Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

Here’s another fast, nutritious and yummy dish. It works nicely with the grain-free diet my husband and I have adopted, and since the kids still love (and demand!) their grains, I make little sliders for them using whole-grain bread in place of buns.

This dish packs a ton of lean protein (thanks to the turkey meat and mushrooms), and works well for lunch or dinner. You’ll find this meal is very satisfying without leaving you feeling stuffed and bloated due to the absence of the bun.

You can add all the usual suspects that you would normally add to a really amazing gourmet burger. We love carmelized onions–as noted in my last posting of sweet potato & carmelized onion hash, as well as sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and a balsamic/Dijon dressing that adds wonderful flavor. I would have added roasted red pepper to this dish, but didn’t have any at the moment. I’ve also had a similar version in a restaurant where they added herbed goat cheese. My husband avoids cheese like the plague, but it makes a great addition to your turkey burger salad! Get creative!

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey meat (thigh or breast although thigh has more flavor)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

2 tbsp soy sauce, Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or coconut aminos

1/2 onion, peeled, trimmed and sliced thinly into 1/4 or 1/2 rounds

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, carefully cleaned, trimmed and sliced

1 ripe tomato

1 ripe avocado

1 small head of butter lettuce, trimmed, rinsed and dried (spun)

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar*

1 tsp (rounded) honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Sea salt

Fresh-ground pepper

*You may have noticed I almost always add “good quality” to my balsamic vinegar listing. I do this because there is a wide range of balsamic vinegars, and many are relatively watery and flavorless. A good quality, nicely-aged balsamic should taste good all on its own. Dip in a finger and taste it to decide.

Preparation

Preheat the broiler.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms. Stirring occasionally, cook until mushrooms are tender and starting to brown on the edges.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small cast-iron (or other) skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and starting to carmelize.

While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, put the ground turkey meat in a large mixing bowl along with the garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, soy sauce or soy sauce substitute and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix the meat and spices until thoroughly combined. Shape into two large patties, approximately 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick and two small patties (for the kids). Place on a grill pan or rimmed baking sheet and broil on the top rack until cooked, about 12 minutes for the large patties, flipping once after 8 minutes or so. (Note: I usually add cheese to my kids’ patties at the very end of the cooking time.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp fresh-ground pepper.

Divide the lettuce onto plates.  Top with the burger followed by the mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and whatever else you’re using (except the avocado). Garnish with slices of avocado. Drizzle the dressing over the whole thing. Serve immediately.

Happy healthy eating!

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