Dinner with Kirsten

I love hamburgers, but, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve been trying to eat healthy. So, I’ve been making turkey burgers about once a week for months. Faced with yet another package of ground turkey meat in the fridge, expiration date ticking down, I turned to epicurious.com for inspiration.

I’ve become a Sriracha addict, so I was excited to find an Asian style recipe that, though it didn’t actually call for Sriracha sauce, looked like a promising base for my new favorite condiment. The intimidating fiery red sauce is hot, of course, but also surprisingly tangy, sweet and flavorful, a perfect addition to almost any Asian food (or, as it turns out, turkey burgers).

The quick pickles also sold me on this recipe. They’re crunchy, fresh and vinegary, a perfect topping for a light burger. I mixed some Sriracha sauce with mayonnaise to stand in for ketchup, and for the bun I used ciabatta rolls.

I made a quick salad as a side, mixing in some of the mint and cilantro with the lettuce. For dressing I put about a teaspoon Dijon mustard into a jar and added two tablespoons rice vinegar, four tablespoons olive oil and a teaspoon of sugar, although honey would be better if you have some. Then I put the lid on the jar and shook it up.

Oven-baked fries rounded out this meal. I sliced up a few russet potatoes, laid them out on a baking sheet, drizzled them lightly with olive oil and tossed to coat. They went into a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes, but cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fries. Test their doneness periodically as they cook and don’t forget to sprinkle them with salt right when they come out. They were great dipped in extra Sriracha mayonnaise.

Sriracha Spiced Southeast Asian Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Gourmet

For cucumbers
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cucumber, seedless English or regular cucumber with skin removed and seeds removed (cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon)

For burgers
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha
salt and pepper

hamburger buns
Sriracha mayonnaise, optional
(Just mix mayonnaise with as much Sriracha sauce as your taste buds can handle.)

Make pickled cucumbers:
In a bowl stir together vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Slice cucumber into 1/8-inch-thick slices and add to vinegar, tossing well. Marinate mixture at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

For burgers:
In a bowl mix garlic with bread crumbs and remaining burger ingredients until just combined (do not overmix) and form into four 1-inch-thick patties. Season burgers with salt and pepper and grill or cook in a hot pan (I used a cast iron skillet). It should take about 5 minutes on each side to get them just cooked through. Transfer burgers to buns and top with cucumbers and Sriracha mayonnaise.