Tag: Main Dish
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
Here’s a little scenario that recurs every time I meal plan over the weekend:
“Anthony, anything you want me to make for dinner this week?”
“Pretzel buns! Anything with pretzel buns…could you go to Costco and get some pretzel buns?”
The man is obsessed.
I get it. Pretzel buns are freaking awesome. Ever since they first showed up at our Costco a year or two ago, we have succumbed to their siren song of chewy, salty deliciousness on a semi-regular basis (though not as regularly as Anthony apparently would like). When we initially bought the mega-pack of a dozen or so buns, I figured I would freeze about half of them for future use, but no, we have consistently used the ENTIRE bag in a matter of days. We even took them on our recent trip to Disneyland to eat as snacks throughout our day in the park. And yeah, they were gone in the first 24 hours.
So when Anthony repeated his request for meals involving pretzel buns last week, I decided turkey burger sliders sounded like a tasty way to incorporate that all-important ingredient. But plain ol’ regular turkey burgers? Never! Special buns call for special burgers! Besides, unadorned turkey burgers can be pretty blah. That’s where this concoction of Mediterranean burger flair comes in. Yes, I am aware that “Mediterranean” + “burger” may be a contradiction in terms…I can’t think of any Mediterranean nations that are known for their signature burgers–the Lebanese Burger? the Croatian Burger?–but, you know, go with me on this one. You can’t go wrong with adding flavors like garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil to meat, in my opinion. (Additional evidence here.) Topped with a piquant garlic-feta aioli, these were a slice of Mediterranean meat heaven…or should I say a pretzel bun of Mediterranean meat heaven? Either way, I will absolutely be making these again, probably for company, and probably very often, if our bun consumption continues at its current rate.
P.S. These can be made into regular-sized burgers as well as sliders, of course.
P.P.S. Aren’t you proud of me for not making any jokes about buns throughout this entire post?
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Garlic Feta Aioli
(Burgers A Love Letter to Food Original; Aioli from from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
For the burgers:
1 1/3 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1 egg
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 whole wheat buns for regular-sized burgers or 12 pretzel rolls for sliders
For the Garlic Feta Aioli:
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, egg, and Panko until well mixed.
- Place 4 garlic cloves, sundried tomatoes, and thawed spinach in the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly until tomatoes and garlic are chopped fine. Add to turkey mixture and stir well to combine.
- Using your hands, divide the mixture into 6 large patties (for burgers) or 12 small patties (for sliders). Grill 3-4 minutes per side for sliders, 5-6 minutes per side for regular-sized burgers.
- Prepare the aioli: blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
- Assemble burgers and top with aioli.
Serves 6.
Vegetable Feta Tart
Have you ever heard the quote, “I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables?” If it takes you awhile to get it, that’s okay. It took me awhile, too. I have a joke with my husband that’s kind of the inverse of this statement: that because I’m not a dog person–and I mean, like, I’m REALLY not a dog person–I would totally eat dogs if they tasted good. (And who knows? Maybe they do taste good. People eat them in other parts of the world.) To me, it’s no weirder than eating cows or pigs. I’ve never owned a dog, so in my view, they’re just another animal. Maybe it’s because my forebears are from Switzerland, where according to Wikipedia, “cultural attitudes toward slaughtering of animals for meat is traditionally liberal.” Oh, you kooky Swiss!
{If you’re a dog person, I’m sorry. I promise to not eat your dog. I’m not actively trying to eat dogs or anything. Feel free to invite me to your house knowing I’m not wondering what Scamper would taste like with ketchup. Can we still be friends?}
Being a half-time vegetarian, for me, is (obviously) less a moral issue stemming from a desire to do no harm to other creatures and more about my own health and the health of the planet–selfish beast that I am. (Check out my Half-Time Vegetarian post for more info on why it’s a great option for your health, the earth, and your wallet.) That’s why, with 2016 off to a running start, I’m still plugging away at reducing our family’s meat intake. This vegetable tart is a delicious example of a meal whose lack of meat doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it’s a meal that reminds me just how delectable vegetables can be when they are pan-roasted and seasoned with just the right blend of spices. When I made this for my kids the other night before my husband and I headed out for dinner at a restaurant, I had to hold myself back from spoiling my appetite by eating too much of it. Fork-tender red potatoes and delicately caramelized zucchini and cauliflower in a pastry wrapper–be still, my half-veggie heart!
So, even though you may chuckle at the thought of someone eating vegetarian because they want to end the natural lives of vegetables, I doubt anyone can eat this meal and claim they hate vegetables. I dare any veggie-hater to try it see what I mean!
