Monday, February 2, 2009

Greek Turkey Burgers

Blech, Monday again. This weekend went by way too quickly as usual. Before I forget, I should let you guys know that we are heading into the busiest time of the year at work so it may take me longer than normal to respond to your comments. Know that I appreciate all of them and I promise to try and respond as fast as I can. Well, unlike many people, I didn't attend any Superbowl parties. I feel like I only watch the Superbowl for the commercials and when you go to a party, there are usually too many people who talk over the important parts (the commercials) so you can't pay attention. Instead, I stayed home, cooked, cleaned, and also enjoyed one of these burgers. I actually made them on Saturday, but had enough left over for me to enjoy for the big game. I had a little turkey left over from the turkey meatballs over greens and I found the Greek inspired recipe on Closet Cooking. Once again, I made my own buns because it's way cheaper than running to the store to buy some buns. Plus, I think they are really easy to make. Last week I got some really awesome feta from the farmers market. I was a little dubious when the vendor claimed it would be the best feta I had ever tasted, but it kind of was. I prefer a chunkier tzatziki so instead of shredding the cucumbers, I just chopped them into smaller pieces. The overall combination of the burger and toppings was fantastic! It was filling without me feeling weighed-down and the flavors were excellent.

Update, the bun recipe is here.


Greek Turkey Burgers
(Adapted from Closet Cooking)

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh spinach (you can also use frozen, but make sure it is drained very well)
1 tablespoon crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined, but do not overmix. Form the mixture into patties. Grill, broil, or pan fry the patties.

Toppings:

Tzatziki (recipe follows)
Sliced tomatoes
Baby spinach
Thinly sliced red onions

Tzatziki
(From Closet Cooking)

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons mint, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dill, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, mint, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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17 comments:

Erica said...

yum yum! Love this take on turkey burgers! Hope the week isn't too crazy busy!

vanillasugarblog said...

Oh these look fabulous. Do you know that I love taziki (sp, sorry) so much that I use it on almost all my sandwiches and salads.
I want to make a chicken greek curry burger so badly tonight.

Reeni said...

They look great!! I love the spinach in them!

Diana said...

Those look so so good! I've been meaning to ask you -- which farmer's market do you go to?

Glad to hear that someone else was anti-Superbowl like me. My friend and I watched Ratatouille instead! :)

Esi said...

Dawn, I think I am going to start making tzatziki on a more regular basis. I was eating the leftovers with everything!

Diana, I go to the Beverly Hills farmers market. It's great because even though it's small, they have most of the same vendors as Hollywood and it's never too crowded. I love the movie Ratatouille! Sooo cute!

Sharon said...

Ooh, I want these now! i love just about any food with the word *Greek* involved.

Heather said...

i didn't do any bowl parties, either. just some relaxing on the couch with the husband.

i hope you find that dream job soon! these burgers at least look like a tasty dream dinner ;)

Paula said...

Mmmmm - what a yummy burger! I'm so impressed that you make your own buns. Tzatziki is one of my all time favorite foods. It makes everything taste better. I love it on salmon, and I would love it on these burgers. Hope the busy season at work doesn't wear you out!

Unknown said...

delicious :)

i think we all watched it for the commercials... that is until the 4th qtr!

Darius T. Williams said...

Looks amazing...really!

Anonymous said...

1. The burgers look fabulous. Earmarking recipe.

2.Actually had to look up pescitarian. Wish I knew the term prior cuz I would have been deemed just that and not a "Vegetarian who eats fish". lol

3. Want your burger bun tutorial, please. :) I'm all up for homemade bread.

BTW: Strawberries are in the store again. And yup, made those delicious Strawberry Smash Muffins of yours. Everyone at work loves them!

Esi said...

Wish me luck in the search, ya'll!

Sharon, I completely agree!

Heather, my dream dinner tonight consisted of your pistachio pancakes!

Christine! The farmers market has had a ton of strawberries lately, I think I may have to make the muffins again. The buns are really easy to make. Just mix everything together and then let them rise twice, easy peasy!

Anonymous said...

The spinach probably helps keep the burgers from drying out. And the tzatziki adds nice tang with the feta. This would be good for lunch.

veggie belly said...

I love putting spinach in burgers or as a topping for burgers (instead of lettuce). This looks so yummy, im going to have to make a vegetarian greek burger asap!

Olga said...

Those burgers look great! But more than anything, I'm impressed you made your own buns: wow!

oh, and I did not watch Superbowl either ;)

Anonymous said...

Your burgers look amazing. Wish I could have one for lunch!

Esi said...

Duo Dishes, it's a fantastic lunch.

Veggie Belly, oooh, a vegetarian version of this would be good too! Would you use black beans?

Olga, buns are actually really easy to make and kind of fun too!

Lisa, I am craving another!