Fajita Burgers

We found this recipe on delish.com. One of my favorite places to get recipes. We first made them for father's day and they were so good that we made them again for the 24th. The first time, we used ground beef and the second time, we used ground turkey. I didn't notice any difference in the flavor, but the ground turkey is a lot better for you. We love spicy, mexican flavors so this was the perfect summer recipe for us. I especially love the chipotle mayonnaise. We have used it as a spread for grilled chicken sandwiches also. A little more time consuming than your regular cheeseburger, but so worth it in my opinion :)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo

1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (we used slices of pepper jack)

4 French rolls (preferably whole wheat, split and toasted)

2 roasted anaheim or poblano peppers

1 cup shredded green cabbage (we just used bagged cole slaw mix)

4 slices tomato

4 slices red onion (we omitted this because there's already plenty of onion in the meat)

sliced avocado

Directions:

Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. (We then usally let the meat sit for an hour or so for the flavors to mix.) Form meat into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.

To roast the peppers, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place whole peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil and cook for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Immediately, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes until cool. Carefully remove the skins and remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Cut in half and set aside.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chipotle in a small bowl.

Grill the burgers for about 6 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.

Assemble burgers on toasted rools with the chipotle mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato, onion, and avocado. (We served them with watermelon wedges, chips, and a pickle wedge)

Chicken Parmesean Burgers

A few months ago I subscribed to Bon Apetit magazine. Since then, I have made a huge list of recipes to make but I haven't really gotten around to trying any of them until a few nights ago. This recipe caught my eye because it was a unique take on a classic dish and it looked so good. I'm not usually a huge fan of Italian food but I loved the flavors in this recipe and it wasn't too heavy.

Ingredients:

10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce
12 ounces ground chicken (white meat) (**I couldn't find ground chicken so I just put some chicken breasts in the food processor until they were finely ground**)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated onion (** I didn't want to grate it so I just finely chopped it**)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (**make sure its the fresh kind, not the rubbery kind :)
4 large radicchio leaves (**I used red leaf lettuce because that's what I had**)

Directions:

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute. (** Since I was making this for our whole family, I just decided to bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375. Then added the cheese and broiled them until the cheese was melted.**)

Assemble burgers with bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara.

Makes 4 servings

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers

I actually made this recipe a few months ago but didn't realized that I hadn't posted it until I found the pictures on my computer. I got it from this cookbook that I bought in the fall. This was a really fun and unique meal to make. The flavors were great and everyone enjoyed it. It was a little time consuming but it was worth it. I also made some sweet potato fries to go with them. I just sliced up a sweet potato, tossed the slices with olive oil, garlic salt, salt, and dried parsley. Then I spread them out onto a foil lined baking sheet and baked them at 400 degrees until they were soft and lightly browned.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks (**I used chicken breasts because that's what I had)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (** I omitted this because it was fairly expensive)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates or pan
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)

Watermelon slices (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill or frying pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates, or if using a frying pan, add oil. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill or cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce and, if desired, watermelon slices.

Turkey Burgers

I have been looking for new recipes to use my fresh herbs from my garden. My rosemary was getting a little big so I was happy when I came across this recipe for turkey burgers on one of my favorite recipe sites, MyRecipes.com. They were seriously so good and so moist. I think it was the basting that made the difference. They were definitely a hit, even with the boys:) I altered the recipe a little, but you can find the original here.

Tasty Turkey Burgers

Prep: 15 min., Grill: 14 min.
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Marinade
4 hamburger buns
Herb-Grilled Onion Rings (these I just sauteed in a pan with a little bit of the marinade instead of grilling them)
Toppings: spicy mustard, mayo, shaved Parmesan cheese, mixed greens

Preparation
1. Combine first 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 equal-size patties.

2. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, basting each side occasionally with Fresh Herb Marinade.

3. Grill buns, cut sides down, 2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with Herb-Grilled Onion Rings and desired toppings.

Fresh Herb Marinade

Yield: Makes about 1/3 cup

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.