Turkey Sliders wrapped with Kale

These past couple of years I have cooked with more ground turkey than I have in my entire cooking career.  I find turkey to be clean, light and very tasty. 

The Seattle weather this winter has been quite warm in comparison to other years.  The weather has been gentle on my organic garden, in which, the kale and chard are growing beautifully.  When I say warm in Seattle, we are talking in NW terms of warm (50 degrees).  I'm dreaming of being back in my home State of Southern California with warm weather and visualizing my organic garden in full abundance of all the vegetables we enjoy eating.  Kick, kick nudge, nudge.....back to reality, I'm in Seattle, back to turkey and kale.

This recipe is easy to prepare and very tasty.  Think outside the box, make these ahead and leave them in the refrigerator for your kids to snack on, eat for breakfast, lunch, or just to have some cooked delicious protein on hand when you get a craving for junk food.  I made these for a catering party as appetizers and the clients loved them.  I assure you your kids will like these as well.

Sadie's Turkey Sliders hugged with Kale

Makes about 12-14 sliders

1 pound of fresh ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup panko
1 teaspoon soy sauce (I prefer the organic, no msg and gluten free san-j brand)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
dash of ground cloves
1 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt and pepper
NOTE:  You can use any spices or herbs as you wish
7 Kale leaves

Preheat oven at 350*F

Combine turkey, beaten egg, panko, soy sauce and the rest of the herbs together.  Make small balls (2-3 ounces) and flatten out the slider.  Place on a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on both sides. 

While Turkey Sliders are in the oven; place kale leaves in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes to soften (do not overcook them in microwave). Sprinkle some sea salt on softened kale.  Cut kale from top to bottom and remove the center membrane.  1 leaf will become two ribbons for your sliders.

When the sliders are cooked, take one ribbon of kale and wrap around turkey slider and tie a knot.  Serve with your favorite sauce, buns or no buns. 

Buon Appetito

Sweet and Spicy Sliders with Marrakesh Carrot Salad

This recipe is a delightful combination of beef and lamb with chopped apricots, dates that gives it a Moroccan flare! 

This recipe calls for an ingredient called Harissa; which is most commonly used  in North African cuisines in countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Algeria.  It is a delicious sauce that adds a depth of flavor and the right amount of spice to your dish.  You can find a variety of Harissa recipes on-line; if you wish to make it homemade, but most specialty stores will carry prepared Harissa.

Sweet and Spicy Slider Burgers


Patties

1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ pound ground lamb
2 ounces dried apricots, diced
2 ounces pitted dried dates, diced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground fennel
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 teaspoons harissa
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Wheat dinner buns for sliders or regular hamburger buns.
Green lettuce rinsed and dried

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium high.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Weigh 3oz of beef mixture to create sliders or 6oz to make a regular hamburger patty.


Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5 minutes on each side for medium.

During the last few minutes of cooking, place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

Marrakesh Carrot Salad

Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground paprika
¼ teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated

Combine the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, chile flakes, and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the honey, parsley, olive oil, and carrots and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until assembling the burgers.


To assemble the burgers, drain the carrot salad and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands.  On each roll bottom, place lettuce, a patty, and some carrot salad. Add the roll tops and serve. 

Enjoy!