P.S. While we’re here, I’ma throw in some more vegetarian humor…
Vegetable Feta Tart
(Inspired by Real Simple)
Ingredients:
1 store-bought or homemade pie crust
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, halved and diced into half-moons
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. cauliflower, diced into small florets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 medium red potato, halved and thinly sliced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallot, and cauliflower and sauté until brown spots of caramelization begin to appear, about 6-8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil, and thyme and cook 1 additional minute. Stir in feta and potato and remove from heat.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet. Roll pie crust out on paper to a 12-inch diameter. Spoon the feta-vegetable mixture into the crust, leaving a 1.5-inch border around the outside. Fold the outer edges of the crust over onto the vegetables.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 50-60 minutes. (Check after 50 and return to oven if needed.)
Serves 4.
Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust
It verges on embarrassing how many of my recipes come from an effort to use up one ingredient. Not the same ingredient every time, of course, I mean it’s not like I have an King Kong-sized jar of mayo I’m trying to get through…
…but there’s always one thing or another calling out to me from the fridge or pantry, “Uuuuuuuuse meeeeee! Uuuuuuse me or you’ll have to throw me awaaaaaay! And then I will haunt your dreeeeeeeams!” It may be that foil-topped can of chipotle peppers in adobo, that half-used bunch of cilantro, or, in the case of today’s recipe, a vacuum-sealed package of smoked salmon I grabbed on impulse when I saw it on a really good sale. I love smoked salmon in appetizers, but in the absence of any upcoming parties or other good excuses for appetizers, what the heck do you do with a hunk of smoked salmon?
Well, I’ll tell you what you do! You scour the internet for ways to insert it into a weeknight dinner! ….except… dang, it’s hard to find dinner recipes involving smoked salmon. The internet’s offering of smoked salmon appetizers stretches from here to Mars, but I think I think I would have gotten about the same number of results if I had Googled “Q-tips for Dinner” as “Smoked Salmon Dinner.” As I mentioned in December, I’m not above serving my family a hodgepodge of canapés for our evening meal, but I really wanted something a little heartier.
So it’s a good thing to know that, when faced with a dearth of options, you can make a QUICHE out of just about anything. And quiche, in my book, is a perfectly acceptable dinner. In fact, the idea of a quiche with a potato crust has been calling my name for quite some time, so this smoked salmon version with a crispy potato crust that eventually surfaced from the internet sounded like the ideal way to kill two birds with one stone. (Disclaimer: no birds were harmed in the making of this quiche.) The crispy, Cajun-spiced hashbrown crust turned out to be an excellent complement to the cooling flavors of salmon, cream cheese, dill, and leek …and a great way to use up smoked salmon, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
P.S. While we’re on the subject, here are some other dinner-y, non-appetizer-y ideas for using up a hunk of smoked salmon, in case you ever find yourself in a similar predicament:
- Smoked salmon fettucine alfredo
- Smoked salmon chowder
- Salad with spinach, smoked salmon, and other toppings like avocado and mandarin oranges
- Potato latkes topped with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon
Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust
(Adapted from Food Network)
Ingredients:
For the crust:
3 1/4 cups frozen hashbrowns, thawed (microwave at 30-second intervals until thawed)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
For the filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 leeks, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 eggs
3/4 c. half and half
4 oz. smoked salmon, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tart pan or pie plate. In a medium bowl, mix thawed hashbrowns, melted butter, spices, and Parmesan until hashbrowns are evenly coated. Press into the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.
- When crust comes out of the oven, lower the heat to 350 degrees. Let cool on a wire rack.
- In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and leek-garlic mixture. Add eggs one at a time, stirring between each addition, then add half and half, smoked salmon, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Pour evenly into baked hashbrown shell and bake 30 minutes or until the center is set. Cool 20 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.
Serves 6.
Broccoli Chicken Divan
If you’ve ever read old-fashioned novels or had a grandma who kept a formal living room, you probably know that a “divan” is a fancy piece of furniture not unlike a chaise lounge. “Divan” is originally a Persian word that entered the English language in the 16th century, meaning a court presided over by a sultan, or the hall where such a court was held. Eventually, the word came to signify the Persian-style low lounging couch we Westerners enjoy today (probably a case of the Victorians trying to co-opt the mystique of the Near East in furniture form). And yet….here we are with a recipe for something called Broccoli Chicken Divan. Every time I think of this recipe, I get a funny mental picture:
There you have it: Broccoli Chicken Divan! My work here is done.
Just kidding. In reality, the food version of a “divan” is a broccoli-chicken casserole named for the restaurant where it was created: the Divan Parisienne, a fine dining hot spot in early 20th century New York. As a home cook, I first tried chicken divan years ago in a phase where I relied heavily on condensed canned soups. The dish is one of those comfort food classics that’s warm, creamy, savory….and apparently nearly impossible to make without using a condensed canned soup. When I wanted to make this recently, I had to search high and low for a recipe that did not call for something out of a Campbell’s can. (I’m not gonna get all uppity about canned soups–I just like the idea of using more whole-foods-type ingredients.) Eventually I discovered this version from Eating Well (almost always a good resource!). Instead of using canned soup, this recipe makes its own creamy sauce with chicken broth, milk, flour, and leeks.
