Back in Business! Recipe: Asian Turkey Burgers

If anyone were to look up the term “dumb blonde” in the dictionary, I am almost positive my picture would be next to it.  Remember my “broken” camera I’ve been going on and on about?  Well, as soon as I walked out of Best Buy with this little beauty…:

Canon Powershot SD1400

I got home and inserted my memory card from my old camera.  The screen read “Memory Card Locked”.  Oh, crap.  That’s the message that popped up on my old camera! That wasn’t the issue, though.  I had this problem a long time ago on my old camera, and I Googled it and found out that there is a switch on the memory card that you have to push the opposite direction to unlock it.  When the message popped up the second time on my old camera, I had forgotten that the switch was on the actual memory card, and instead, flipped some tiny switched that was on my camera, which then fell off.  Well, as soon as I saw the message on my new camera, all the previous Google-knowledge I obtained months ago came flooding back, and I remembered what the problem was.  I flipped the switch on the memory card, stuck it back in my old camera…and what do ya know? Back to normal.  So, now, I have two perfectly functioning Canon PowerShots sitting in front of me.  However, one is older and is not a beautiful shade of pink.  I guess I have a decision to make!  Anyways, let’s move on to dinner.

I have never been a big fan of ground turkey meat, but, once I started eating healthier, I developed a taste for it.  Even so, I have still never been a fan of turkey burgers.  Corey and I were out of dinner ideas when we shopped last weekend, so we just picked up a package of pre-formed turkey burgers and decided to save them for later in the week when we were feeling less-than-motivated to cook up a big dinner.  That would be tonight.

Turkey meat is very lean, and pretty bland, as well.  You really have to give it some flavor unless you want to bore your tastebuds to death.  I decided to make a marinade for our burgers.  I don’t think marinating burgers is really a normal thing to do, but I gave it a try anyway.  I went with an Asian-flavored marinade, covered the burgers, and refrigerated them for 30 minutes.  After grilling them on an indoor grill pan, I sliced an onion and caramelized it in a saute pan.  I topped the burgers with the onions and served them on Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds with a side of roasted broccoli.  The burgers turned out perfectly.  Great flavor, and the grill pan gave them a nice crust on the outside.  Crunchy, delicious, and healthy!

Asian Turkey Burgers

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

 

16 oz. ground turkey, formed into 4 burger patties

5 tablespoons Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Stir-Fry Sauce or Teryaki

1 tablespoon Ken’s Herb & Garlic Marinade

1 tablespoon Makoto Ginger Dressing

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Caramelized Onions:

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 white onion, thinly sliced into rounds

2 tablespoons Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

After forming patties, place in a container that has a lid.  In a bowl, mix together the above ingredients after “ground turkey”.

Pour marinade over the patties, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

After marinating, heat grill or grill pan, spray with nonstick spray (for grill pan), and cook burgers about 5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.

 

 

 

In a saute pan, spray with nonstick spray and add the onions.  Cook for about 5 minutes, add soy sauce, and then cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until caramelized.  Top burgers with the onions and serve on whole wheat buns.