Southwestern Chili

It's Thursday night and I'm in a panic because I don't have something ready to post for Friday!  However, this previously posted recipe has been on my mind all day.  It was one of my dad's favorite meals for a family gathering.  It's been a year since he passed away and since we called him 'Poppa' we are having a memorial family get together this weekend and calling it Poppalooza...hard to believe it's been a year and not a day goes by that I don't have something special to share with him and then realize that it'll have to wait.

This is a very tasty meal, especially on a rainy day.  What's even better about this chili is that you can portion out and freeze it to give to friends or save for another rainy day.

The veggies can be flexible according to your tastes.  I like to triple the recipe for when I have my family over.  My dad loved it with cheesy cornbread muffins.

Southwestern Chili

makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 tablespoon chili powder (more or less to taste)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup grated cheddar (2 ounces)

2 green onions, sliced

garlic salt and cumin - to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 minute. Stir in the beans, chili powder, 3 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the corn.

Divide the chili among bowls and top with the cheddar and scallions.

Print this recipe:  Southwestern Chili

This is one of my favorite pictures taken at the Family reunion in Iowa last July - my dad (actually smiling) and my daughter (you know her as The Kid).  If you're from Iowa you might recognize the 'House Divided' shirt my brother is wearing (go Hawks!)

Gravy and Biscuits

Holy biscuits and gravy Batman!

I added some extra meat to Bubba's plate 'cause he was hungry!

Raise your hand if you loves you some gravy and biscuits!  Now we all know that sausage gravy is the mega bomb but I've also made this gravy with ground beef and this time with ground turkey.  Sometimes my mom made it with fried bologna and of course, you may also know it as the lovely and delicately named 'sh*t on a shingle'   But a gravy by any other name would taste as good.(?)  However, I stopped making this gravy because of the white flour in the roux to thicken it and then the soft fluffy hydrogenated refrigerator biscuits used to serve it.  So then when I saw this recipe I tried it and we liked it!

I based this recipe from the Sausage Gravy and Biscuits found on Maria's Nutritious and Delicious Journal.  She made hers with organic pork sausage and you are certainly free to do so but I'm guessing you might already have ground turkey in your freezer you can use.

As for the biscuits,  I made a batch of Almond Flour biscuits (so quick, so easy, so good!) to create a lovely landing pad for my gravy.  But I'm sure you'd also enjoy this on mashed potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower.

Gravy and Biscuits

makes 4 servings

6 Almond Flour Biscuits  (I like to use 3 biscuit halves per serving)

10 oz ground turkey

1 cup (8 oz) full fat cream cheese, cubed

1 cup organic beef or chicken broth

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

ground sage

Cook meat in large skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Gradually add cream cheese and broth; cook until mixture comes to a soft simmer and thickens, stirring constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add ground sage to taste for extra flavor.

Split biscuits in half.   Place 3 halves on each plate; top with gravy.

Italian Stew

The other night I threw this together and didn't even follow a recipe.  It was more like a 'what will I do with all these extra veggies' sort of thing.  And I was kinda craving pasketti too.  So this was a nice amalgamation of flavors and textures and fridge cleaning (?!?)  Now that's something you won't see on Top Chef...  

By the way, is anyone jazzed for the new season?  'Cause I'm not really....and that's sad.  I liked it better when it was young, hungry, trying to get started chefs, rather than established, already have their own restaurants, already a professional kind of chefs.  Season 3 is my most favorite season (luv me some Howie!) and I still have one episode on my DVR that I can't part with.  It's the episode where they cook for the Elks Lodge and make healthier versions of grandma's cooking, like tuna casserole, meatloaf and fried chicken. 

Oh well, back to the show.  Go through your fridge and see what veggies you have hanging out that need a good home and you can throw together this dish.  The hardest part about making this was getting Bubba out of the kitchen so he didn't see me chopping up the eggplant I was sneaking into enhancing the dish with.  And of course, he loved it and thought it was great.

Italian Stew
makes 6-8 servings

olive oil
1 1/4 lb ground turkey 1 onion, diced
1 large zucchini, cubed
1 small eggplant, cubed
1/2 head cauliflower, cubed
32 oz (2 lbs) marinara sauce
Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses

Cook the ground turkey in a little olive oil, drain if needed and set aside.

