And now for something completely different…
January 15, 2010
A Tale of Two Burgers! With rainy weather looming on the horizon, I thought I’d better share these before we all want to stay inside with a nice bowl of comforting soup or stew. We haven’t made normal burgers in quite a while…besides the special occasion, red meat has been a rarity around our dinner table.
Our two standard burgers are now Turkey Quinoa and Eggplant. I love adding different ingredients to regular recipes, and with turkey burgers we’ve had great luck with brown rice, shredded carrots, and my favorite, quinoa! Great taste, fiber, protein and a fantastic binding agent all in one.
And if you haven’t tried an Eggplant Burger…OH MAN, you are missing something in life! Talk about an economical way to feed a crowd….for the cost of one eggplant you can get 8-9 servings. Healthy and cheap…that’s my kind of meal.
Did I forget to mention a beautiful BBQ Sauce that we made ourselves for the first time?
I really should mention that… I put this Homemade BBQ Sauce in everything, from using it as dry-burger-prevention mixed into the turkey patties, to a glaze on the eggplant slices, and pretty much anything else I could slather this on.
Go ahead and give these a try…I promise they won’t disappoint. Maybe they’ll just shoo that bad weather away!
Recipes after the jump!
Jen’s Turkey Burgers
Mix 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey with 1/4 c Homemade BBQ Sauce, 1/2 c cooked and cooled Quinoa and 2 tbl breadcrumbs. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc, to suit your taste. Hint: If the mixture smells good to you, you probably have the right amount of seasoning. If the burgers seem too dry or too sticky, adjust ingredients. Gently yet thoroughly mix ingredients with a fork.
Shape into flat patties by hand, and finish by pressing a slight dimple into the center of each to prevent the burger from puffing up too much. Heat grill on high, oil and after setting patties down to cook immediately turn down heat to medium-low. Close lid on grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on your particular grill. Serve with all your favorite toppings!
Eggplant Burgers
Choose an eggplant with the diameter similar to the size buns you will be using. Slice into 1 inch rounds and soak in a large bowl of cool water for at least 30 minutes. Place a small plate on top of the slices to prevent them from floating to the surface. (Soaking the eggplant slices will take the bitterness from the peel out. You can also make these without the skin…the only difference we’ve seen is that they are more fragile on the grill and take a more gentle hand to cook.) Once removed from the water bath, dry on paper towels for 10-15 minutes.
When ready to grill, lightly brush the eggplant slices with BBQ Sauce and place on an oiled, medium-low grill. These will cook faster than the Turkey Burgers, so keep an eye on them to prevent burning. Grill about 2-3 minutes on each side depending on your particular BBQ, flipping immediately after grill marks have developed. Serve right away with your favorite toppings, anything you would put on a normal burger!
Homemade BBQ Sauce
recipe to come after the hubby comes home….!