Yep, leeks–you know, that weird onion-type vegetable that looks a little girl’s bike handlebars with streamers on it.
Also known as The Vegetable You Have to Throw Out Most Of…because unfortunately, that whole top green part (the “streamer” part) is not considered desirable for eating. As for the white/light green part (the “handlebar” part), it imparts a piquant flavor that I think really makes this recipe. Between the leeks and the other wholesome ingredients, I was super pleased that this recipe made a chicken divan that was 100% homemade, 100% delicious, and 100% NOT a chicken and a broccoli on a couch.
Broccoli Chicken Divan
(Adapted from Eating Well)
Ingredients:
2 c. cooked shredded chicken
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 c. diced leek (white and light green parts only)
1/2 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
14 oz. chicken broth
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. half and half
2 Tbsp. dry sherry or dry white wine
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 c. frozen broccoli florets
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced leeks and salt and sauté until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Add broth, milk, half and half, sherry, thyme, and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
- Add broccoli, return to a simmer and cook until broccoli is warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c. Parmesan, mayo, and mustard.
- Spread half the broccoli mixture in the prepared dish, top with shredded chicken, then spread remaining broccoli mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered until bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Serve over rice, orzo, or pasta.
Serves 6 generously.
Lentil Sausage Soup
You know when you go to a sit-down restaurant–usually an Italian place–and the waiter asks if you’d like any fresh-ground pepper or Parmesan cheese on your soup or salad? There must be something inherently funny about this scenario. I mean, isn’t there something vaguely discomfiting about having someone lean over your meal to drop stuff on it? Ever see the Saturday Night Live sketch with Adam Sandler and Dana Carvey as two overly enthusiastic pepper grinder guys? Like many SNL sketches, it goes way too long and gets fairly raunchy, but it does capture the awkwardness of the situation (and it includes Chris Farley with a totally ridiculous beard, so it might be worth a watch):
http://www.hulu.com/watch/19596?playlist_id=2967
Also, while we’re pointing out what’s a little unusual about this practice, why is it always an Italian place? Couldn’t the waiter at a Mexican place grind extra cheddar on my enchiladas? And why don’t they “fresh-grind” other things? What if I want some fresh-ground beef to top my salad, hmmm? Or some fresh-ground chocolate shavings on my dessert? (Actually, they could fresh-grind that straight into my mouth…cause that wouldn’t be awkward.) For whatever reason, it has been decreed by the Italian restaurant powers-that-be that only pepper and Parmesan may be fresh-ground tableside. Not that I’m complaining. I’m no fan of extra pepper, but can never turn down a little extra cheese for free. The ideal soup, for me, comes away from its encounter with the cheese-grinder looking a glacier of cheese rolled straight across its top. The soup in the picture below, with its dusting of white, is maybe halfway there. Except perhaps in the case of this aromatic lentil sausage soup, because it really doesn’t need much to enhance its flavor.
As I mentioned in my last post, a copycat recipe for Carrabba’s herbed dipping oil, my husband and I enjoy Carrabba’s as one of our favorite chain Italian places. When we dined there recently, we both ordered the same thing (this never happens–we’re one of those couples that generally refuses, on principle, to order the same thing): their lentil sausage soup. Because it’s just. that. good. Having discovered lentils only in the last year or so, I’ve gone a little lentil crazy to make up for lost time. Around here, there have been spiced red lentils, lentil dahl, and a funky red lentil sweet potato stew with mango chutney-goat cheese toasts that my kids made lots of empty promises to get out of eating. My husband and I lap it all up, though, and this soup is no exception. As we shamelessly licked our bowls finished our meal at Carrabba’s, Anthony asked me, “Could you make this at home?” A week or so later, I tracked down this recipe and after making it deemed it, if not a perfect match for the restaurant version, delicious enough to forget what might be different. With aromatic vegetables, creamy, wholesome lentils, a pitch-perfect blend of herbs, and piquant sausage for a bit of bite, it’s everything one could hope for in a fall/winter soup. Plus, it goes great with crusty bread and that herbed dipping oil referred to above.
And yes, the waiter at Carrabba’s offered to fresh-grind Parmesan cheese on top. Yes, I accepted. No, I did not jump up and kiss him like Janeane Garofalo in the SNL sketch–licking my bowl in the restaurant was embarrassing enough.
Lentil Sausage Soup
(Adapted from Food.com)
Ingredients:
1 lb. mild Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
6 c. chicken broth
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. dry brown lentils
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more if you like more heat)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
- In a large stock pot, cook the sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving as much sausage grease in the pot as possible.
- Add minced garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini to the pot and sauté for a couple minutes. Return sausage to the pot and add all other ingredients.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour or until lentils are soft.
- Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup in the pot until desired consistency is reached, or remove about 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in a countertop blender until pureed; return to the pot and stir. Add more broth or water if soup becomes too thick.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6-8.