Chop all the veggies into about the same sized pieces for even cooking.  If you are trying to be sneaky then peel them so people can't tell what they are.

In same pan,  add some more olive oil and all of the veggies.  Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the veggies are starting to soften.

Add the meat and the sauce into the veggies and mix thoroughly.  Cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes or so.  Season to taste with garlic, salt and pepper as you like.

Scoop into bowls and top with cheeses.  Eat a warm hearty dinner and giggle silently behind your hand as your family eats veggies they don't care for and have no clue.

Greekloaf

I love Greek food and flavors and I love meatloaf so I thought this recipe was just perfect for me.  And it was!  You could make this with either organic healthy (blah blah blah) ground beef or ground turkey.  This recipe could also be cooked either in your crockpot or in the oven, depending on whether you a) remember to throw it in the crockpot that morning or b) you get home and see the recipe on the counter and yell - 'dang it!' and throw it together and into the oven right quick.  If you have time, put this all together the night before and let the flavors meld. 

I scrambled the leftovers into my eggs the next morning and topped it with Greek yogurt 'cause I'm just awesome that way....but enough about me - on to the recipe!  I served this with a side of Quinoa Cauliflower Mash - that recipe posts tomorrow.

My secret to a good meatloaf is to combine all the other ingredients first and then mix them into the meat; you get better distribution that way.

Greekloaf
makes 6-8 servings (but remember, a 3 oz piece is a P10 serving)

olive oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup red onion (can sub regular onion), chopped
2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, garlic and oregano, then add in the onion and cheese and spinach, mix well.

COAT YOUR HANDS WITH OLIVE OIL.

Put the meat into the mixing bowl and squish squish squish away, making sure that all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the meat, make sure and flip and split and separate and continue squishing until you have a great mixture.

Crockpot instructions:  Coat the crockpot with olive oil, plop the mixture in and shape into a low flat even loaf (to cook evenly).  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Uncover and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Oven instructions:  Put meatloaf into a pan and shape evenly to ensure it cooks evenly.  Bake at 350 for 90 minutes.

Greekloaf and a side of Quinoa Cauliflower Mash

Zucchini Noodles

When I realized that I could use my ever so scary but handy mandolin slicer set to julienne mode to make noodles out of zucchini, I knew I had to try it....and it worked!

Yes, I say scary because if you're not careful it will take six months for your fingertip to heal and another six months you don't feel pain in that finger - so I threw away my old evil bloodthirsty slicer and bought a safer one, and  yes I went out and bought a mesh cutting glove too - it's lined with stainless steel to protect your hand from being cut.  Not very expensive, unlike an emergency room visit....

Wow - was that TMI?  It's only because I care and because you can really hurt yourself if you're not careful.  So let's carefully back away from the crazy woman and get back to the recipe....

This dish was just like having spaghetti and meat sauce, texture wise and we really enjoyed it.  And I made a Red Lobster knockoff biscuit and salad to go with it.   I had been craving lasagna so I added in some ricotta cheese but really, this would have been just fine without it.  You do what you like.

And don't just stop there, folks - what else would you want to use these zucchini noodles in?  Let me know!


Zucchini Noodles
makes six servings

2 large zucchini
1/2 large onion, chopped
1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 lb ground organic beef or turkey
16 oz (2 cups) marinara sauce
1/4 cup ricotta cheese (optional)
parmesan cheese, grated

To prepare the zucchini, wash and peel (if you want to, I didn't).  Cut zucchini in half and hold it longways and use the julienne setting on the slicer to cut into 'noodles'.  If you don't have access to a slicer, then cut the zucchini into long thin sticks like fries.

Add butter/oil to skillet and saute onions and zucchini until soft, remove.  Then add the meat and cook until done and add the sauce, then add back in the vegetables.  If you want to add the ricotta cheese, toss it in.  Mix until warmed through.

Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Turkey Burger Sliders, Grain Free

In my previous post "Gobble Gobble" I had said that "you could enjoy these burgers on Stages 1, 2 and 3, even though they do contain some bread crumbs – but I don’t think it’s enough to freak out about."

