Buns

July 9, 2014 5 comments Article

 Do any of you have younger siblings? I have many. One in particular comes to mind when I make things like this; my little (big) brother Chase. He is by far the biggest fan of these burgers, literally and figuratively BBQ Bacon Hamburgers on Bagel Buns (2)

Chase is 3 years younger than I am and about 2 feet taller. It is so strange to be looking up to my little brother. I used to be much taller than he was, taller than all of my siblings, then he hit puberty. I think his growth rate broke some kind of world record because he seemed to gain inches overnight. Now standing next to him is like being shaded by a tall building and you get the urge to inquire about the altitude up there. BBQ Bacon Hamburgers on Bagel Buns (4)

Like every teenage boy, he loves meat. Bacon, ham, chicken, beef, sausage, you name it and he probably loves it. I think teenage boys come with built-in meat-dars because if I am cooking anything that even resembles the look or smell of meat then he finds his way to the kitchen with inhuman speed ready to devour it. These we’re no exception. He is still talking about them and will probably continue to talk about them until I out-do them with another recipe. BBQ Bacon Hamburgers on Bagel Buns (3)

It is winter here. That means that it is pretty cold and rainy outside most of the time. I would have loved to do these on the grill, but because of the cold I did them, as I like to call it, winter-style. Inside on a skillet. Not nearly as good as a grill but they turned out all right. I used the Bagel Buns that I made the day before for these and some of my favorite Golden Barbecue Sauce. You can use whatever kind of buns and barbecue sauce that you want and these will still be awesome. BBQ Bacon Hamburgers on Bagel Buns

Oh, and I almost forgot. I seasoned the burgers with my family’s favorite seasoning for grilling, Montreal Steak Seasoning. I am sure that many of you have this already and maybe use it all the time so it isn’t a big deal to you. For me it is like gold. We came across a small bottle at our largest grocery store here called Jumbo. We couldn’t find the price but thought that it couldn’t possibly cost more than the other spices that are imported from the States so we just bought it. Well it did cost more. Around $16.00 U.S. dollars actually, for the really small bottle! I use it sparingly now, just saying. It does pack some flavor though. It may have been worth that price for these burgers alone.

 

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Barbecue Bacon Gouda Cheeseburgers on Homemade Bagel Buns

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 burgers

Barbecue Bacon Gouda Cheeseburgers on Homemade Bagel Buns

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon until browned and crispy in a medium skillet. Remove to paper towel lined plate and set aside.
  2. Heat the grill (or drain grease and use same skillet) over medium-high heat. Mix ground beef with Montreal Seasoning and form into 4 patties. Cook on each side for 3 - 5 minutes until thoroughly cooked inside. Add cheese during the last 1 -2 minutes of cooking to melt. Slice buns in half and toast.
  3. To assemble the burgers, layer patties on buns with sliced onion, barbecue sauce, bacon, and mayonnaise if desired.
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Categories: Breads, Main Course, Summer