Grill

Cran-Apple Turkey Burgers

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About to be grilled

About to be grilled

Happy November guys! Pumpkins, colorful leaves, and turkey are all things that come to mind when we think of November. I thought I would kick things off with a Fall recipe.

Growing up, I was not a fan of burgers. It was too much meat in a condensed form and the taste wasn’t appealing to me. Once I was out on my own cooking for the two of us, I realized that it wasn’t burgers as a whole that I disliked, it was the specific burger I was given. The burgers in restaurants were huge and too messy to handle. All the toppings came out the back ending up on the plate instead of accompanying the burger.

My mom’s burgers didn’t have a lot of seasoning to them and didn’t appeal to me. Cooking for Scott and myself, I realized I could make burgers however I wanted. I could make them with tons of seasonings and I didn’t have to make a mammoth burger that you couldn’t even take a bite out of.

Burgers are now one of my very favorite things to make. You can make a burger out of anything and play around with flavors. You can make them any size and serve them on the vessel of your choice. This is what I adore about cooking, making it your own. No rules, it’s all about you and what you want.

I’m still experimenting with apples and finding new ways to incorporate them into meals. I saw a turkey burger in Rachael Ray’s magazine that had some apple slices on it with a cranberry sauce. I thought that was okay but wondered if I could put the apple and cranberries IN the burger instead of just using them as extras on the bun. That’s how this particular burger came to be.

Andrea’s Cran-Apple Turkey Burgers

  • 1lb ground dark meat turkey
  • 1 granny smith apple chopped, small pieces
  • 1/4 red onion chopped
  • 1/2 TBSP of dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp grill seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp of poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
  • 1/4 C of dried cranberries
  • Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients. Divide mixture into four equal parts and form into patties. Place patties on a hot grill and grill on each side for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

You can cook these in a large skillet with about 2 TBSP of olive oil if you don’t want to or cannot grill them. You can also use ground turkey breast if you don’t care for dark meat turkey.

On the grill

On the grill

Whenever you make burgers out of poultry, they tend to be very delicate until the first side gets cooked. These are burgers of love, you have to handle them with care so they don’t fall apart on you. Ease them onto the grill and do not move them until the first side is cooked. When you flip them, it helps to use two spatulas, one on the bottom and one on top to help keep things in place. They will hold up for you but you have to treat them gently.

Cran-Apple Turkey Burger

Cran-Apple Turkey Burger

I served these burgers topped with cheddar and placed on kaiser roles with some lettuce and dijon mustard. They were moist and so flavorful. The apples were warmed through while still remaining crisp and the cranberries gave nice little bursts of sweetness that paired well with the red onion. This is probably my favorite burger I have made so far. Both of us just loved the way these turned out and even again as leftovers the next day. The apples didn’t get mushy or turn brown. I’ve been dreaming about these burgers ever since!

Enjoy guys, and remember, always play with your food!

Yogurt Curry Chicken

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Thighs in the marinade

Thighs in the marinade

I came up with this idea for a marinade based off of a dipping sauce I make that has much of the same elements. While we were having the dipping sauce one day (Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be something that will eventually make it’s way here) I realized that if I beefed up the sauce a bit, I could turn it into a marinade. I played around and came up with a marinade that ended up being one of our favorite ways to have chicken.

In this recipe I use chicken thighs because it takes to the marinade well and we like the juiciness of that cut of meat. But you could do this with any of the other cuts as well. In fact, I think using it on wings would make an awesome little snack for a get-together or game nite gathering (hrm, I’m going to file that idea away for future use myself!).

Andrea’s Yogurt Curry Chicken

  • 6 chicken thighs (your choice, boneless or bone-in)
  • 2 cloves of garlic grated
  • 1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt*
  • Zest of one lime + juice of half the lime
  • 4 green onions chopped (both green and white parts)
  • 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 3 tsp of soy sauce
  • Pinch of salt, ground black pepper to taste, small pinch of red pepper flakes

Set aside thighs and in a large bowl combine all the other ingredients and mix well. Add in the thighs, stirring gently to make sure the marinade is covering all the chicken. Use a bowl large enough so the chicken is submerged in the marinade. Let sit in fridge all day or over night so the chicken becomes well flavored.

Heat grill or grill pan, to medium heat. When hot, remove chicken from marinade and place directly on the grill. Do not wipe off the coating. Grill until the chicken is fully cooked.** Remove from grill and let rest for 2-3 minutes before eating. Discard remaining marinade.

*I have actually used vanilla flavored yogurt in this recipe as well and it turned out just as yummy. The vanilla did not interfere with the other flavors at all.

** Grilling time varies with the version of thighs you use. For bone-in, it takes me about 7-10 minutes per side over a medium heat grill. With boneless, it will take less time, about 5-7 minutes each side.

Thighs on the grill

Thighs on the grill

Of course you don’t have to grill the chicken, this is just our preferred method. You can bake the chicken by placing a metal cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place the chicken on the rack and bake at 375, until the chicken is fully cooked.

Have fun with this one and remember guys, always play with your food!

All done! Yum!

All done! Yum!