But what if you did want to freak out about it?  What if you wanted to have them without any bread crumbs?  I sat awake at night wondering how and if I'd failed you all with my cavalier assumption.  And so I decided to make them again without the bread crumbs to see how they'd turn out...they were gooooooood! 

I had tried using flax seed but that made them very crunchy and tough.  So I decided to try almond meal/flour and that worked well.  If you use coconut flour they'd be too sweet.

I typically serve these on greens and they are very good with hummus on top.  You could also make some grain free burger buns to put them on.

I saved the leftovers to have as sausage patties the next day for breakfast.  Just serve with a runny egg or mix into scrambled eggs.  You could even make a Flaxseed Wrap and have a great breakfast burrito.  If you decide to make a batch for breakfast especially, add some sage to it to get that sausage taste.

TIP - before I started mixing them, I coated my hands with coconut oil and that helped season the burgers and get my hands cleaned afterwards.....

Print this recipe:  Turkey Burger Sliders, Grain Free

Turkey Burgers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb ground turkey, I used Jennie-O

1/3 cup almond meal

2 eggs, beaten

Handful of fresh parsley or about 1 tablespoon of dried parsley

Pinch of salt or seasonings to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil for frying

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden.   

Put the turkey in a large bowl and add the almond meal, cooled onions, two beaten eggs, parsley and salt.  Coat your hands with coconut oil and mix the ingredients gently and completely – do not condense the mixture – use a very light touch.   If the mixture is really sticky, add a little more almond meal.

When ingredients are well mixed, shape them into 5 or 6 regular sized patties and cook in olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes.  Turn the burgers and cover the pan, reduce the heat just a notch and continue to cook another 5 minutes.   This will steam them and keep them moist until the juices run clear.

To cook 10-12 slider sized patties, put about half of them in the pan and cook them in the same way but only about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Depending on the size of the patties, count these as 1-2 servings of protein and ½ serving of fat. 

Beef-a-Roni

The texture and taste of this awesome dish was like a big bowl of hearty spaghetti but without the noodles!  It was very filling and easy to make. 

Oh, and after talking with my friend Karen, I’ve now decided that secret ingredients should be referred to as ‘enhanced’ rather than ‘disguised’.  I was telling her about how Bubba, the enemy of all things eggplant, ate this and loved it and never once even noticed the eggplant in it.

This could also be very versatile.  You could use zucchini and yellow squash in place of the eggplant.  You could sub ground chicken or turkey for the meat.

Oh, remember the Pepperitas recipe?  Bubba decided to scoop some of this mixture into his peppers to take for lunch.  (he drained off some of the sauce first).

This makes a lot so I bet you could freeze the extra if it doesn’t get eaten before then…

Print this recipe:  Beef-a-Roni

Beef-a-Roni

makes 6 servings

adapted from Maria's Delicious and Nutritious Journal

1 1/2 lbs. ground hamburger or turkey

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

3 cups eggplant, cut into cubes

32 oz  marinara sauce, no sugar/natural

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed

salt & pepper or Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute

optional:  mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Peel and cube the eggplant into dice-sized pieces. Place in a large pan with marinara and garlic. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

Brown the meat, onion and green pepper in skillet. Drain off any excess fat and then add the meat into the sauce mixture.   Cook over medium-low heat, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Season with salt, pepper or any other seasonings you’d like.

Top with cheese.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Lo siento, tengo mucho tarde para el Cinco de Mayo - but, it's never too late to celebrate with this absolutely delicious Mexican casserole.  This is one of our knock down drag out favorite meals.  Now, because it contains flour tortillas, this is not suitable for P10 Stage 1 and those of you who are not eating grains - but I'm thinking you could substitute a flaxseed wrap in place of the tortillas - just not sure how that would taste?

Depending on what kind of meat your family likes, this can be very versatile or you can make it vegetarian by just adding an extra can of black beans. 

Print this recipe:  Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

makes 6-8 servings

 4 (9-inch) flour tortillas

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 lb ground beef/turkey (OR use an extra can of black beans)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can refried beans

4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

cilantro, chopped 

8 ounces cheese, shredded

salsa and sour cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400.

Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, use a paring knife to trim the edges of the tortillas so that they fit in a 9-inch springform pan.  

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.  Sauté the onion and meat until no longer pink.  Add the garlic and taco seasoning, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  

Add the black beans and broth to the skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Mix in the corn and scallions and remove from heat.

Spread a layer of refried beans on each tortilla.  Then lay one of the tortillas across the bottom of the springform pan (bean side up).  Layer with 1/4 of the meat/bean mixture, and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat 3 times, finishing with beans and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and unmold the pie.  Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro, and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Southwestern Chili

This is a very tasty meal, especially on a rainy day.  What's even better about this chili is that you can portion out and freeze it to give to friends or save for another rainy day.

The veggies can be flexible according to your tastes.  I like to triple the recipe for when I have my family over.  Do you still have your dabs of tomato paste tucked away in the freezer?  Now's the time to use a few of them.

Southwestern Chili

makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 tablespoon chili powder (more or less to taste)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup grated cheddar (2 ounces)

2 green onions, sliced

garlic salt and cumin - to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 minute. Stir in the beans, chili powder, 3 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the corn.

Divide the chili among bowls and top with the cheddar and scallions.

Print this recipe:  Southwestern Chili

Turkey Summer Squash Casserole

This wasn't too difficult to throw together and it makes so much.  Any of the recipes that make huge amounts should be your cue to portion out the rest and freeze them in serving sizes for those nights when you just can't face another salad or need a quick lunch to take to work. 

Do you know the trick to freezing portion sizes?  I didn't and it was so stupid-easy that I was a bit embarrassed.  I'm almost embarrassed to assume that you don't either.

Cut the item(s) into serving slices.  Put them on paper plate(s) - make sure they don't touch each other - and put plates in freezer.  When the item is frozen solid, grab them all and throw them in a freezer bag.  Since they are individually frozen, they won't stick together.  Easy peasy!

Don't skimp on the yogurt/sour cream - I didn't have quite enough and it was a little dry but the casserole was really tasty.  Try to use organic seasonings if you have them but don't beat yourself up about it.  Do the best you can with what you have!

Turkey Summer Squash Casserole

Servings: 8

adapted from Free Coconut Recipes

1 lb ground turkey

2 tablespoons taco seasoning or steak seasoning

2 cups shredded raw sharp cheddar

1/2 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped peppers (your choice of what you prefer)

2-3 cups summer squash, diced (yellow, patty pan, zucchini)

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons coconut oil

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large skillet on med high heat, sauté onions and peppers with half the coconut oil and salt and pepper to taste until soft, remove from pan. Brown turkey using the rest of the coconut oil in the skillet, until just cooked and tender.

While turkey is cooking, dice the squash. Drain any extra liquid from turkey and add the seasoning.

Grease a 9x13" glass dish. Place half of the squash, peppers and onion in dish. Cover with half of the turkey mixture and half of the shredded cheese. Spread yogurt over cheese. Add in the rest of the squash, peppers and onion and cover with the rest of the turkey mixture, topping with the rest of the cheese and some fresh cracked pepper.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top is starting to brown. If cheese starts to brown too soon, cover with foil.

This was good with a dollop of sour cream and salsa on top.

Print this recipe - Turkey Summer Squash Casserole

Shepherd's Pie (aka Superman Pie)

This dish brings back so many memories of childhood.  My mom made a very simple version and it was always good to feed our large family.  She’d layer cooked ground beef and a can of creamed corn and top it with mashed potatoes and some cheese and then heat it up.  Of course, once we got tired of having it too often, my mom came up with a clever idea (which you may borrow).  She told us we were having Superman Pie for dinner –we were so excited that we didn’t mind it was shepherd’s pie.  The next time, it was Wonder Woman Pie…and so on.  Or, she’d let us do the honors and we’d all be so excited to eat the dinner that we got to name!

