Everyday is a burger day

It doesn’t have to be barbeque season to make burgers. Since the chief foodies (who are they anyway?) have declared burgers a food trend for 2013 again, we thought we should feature a selection of less traditional but super delicious burgers that are big hits with our readers. 

Asian burgers get great flavor from sesame, ginger, soy sauce and green onions. Mini Moroccan Lamb burgers are always a huge hit as sliders.  People cannot quite name all the spices that come together for these burgers that smell as good as they taste. And lastly, turkey burgers that are good enough and healthy enough to replace the beef burger night in your home.

Mini Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Parve Lemon Cream Sauce
Makes 6 – 8 servings

This is a great and easy way to spice up a midweek meal.  The lamb burgers are a refreshing and flavorful twist to a regular burger and the lemon sauce adds a certaincoolness to the dish. 

For the lemon yogurt sauce:
1 pint parve sour cream
1 lemon, zested
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt
12 slider buns or 1 halla, sliced

For the mini burgers:
1kg ground lamb
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups lettuce, torn into small pieces
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds

Make the sauce:
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the parve sour cream, lemon zest and juice. Season, to taste, with salt. Sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before using.

Make the burgers:
Preheat the grill or grill pan. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and work together until they are fully incorporated. Using your hands, gently form little balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches big and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. With a fork, flatten burgers to about 1/2-inch thick. Once the grill is hot, place them on the grill or grill pan and cook, about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until fully cooked through.

Slice buns and toast if you like. Serve burgers with lettuce, tomato, and lemon cream sauce.

Asian Burgers with Cabbage Relish and Chili Mayonnaise

3 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
½ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
1½ teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce, divided
¼ cup mayonnaise
700grams ground beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 hamburger buns, split



Heat grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat (alternatively, heat a sauté pan).

Mix cabbage, ¼ cup green onions, the vinegar, 1 teaspoon each garlic and ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon chili sauce in a large bowl. Set relish aside, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, mix mayonnaise with remaining 1 teaspoon chili sauce.

Combine beef, soy sauce, and remaining ¼ cup green onions, 1 tablespoon each of garlic and ginger, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Shape into 4 patties, each about ½ inch thick.

Spray grill or grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. Grill burgers, covered, turning once, 7 to 8 minutes total for medium. In the final minutes, toast buns.

Spread bun bottoms with chili mayonnaise. Set burgers on buns. With a slotted spoon, put some cabbage relish on each. Serve with remaining relish.

Turkey Burgers

1 pound (total) ground white and dark meat turkey combined
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 egg
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
1 – ½ tablespoons mesquite seasoning
½ tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon water (Acrucial tip. Water is an important ingredient in making any burger. It helps keep the burgers moist)
½ cup bread crumbs



In a large bowl, mix turkey meat, mustard, egg, ketchup, bbq sauce, mesquite seasoning, onion powder, water and bread crumbs.  Mix it gently until all the ingredients are fully combined.  Using your hands works best, they mix well without working the meat too hard.

Divide the meat into about 5 -6 equal parts, about ¾ cup each.  Form into a patty.  Make the patty thicker on the outside and leave a small indentation on the inside of the patty.  The cool thing is that now, when you bbq or cook your burgers the center part rises evening out your burger.  No more bloated tops.

Heat a grill pan or a bbq over medium heat.Don’t worry if you don’t have one; just use a regular sauté pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook about 3-4 minutes each side until cooked through. Important: Do not press down on the burger while it is cooking.  When you press down on meat, all the flavors ooze out of the burger and remain in the pan. We want the flavor to stay in the burger.

You are almost done; here is the last important tip for great turkey burgers:  Layer on the flavor.  Add cooked onions or mushrooms, or great roasted tomatoes, spicy mayonnaise or my favorite is Coleslaw.

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