ORIENTAL-STYLE TURKEY PATTIES

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Poultry by sallybr

I got the inspiration for this recipe from two sources: this blog post over at Kalyn’s Kitchen, and a recent Anne Burrel show on Food TV, in which she featured turkey burgers. Ground turkey is a great basic ingredient to play with because it’s naturally low in fat, but exactly what makes it good has the potential of creating trouble. As Anne herself said in the show, she’s had plenty of bad turkey burgers in he lifetime, and so have I. The trick is to season the meat well, and increase its overall moisture.

ORIENTAL-STYLE TURKEY PATTIES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 + 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 Tbs Sriracha sauce
2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped fine
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, white and light green parts, minced
about 2 Tbs water
a few Tbs bread crumbs, if needed
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the bread crumbs, try not to overwork the mixture or the patties will be too tough. This won’t be like a regular beef hamburger type mixture, the goal is to end up with more moisture. Once all is combined, if the mixture is too loose to form as a patty, sprinkle breadcrumbs and mix again. Form 4 patties, and place them over parchment paper on a baking sheet, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

Cook them on a hot griddle smeared with a little olive oil until golden brown and completely cooked through.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I doubled the recipe to have enough patties to freeze for lunches during the week, but I’m giving you the amounts for 4 patties only. These cannot be made on a grill, they are too delicate and work much better on a griddle or a non-stick frying pan.

They are very flavorful and moist, the ginger is a prominent flavor, I thought the Sriracha could be increased, but Phil has less fondness for it than myself, so I decided to use a light hand with it. Feel free to add more. They can be enjoyed by themselves, with a salad, or as a regular burger with toppings of your choice. I made some sauteed mushrooms that were a great match, and we added juicy tomato and avocado slices. A substantial, but not over-the-top weeknight dinner. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough English Muffins

TWO YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls

21Jun2010

TURKEY MEATBALLS: HEALTHY, QUICK, AND TASTY

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm I meet with my wonderful Chinese tutor. So, dinner and the dishes must finish in time to drive to her home. Ideally, I plan the meal the preceding weekend, but sometimes the ideal and the real diverge. This past week I was eating a rushed lunch in the office when panic hit: what am I going to cook tonight? Without cookbooks handy, the internet came to the rescue. I had some ground turkey in the fridge, so I “googled” it and found a recipe in The Perfect Pantry. If you don’t know this blog, make sure to stop by, it’s a life-saver for designing meals with ingredients that are often in your cupboard.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
(adapted from The Perfect Pantry)

1+ 1/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (full fat)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (do not omit this step!), and reserve.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, working the mixture well with your hands until thoroughly combined. Wet your hands with cold water and form the mixture into balls, either as bite size (for appetizers), or larger (for a main dish). Place them on the prepared sheet and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. When done, they’ll be a nice golden brown on the surface. You can carefully move them around after they’ve been baking for 10 minutes or so. Cut through one of them to judge if they are fully cooked, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In her post, Lydia mentions that she prefers roast chicken to roast turkey. However, she’d rather use ground turkey than ground chicken. I’d never considered it in those terms, but… I’m on the same team!

The addition of yoghurt is a great twist on this simple recipe, giving it moisture and a tangy flavor. A quick saute’ of shredded zucchini with a salad and a slice of bread was all we needed for a delicious Tuesday dinner, even if it was a little rushed.

Note added after initial publication: It is a good idea to spray the parchment paper with some olive oil, as the meatballs can stick to the paper and be hard to move around (see comment by E Brandler below).

Note to self: spinach might be excellent mixed in with the ground meat.

One year ago…. Focaccia

11Sep2009

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF MEATLOAF

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

I’m a firm believer in “Everything in moderation,” so I often make the “real” (rather than light) versions of lasagna, potato dauphinoise, risotto milanese or other classics, instead of trying to cut calories. I’d rather eat less of the real thing, or run an extra mile or two later… 😉

But sometimes, a dish that was maybe conceived as a lighter variation of a classic turns out so good that I wind up craving it. For example: this turkey loaf is absolutely delicious, and compared to its original parent, quite a bit healthier. The recipe comes from “American Favorites“.

THYME-SCENTED TURKEY LOAF WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY
(adapted from American Favorites, by Betty Rosbottom)
receita em portugues ao final do texto, na proxima pagina

for turkey (or chicken) loaf…
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1.2 pounds ground turkey (or chicken)
1 ¼ cups fresh bread crumbs
1 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium unpeeled tart apple, grated
3/4 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
2 egg whites

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, and celery, season with a pinch of salt, and sautee’ until soft. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Place ground turkey in a large bowl and mix in all the other ingredients, adding the egg whites last. The mixture will be quite “wet”. Shape it in two oval loaves as shown in the photo, pace them in a roasting pan (I like to use parchment paper or Silpat underneath).

Place in a 350F oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with or without mushroom gravy.

for gravy…
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
8 ounces white mushrooms cut into thin slices
Salt to taste
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Heat the butter in a heavy skillet, add in the chives and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste and transfer to a bowl. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pan and add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add broth and whisk until sauce is smooth and thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the soy sauce, and put the reserved mushroom mixture back in the pan. To serve meat loaves, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Ladle some mushroom gravy over the slices.

ENJOY!

This is a good opportunity to show you my Zyliss (an older version of this one), a little gadget I’ve had for a long time, but neglected to put to use until I saw Michael Chiarello on FoodTV using his. He removed the plastic base that came with the cutter, instead placing it directly on the cutting board. Why didn’t I think of that? I tried his method and loved it! The plastic base is a pain to use and wash; by placing the cutter on a cutting board you get its full benefits without any hassles. Carrots, onions, celery, garlic and peppers are prepared in seconds! Check it out in this photo (click to enlarge).

Meatloaves are often baked in pans, I prefer to shape them in free form, to get a nice crust all over, and make cleanup much easier…

General comments

Fish sauce, that Vietnamese touch: The addition of fish sauce was my main modification to the basic recipe – I was inspired by an interesting twist on a hamburger recipe shown in the blog “White on Rice Couple”. Fish sauce was the secret ingredient, and I thought it could go well in this loaf too. As in the hamburger, you won’t be able to taste it, but it will add that “umami” component to the loaf. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. If you want to play with fish sauce in your recipes, just keep in mind that it is salty, and adjust your seasoning accordingly. And avoid sniffing the bottle! Its smell has little to do with its taste, and for that I am grateful… 😉

The mushroom gravy: Even though its taste was excellent, if you prefer a more contrasting color in the gravy then add a little tomato paste or sautee some tomatoes with the mushrooms.

A little rice, a little tomato salad, and…. dinner is served!