Chipotle Turkey Burgers

With the warmer weather comes the challenge of preparing a meal that is satisfying yet doesn't require a lot of time in front of the stove. I saw a recipe earlier in the week on epicurious.com for a Chipotle Cheddar Pork Burger, which sounded delicious but I was in the mood for something a little lighter and healthier. My friend Jackie's family makes a turkey burger with a chipotle sour cream sauce, and though I didn't remember their exact recipe this is an approximation of that burger. I picked up a pound and a half of ground (light meat) turkey at Whole Foods, along with a bag of brioche buns, a hothouse tomato, an avocado, a bunch of cilantro and some white cheddar. I read that it is not good to handle ground turkey too much, so with that in mind I set to make my burgers. I gently mixed the meat with 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp cumin, 1 chopped shallot, 1 clove chopped garlic, 2 tbsp minced cilantro, 1 tbsp sauce from can of chipotle in adobo, 1 1/2 minced adobo peppers, about 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs and S&P. I then formed the meat into four patties. While my skillet was heating on the stove I prepared the chipotle sour cream sauce: juice of 1/2 lime, 3-4 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp adobo sauce and 1 minced adobo. The sauce was very runny at first, but after a brief chill in the fridge it firmed up. I pan fried my burgers in a bit of grapeseed oil, melted some of the white cheddar on top, and served with the toasted brioche buns, thinly sliced red onion, sliced tomato, sliced avocado (w/lime juice), and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. This burger was tasty, filling, and only required about ten minutes in front of the stove. For a lighter version, omit the cheese and sour cream and serve with fresh salsa or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Spicy Red Coleslaw

Last night I was in the mood for something totally different, so I decided to make barbecue chicken sandwiches with creamed kale and corn. Despite the various elements to this dish, it was quite easy to make, especially if you take help from the store!

Barbecue Chicken

• 1/2 Roasted Chicken, fork shredded, skin chopped and incorporated
• BBQ sauce of choice
• Hamburger Buns, toasted (next time I would use sturdier buns)

Red Cabbage Slaw

• Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Scallions, sliced
• Carrots, shredded (in food processor)
• Shallots, thinly sliced
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Mayonnaise
• Whole Grain Mustard (heaping tablespoon)
• Small dash cumin
• Small dash paprika
• Small dash cayenne pepper
• S&P
• Chili Oil

Creamed Kale (adapted from http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Creamed-Kale)

• Kale, center stalks removed
• Shallots, chopped (regular yellow onion would be fine)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup cream (apx)
• 1 tbs butter
• Dash of Sugar
• White Pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne
• Salt

I started by shredding the chicken, adding the barbecue sauce and setting aside. Next I combined the ingredients for my slaw, playing with the ingredients until it was a nice spicy mustardy flavor. I refrigerated this for about 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to combine. Next I worked on the kale. I added the kale and chicken stock to a large skillet and simmered over medium heat until most of the liquid had reduced. I added in the shallots and butter, continuing to cook for 2 minutes. Then I added the cream, sugar, white pepper, cayenne and salt, and cooked for 8-10 minutes more, until the kale was tender. Once this had cooked, I turned off the heat and set aside. When we were ready to eat I reheated the bbq chicken and kale while my corn boiled (4 minutes or so), then assembled dinner This was a really easy and yum meal! It was nice to have comfort food that wasn't a standard pasta dish. I would absolutely recommend this for entertaining because everything can be made in advance.

Spring Lamb Curry

We've had a package of Lamb stew meat from Paulina Meat Market sitting in our freezer for a few weeks, and I decided it was high time to cook it up! During my visit to the Farmers Market last weekend I also picked up some red skin potatoes and a bag of cremini mushrooms. Instead of making a traditional "meat & potatoes" stew with the lamb and vegetables, I wanted to make a spring curry. I did some recipe googling, and found a recipe that I thought I could adapt for my ingredients.

I started by browning my lamb stew meat (seasoned with S&P) in a little bit of olive oil in a hot hot stew pot. When the meat was brown and caramelized I removed it from the pot and turned down the heat. I then added a bit more olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 bunch spring onions- white part only. When these were soft I stirred in 1 cup of Greek yogurt mixed with coriander, turmeric, and cumin. The recipe I found online called for "frying" the yogurt, which I did hesitantly, stirring constantly, over not too high heat. I then added my cubed potatoes, 1/2 a sliced brown onion, 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger, and about two cups of my cremini mushrooms. Then it was time to add the browned lamb back to the pot along with the liquid component: 1 small container chicken stock, and a cup or so of water.

This is when things got a little dicey. The "fried" yogurt curdled in the broth, and there were little mealy bits of yogurt floating around my soup pot. I didn't want to freak out quiet yet- there was still 40 minutes of cooking time for this dish.

I brought the mixture to a low boil and then reduced the heat to a simmer, and left uncovered on the stove for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time.

As the stew cooked the broth reduced and the potatoes became creamy. The final consistency was like a soupy mash, with hunks of browned lamb meat and chunks of mushroom and still intact potato. I tossed in a handful of frozen peas for a hit of bright green color, and then added my secret ingredient:

Served on a bed of white rice with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a wedge of lime, this curry was spicy, hearty, fresh tasting, and delicious!