May 25, 2009 Hyeyoung's Turkey Burger with Grated Zucchini and Carrot

turkey burger with grated zucchini and carrot (from real simple magazine)

total time: 25 minutes

serves 4

3/4 pound ground turkey

1 med zucchini, grated

1 med carrot, grated

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 teas. dried thyme*

3/4/ teas. kosher salt

1/4 teas. black pepper

1 large egg

olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except for the olive oil. Form the mixture into 4 patties (although mine usually ends up more than 4 patties because I think I make some of them smaller for my kids). Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.** Cook the patties, turning once, until no trace of pink remains, 4 to 5 minutes per side. *When I don't have thyme, I just use an Italian herb mix (which contains thyme) and it tastes just as good. **I don't think you can grill these burgers...they are pretty soft patties and I think they would fall through the grill.

The magazine suggests serving it like this:

4 slices cruty bread

4 small leave Boston lettuce

4 T. mayo (optional)

2 teas. fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with 2 T. olive oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the bread to individual plates. Top with the lettuce leaves and burgers. If using, combine the mayo and lemon juice in a small bowl and servie with the burgers.

To be honest, I've never tried it the way the magazine suggests (mostly because I'm not crazy about mayo on my food). We've had them on plain hamburger buns as well as soft rolls or Kaiser buns. Nicholas (age 7) likes his with BBQ sauce. Sophia (age 3.9) is a purist and likes them plain with her bun. Greg and I like ours with regular hamburger fixings and a slice of sharp white cheddar chese, or with lettuce, tomatoes and avocado slices. I like to put homemade bread & butter pickles in mine (although the store-bought ones are ok, too). It's pretty flexible and I like that my kids get a little dose of veggies.