Asian Style Turkey Burgers

First things first: the Warriors won their game out in Springfield, MA last night. Only two games to go before they become the National Division II champs.

What a week! To say things have been hectic around here is to understate the situation. 10-hour days on campus and the kind of days that I haven't even had a chance to sneak in a quick blog check to my favs. Then its home for dinner things, I did manage to take the dog for a long walk on Monday (where we came across this sign reminding us to just slow down a bit), and then either grading student work, reviewing apps for a new position in the Global Studies department, or studying for my paper. But I need more paper time and more exercise- you know, moving would be nice!!!

At least spring is here! Yay! And I've gotten some knitting in when my brain was too tired to read anymore- baby gift surprises that can't be revealed and a finished project that has only been 8 months in the making (no time to snap a photo yet).

Last weekend was so crazy we didn't even go grocery shopping. So, our current state does not involve yogurt, fruit, OJ- all the things I love. I did invent a delicious dish the other night- turkey stroganoff lasagna. I sauteed ground turkey with a chopped onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a can of cream of mushroom soup with a little water mixed in, then layered it with shredded cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and lasagna noodles, heated it in the oven and viola! Yum yum yum.

To the right you see one of my specialties: Asian Style Turkey Burgers. I adapted the recipe from one I found in Cooking Light magazine a few years ago. Here it is:
1 pound ground turkey
half a finely chopped onion
handfull of finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
half a red bell pepper
handfull of mushrooms (I prefer shitake, but baby bells and button are fine, too)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of grated peeled fresh ginger
some salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Mix it all together, divide into 4 patties and cook in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat about 5 minutes each side, until done.
We served it here with provolone cheese and mesclun greens, but I also like them with a ring of pineapple and guacamole. Juan has them with the usual mustard, relish, and ketchup sometimes.

Accompanying the burgers we had sweet potato fries. I cut two large sweet potatoes into fry-like wedges and tossed them with a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika, and dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. I then baked them in the oven at 450 for about 25 minutes, moving them around once in a while. "My Yammy Spice" recipe from the Crazy Plates cookbok.