Turkey Burgers

In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, Ode to the West Wind, he asks “If Winter Comes, can Spring be far behind?”

I think of this every year as soon as the weather warms up and the days get longer. In no time I forget the cold, snow and gray skies of just a few short months before.

I take the winter cover off the grill, clean the grates and get ready for months of quick, easy, outdoor cooking.

I light the fire.

It’s burger time!

Sometimes turkey burger time! Like this eggless version that’s so incredibly tender and flavorful and best served with mashed avocado but, hey, if you’re like my husband and insist on ketchup that’s ok too.

It’s a good bet for Father’s Day. Labor Day too.

EGG-FREE Turkey Burgers with Mayo and Mustard

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 20-24 ounces ground turkey

• 1 small onion, grated

• 1 large clove garlic finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, seasoned or plain

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional

• 4 slices lightly toasted bread

• 2 tomatoes, sliced

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice, cover and set aside. Place the turkey, onion, garlic, mayonnaise, mustard and bread crumbs in a bowl and mix to combine the ingredients evenly. Shape the mixture into 4 burger patties about 3/4-inch thick. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side OR heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side or until crispy and cooked through. While the burgers are cooking, toast the bread. Place 4 slices of toasted bread on each of four plates. Spread equal amounts of the avocado on each slice. Place tomato slices over the bread. Top with the burgers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

When the weather starts to get cold I make hot, filling food. Like chili. I have lots of recipes because the basics are the same but the the recipe is so versatile that I can change it depending on my mood and on what ingredients I have.

For example:

1. the beans: red kidney, white cannelini, black beans are all fine — or any other. Dried and reconstituted or canned.

2. I usually choose ground turkey but you can use any ground meat (or chopped meat); best are: beef, veal or poultry. But you can make it meatless: try firm tofu or just use more beans, maybe two kinds.

3. make it spicier with chopped fresh chili pepper or less spicy with a mild chili powder

4. serve it with chips or mashed avocado (or sour cream for meatless)

Have it your way. It’s all good. Also — it lasts, so you can make it 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge.

Note: a version of this recipe was originally published in The Jewish Week Food & Wine.

Turkey Chili

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 serrano (or other hot) pepper, deseeded and chopped, optional

• 16-20 ounces ground turkey

• 28 ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 15-19 ounce can white beans, drained

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and serrano pepper and cook briefly. Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the pieces, for 3-5 minutes, until the meat has turned color. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the beans. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Squash

Do you ever get bored with everything you usually eat?

Me too. Even though I experiment a lot. My default for dinner, especially when I’ve had a busy day, is the old fashioned plate containing meat-starch-vegetable (or 2 vegetables). Because that’s how my Mom cooked and it feels comfortable.

But on a weekend, or when I have more time, I can move away from that. Like with this one-dish dinner: Stuffed Acorn Squash. It has everything: meat, starch and vegetable all-in-one.

But here are the bonus points: first, it has just a little meat, which is a good thing if you’re trying to reduce the meat protein from your meals.

Second, it has just a little carb (a small amount of breadcrumbs).

Third, it has lots of vegetables, presented in a way that people who balk at vegetables will eat.

Fourth, you can prepare it ahead and pop it into the oven to finish cooking.

And finally, it looks beautiful, so it makes a terrific dish for company. If not for dinner, then as a first course or for brunch.

My recipe says to cut squash in half, but I prepared this batch using whole squash (I cut the cap off at about 1/3 of the way down), so take your choice (if you use whole squash, buy 4 smaller ones rather than 2 large).

I also used carnival squash because it’s so pretty, but acorn squash work just as well and usually cost less.

You can bake this stuffing in a ramekin if you prefer (and in that case you can peel and cut up the raw squash and use it in place of the carrots).

Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 2 acorn squash

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1 cup chopped yellow squash or zucchini

• 1 cup ground turkey

• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

• 1/4 cup chopped raisins

• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or toasted pignoli nuts

• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 large eggs

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds (you can rinse them off and roast them separately to use as a snack). Wrap the halves in aluminum foil and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until tender. Set aside. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. While the squash is roasting, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes, to soften them slightly. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the zucchini, turkey, spinach, raisins, nuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme and cayenne pepper and toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Mix in the eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the baked squash hollows. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 2-4 servings