SPICY CHIPOTLE TURKEY BURGERS, ADAPTED

I found this recipe on the Allrecipes website, where it was rated 5 out of 5 by 80 members. I did make some changes. Click on the above link if you want to see the original recipe. I cut the salt, garlic and onion powders in half and, instead of putting mozzarella cheese on top, I added grated Monterey Jack with Jalapeno cheese to the burger mix. These were really good. We both liked them, because they were more like a beef burger than the typical turkey burger and the flavors went well together. I served them on a bed of lettuce with slices of avocado. Our side dish was a medley of baby carrots, yellow squash and onions with chopped fresh garden herbs, done on the grill in a foil packet. It was a yummy, low-fat dinner. We ate two of the burgers and I froze two, uncooked, for another meal.

Spicy Chipotle Turkey Burgers, Adapted

Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (I seeded it before I chopped it.)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (If you like salt, increase this to 1 tsp.)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup grated, then chopped, Monterey Jack with Jalapeno cheese (You can add another 1/2

cup if you are a cheese lover.)

1 lb. ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

lettuce leaves

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced

In a large bowl, combine onion, cilantro, chile, seasonings and cheese. Mix well to distribute ingredients evenly. Add turkey and mix lightly with hands or large spoon. Do not overmix, or burgers will be tough. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into patties. Refrigerate covered till ready to cook.

Lightly oil outdoor grill grates. Preheat gas grill to 400-425F. Spray burgers lightly with non-stick cooking spray and place on preheated grill. Cook until turkey is no longer pink in center, about 4 minutes per side. Serveas is on lettuce with avocado slices, or on whole-wheat buns with lettuce, tomato and avocado. Very yummy! Yield: 4 servings

JUDY'S TURKEY BURGERS

I suppose some of you will think that a recipe for turkey burgers is boring. For me, it's not because we don't have them that often, and I look forward to them. The leftovers are great cold, right out of the fridge, as a snack. I purchased two packages of ground turkey (one, 99% fat free breast and one 93% lean) to make chili, giving me 2.6 lbs. I decided to make turkey burgers with part of the meat. Following is the recipe.

Judy's Turkey Burgers
INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, or Smart Balance buttery spread + 1/4
cup for frying
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1.3 lb. pkg. ground turkey (breast or 93% lean, or mixture)
2/3 cup whole wheat or white fine bread crumbs + extra bread crumbs
for coating patties
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or chipotle chile pepper)
1 egg white
1/3 cup milk or lite sour cream (approx.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. tomato paste or ketchup

DIRECTIONS: In medium heavy fry pan, saute the onion in the oil till transparent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, till the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool thoroughly. In large bowl, combine all ingredients, including the cooled onion/garlic mixture. Mix thoroughly. Form into 5-6 patties. Sprinkle extra breadcrumbs on wax paper or paper plate and coat each pattie with crumbs. Refrigerate till cooking time.
When ready to cook patties, heat a large heavy fry pan over medium-high heat and add about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add patties and reduce heat to medium. Cook on each side about 4-5 minutes, or till turkey is cooked through and patties are nicely browned. If they are cooking too fast, reduce heat to avoid burning them. When you flip to the second side, you can also cover the pan and reduce heat to low. (Our Thai friend/neighbor made us some delicious collards to go with the turkey burgers -- see photo above; and I cooked some sweet potatoes with onions and garlic as another side.)