This is a recipe that Jenn H. pointed out to me on the Food Network website.  Well, it didn’t start out this way – she substituted cauliflower for potatoes and turkey for the beef and when she told me about it I went crazy for the idea and had to make it for myself and then share it all with you.   The great thing about this was that I could sub whatever I had one hand - no carrots, so I used celery, no peas, so I used some chopped green beans and I added a small can of drained mushrooms.

Oh, and if I may take a moment - both Bubba and Kid thought this was the very best Shepherd's Pie I'd ever made!  Neither of them had any clue it was turkey and cauliflower.  And it made wonderful leftovers the next day for lunch as we listened to the cold rain pouring down...

Shepherd's Pie

6-8 servings

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese

1/2 cup cream or milk

2 tablespoons butter
garlic salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used seasoned salt)

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

1 cup beef stock or broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or sub 2 teaspoons dried)

Boil cauliflower until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return to pan and add sour cream, milk and butter and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.  Season to taste.

While the cauliflower boils, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with turkey.  Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small pan or measuring cup warm up the broth and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour into the meat mixture, then drizzle in the cornstarch/water mixture and stir about 1 minute.  Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Grease a small rectangular casserole and add meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon cauliflower over meat evenly (you may not use it all). Top cauliflower with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

1 cup serving = 1 protein, 2 veggie and 1/2 fat serving

Print the recipe here:  Shepherd's Pie

Unstuffed Cabbage

I was surprised that I liked this dish as much as I did; and the family liked it too.  So if you look at this recipe and go ‘eeeuuw’ at least give it a try.  You get all the great taste and texture of stuffed cabbage without all the hassle; it was cheap and it took about 15 minutes to make with only one pan to wash.  I served it with a side of whole grain garlic bread.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Makes 5 servings

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Start the meat cooking in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.  While it is browning, chop the onion and crush the garlic, stir them into the turkey.  Cover the pan and let it continue cooking.

Meanwhile, chop the cabbage coarsely.  Stir the cabbage into the turkey mixture a bit at a time – making sure to keep turning and stirring to keep it cooking evenly.  Re-cover the pan.

Continue to stir the turkey mixture to keep it cooking evenly, covering in between stirrings.  When the cabbage is starting to wilt (about 10 minutes), stir in the tomato sauce, lemon juice, and seasonings.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then serve.

I’d say that one serving is about 2-3 veggie servings and 1/2 a protein serving.

Print this recipe:  Unstuffed Cabbage

Gobble gobble!

Yes, a corny title for this particular recipe but goodness gracious these were off the charts delicious and easy to make.  Even better, they make a great ‘sausage’ with breakfast the next day – and I have missed sausage with my runny eggs!  My family did not even realize these were ground turkey until I told them (I should stop telling them stuff like that, huh?)

I made them into little slider sized patties and served theirs on small rolls with lettuce and tomato and I put mine on salad greens with tomato and grated parmesan.  I made baked sweet potato fries on the side but I won’t show you that picture because they got a little burnt.  Accidentally, that is.  Really.

I would say you could enjoy these burgers on Stages 1, 2 and 3, even though they do contain some bread crumbs – but I don’t think it’s enough to freak out about.

Turkey Burgers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb ground turkey, I used Jennie-O

2 slices of whole grain wheat bread, spelt or Ezekiel, the healthy stuff

2 eggs, beaten

Handful of fresh parsley or about 1 tablespoon of dried parsley

Pinch of salt

Extra-virgin olive oil for frying

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden.   Meanwhile, toast the bread until it’s good and crispy-crumbly.  (You don’t have to toast it but I found that made a difference in the taste.)

Meanwhile, put the turkey in a large bowl and crumble the toasted bread over it.  Add the cooled onions, two beaten eggs, parsley and salt.  Use your hands to mix the ingredients gently and completely – do not condense the mixture – use a very light touch.  When ingredients are well mixed, shape them into 5 or 6 regular sized patties and cook in olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes.  Turn the burgers and cover the pan, reduce the heat just a notch and continue to cook another 5 minutes.   This will steam them and keep them moist until the juices run clear.

To cook 10-12 slider sized patties, put about half of them in the pan and cook them in the same way but only about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Depending on the size of the patties, count these as 1-2 servings of protein and ½ serving of fat. 

Print this recipe: Turkey Burgers