A Fresh Twist on Burger and Fries

My head is still in the clouds a bit from the high of getting engaged May long weekend.  My original intention was to spend the weekend at home with my man getting some things done around the house and write up a few blog posts.  The thing we got done wasn't on the list but really who cares!  I'm engaged!  And with that BBQ is here; this is my contribution to get you started.

I love a good burger and fries.  Who doesn't really?  But we all know eating a steady diet of these favourites isn't a healthy choice.  Good thing is that there are lots of alternatives that give you similar satisfaction.   Those who know me know that I love anything that Oprah suggests.  I mean really, Oprah has a team of people doing research to find the best of the best so how can you not listen to what she has to say.  A few years back Oprah showcased the Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger of course I made it a few times with raving success but it is a tad time-consuming and I wanted something more simple.

I stumbled across a turkey burger recipe in my trusty Cook This Not That cookbook that calls for english muffins instead of hamburger buns.  How unique!  I love the chewiness of english muffins.

You only need 7 ingredients to make this burger.  I've made them 3 or 4 times and they are always a hit.  The key to success here is making sure to chill the patties after you form them and before they hit the grill.  That will keep them together.  And because the burgers only have turkey in them you really have to be careful not to overwork the meat.  I may have ranted about this before but don't rush to grab ground turkey breast go for ground turkey with dark meat in it.  Turkey is so lean that you need a little fat to keep these burgers juicy.  If you can only find white meat ground turkey be sure not to over cook them.

The recipe below says to add the thyme, salt and pepper and then form the patties.  I suggest forming the patties then combining about 1/2 tsp of salt, 2-3 tsp of pepper and 1-2 tbsp of dried thyme.  Then generously coast the burgers and chill them for 20-30 minutes. 

Mediterranean Style Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup feta of goat cheese

2 cups arugula

4 english muffins, split and lightly toasted

1/2 cup roasted red pepper (I recommended using a whole red pepper, cutting it into large pieces to fit on the burger and roasting them in the oven or on the grill until the skin starts to blacken.)

1/4 cup olives, chopped

Preheat a grill of grill pan.  Season turkey with a few big pinches of salt and pepper, plus the dried thyme.  Form the meat into four patties, being careful not to overwork the meat (which will cause the proteins to bind making for a tougher burger).  Use your thumb to make a small impression in the middle of each patty (as they cook, the middle will swell up; this simple step makes for a more evenly cooked burger).

Cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on the first side, until lightly charred.  Flip and immediately add cheese to each patty.  Cook until 4-5 minutes, until the burgers feel firm and springy to the touch.  Remove from the grill.

Lay arugula on the bottom of four english muffins halves.  Top with burger, then crown burger with peppers, olives, and the other half of the english muffin.

The crispy yam fries I'm about to describe were an experiment.  I feel when you just chopped up yams and pop them in the over they turn out a little mushy.  So I thought I would coat them with egg, flour and panko breadcrumbs and see what happens.

Experimental Yam Fries

2 medium sized yams sliced into fries (whatever size you choose make sure they are all more or less the same)

1/2 cup flour (more if needed)

2 eggs beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Put the flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs each on a separate plate.  A few handfuls at a time coat the yams in flour, egg and then bread crumbs and place on the cookie sheet.  Evenly space the yams and ideally just have one layer.  Bake for 15 minutes and then flip.  Bake for another 15-20 being sure not to let them burn.

For a dip I recommend getting creative.  I can't remember exactly what I made but it may have just been honey mustard mixed with mayo and a bit of relish.

Simple is Good

I reintroduced myself to the Calgary Farmers Market a couple of weekends ago.  As soon as I walked in I remembered why it was so good and couldn't believe it was my first visit since the market moved from the Currie Barracks.  I was instantly attracted to the first vegetable vendor I saw and stocked up on mini cucumbers, butter lettuce, hot house tomatoes, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, and, the best find, $3 bags of fresh basil.  I also picked up an assortment of fruit and some organic granola/energy bars.  It was a quick trip but I vowed I would be back sooner than later.

After a week of several lunches and dinners out I was craving something simple.  I had a great variety of veggies in the fridge the only things missing was protein.  I don't always go to a recipe for inspiration and this was one of the cases where I just needed to think about the ingredients I had and let an idea pop into my head.  Add 2 cans of tuna, a dollop of mayo and bold & spicy mustard to the veggies listed above and dinner was all but made.

Butter lettuce is not only a tastier alternative to iceberg lettuce but the leafs are perfect for making lettuce cups or wraps.  Which leads me to this little recipe for tuna lettuce cups.  The measurements below are approximate and you really can't mess it up.  This recipe is not only inexpensive to make you can substitute the vegetable to suit your own taste.  The vegetables I used here just happened to be my favourite.  I  recommend using vegetables of a few different colours so filling looks bright and flavourful.

Tuna Lettuce Cups


10-15 butter lettuce leafs
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 mini cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cans of tuna, drained
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/8 cup mustard (any kind)
1-2 tsp of dill (or more if you love dill)
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange lettuce leafs on a plate.  In a bowl combine all remaining ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours combine.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into each leaf and fold or wrap to eat.


You may have noticed I left out one vegetable from my trip to the farmers market.  I love tomatoes but don't always like their texture in a dish like the lettuce cups.  The tomatoes I had were really beautiful and I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them.  I will spend $16 - $20 at a restaurant for a caprese salad without hesitation.  I'm not sure why I don't make it at home more often because as long as you have good tomatoes it has to be the easiest thing to make.

The day after I made the lettuce cups, I made mini caprese salads for 2 girlfriends.  I used regular balsamic vinegar and although the results were very good, I felt a balsamic reduction would have been even better.  Low and behold the next day Steve and I found ourselves back at the Calgary Farmers Market and the nice folks at The Cookbook Co. Cooks just happened to be sampling Nonna Pia's Balsamic Reduction in 3 flavours: Strawberry fig, Classic and Rosemary.  All 3 were delicious but Steve and I both gravitated towards the strawberry fig.  I made myself another caprese salad for dinner tonight, used the reduction and was in heaven.  You can bet that caprese salads will be a part of my regular rotation this season!!  This salad looks impressive when you stack the ingredients as shown in the picture.

Caprese Salad


3 medium sized standard tomatoes (the more in season the better)
1 package fresh mozzarella cheese
large bunch of fresh basil leafs (for this recipe only fresh will do)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes lengthwise into 1-2 inch slices.  Make sure to slice off a very small amount from the top and bottom to remove the ends.  Slice the cheese so you have the same number of cheese and tomato slices.

Place a slice of tomato on each plate, then arrange 2-3 basil leafs to cover the tomato, and then place a slice of cheese on each bed of basil.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and balsamic onto the cheese and tomatoes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Repeat the previous steps to add one or two more layers.