A few weeks ago, after Ryan and I went to Kew Gardens, we went to the pub with a few friends. It wasn’t anything special, just a pint or two to relax with at the end of the weekend. While we were there I glanced over the menu and saw they had a butternut squash and beet burger with goat cheese. I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t order it, but I thought it sounded delicious.

I decided I wanted to try to make it for myself, and I decided the perfect time would be while Ryan was in South Africa. Along with Greek salad, veggie burgers are a food I eat when I’m by myself. I used to eat veggie burgers all the time when I lived alone and was in graduate school. They were cheap, quick, and easy to make and eat. My favorite was a black bean burger, and you can find the recipe on a blog my friends and I used to write together. But, I eat veggie burgers when I’m on my own, because Ryan tends to like something heartier for dinner. And I get it, for most people a burger has to have meat. 

I have two reasons for liking veggie burgers. First, ingredients are inexpensive so you can make a lot without spending a ton. Second, it makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body because I’m eating so many veggies at once. I also think burgers, meat or veggie, are a good way to get creative with flavors. You can throw in whatever herbs, spices, and sauces you like and as long as you can squish it all into a patty – you’ve got a burger.

This particular burger has a softer texture than a regular burger. However, it will hold its shape and when you take a bite it won’t fall out of the back of the bun. Isn’t that the worst? Taking a bite, having everything fall out, and then having to reassemble your food? Hate that. This burger isn’t like that. I like this burger a lot and I hope you will too. The shredded beets add a slight crunchy texture, the butternut squash is smooth, some goat cheese adds creaminess, and a splash of balsamic adds a sweet tang. So good. Try it. Forgo the red meat for this red burger.

Messy level: Beets make a big mess, there’s no getting around it. Your cutting board will get dyed when you slice off the ends and your hands will get dyed when you peel them. If you have a food processor, use that to shred the beets so that all the juice and mess will stay confined. If you use a box grater, you’re likely to spray tiny red bits everywhere.

Butternut Squash and Beet Burger

 

Print

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups cube butternut squash
• olive oil
• 2 medium beets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 2 oz/2 tablespoons goat cheese, plus extra for crumbling
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 4 buns
• lettuce
• balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil. Toss until all the squash is coated.
3. Put the butternut squash in the oven and roast until fork tender. This should take about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your cubes.
4. While the squash is roasting, cut the ends off the beets, then peel them. Grate the beets and set aside. Use the large holes on your grater, the beets don't need to be finely shredded.
5. Take the squash out of the oven and let it cool until you can handle it easily.
6. Transfer the squash to a large bowl. Wipe off the baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Set it aside, you'll need it later. Also, don't turn the oven off. You'll need that too.
7. Now back to the large bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the squash until ¾ smooth. It's ok to have some lumps, that adds texture and helps hold the burgers together.
8. Add the shredded beets, garlic, salt, and pepper, to the squash. Mix it all together.
9. Now add the goat cheese and panko to your mixture. Mix gently so that everything is incorporated but you haven't squashed up the goat cheese or bread crumbs too much.
10. Make 4 large patties. Put them on the prepared baking sheet.
11. Bake the patties for 30 minutes.
12. Remove for the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
13. Place the patty on the bun, top with extra goat cheese crumbles, lettuce, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

3.2.2925

The post Butternut Squash and Beet Burger appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

For some reason I have an aversion to posting regular recipes. You know, the ones that use the ingredients already in my fridge. For some reason I feel recipes should be “blog-worthy” and impressive. But really, we all need some delicious and easy  every day recipes like this teriyaki turkey burger.  It’s a great weekday dinner recipe and brings a little summer into the kitchen. 

Now usually when I make recipes like this, burgers or meatballs or meatloaf, I just eyeball the seasoning. I sprinkle the spices I like. I keep going until I can  see little granules of spice. For this recipe I measured out teaspoons of spice, but I still recommend the old eyeball test.

The burger is good as is, but you can kick it up a notch with a pineapple ring. Heat up a grill pan (or a skillet) and cook the pineapple until you have some brown lines. Top the burger and be delighted.

Messy level: Two spoons. Yes, it’s basically dumping ingredients into the bowl, but you have to get your hands mucked up in the meat, which is why it’s a two spoon recipe.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground turkey
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup of bread crumbs, divided
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of teriyaki sauce (I used Trader Joe's Island Soyaki), plus some extra sauce for finishing
• 5 slices of pineapple (I used canned, but by all means uses fresh)
• 5 buns

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, ¼ cup of breadcrumbs. Add up to ¼ cup more of bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet and won't hold together. Use your hands to mix it all together.
2. Add the egg and teriyaki sauce.
3. Using your hands mix and mash and squish is all together. If the mixture feels too sticky, as in you can't really make a patty or it's all stuck to your hands, then add the remainder of the bread crumbs.
4. Once everything is all mixed together, make patties! Mine were about ¾ of an inch thick.
5. Heat a skillet on medium-high (or grill, or George Forman grill) and cook the burgers. Instead of using oil we cooked it in more teriyaki sauce to give the burgers more flavor - Do what you like.The burgers should take about 4-6 minutes per side.
6. Optional: if you have a grill pan (or in your skillet, but you won't have lines) take the slices of pineapple and heat them. This shouldn't take long at all, it should be a quick sizzle, just enough to warm the pineapples and create those beautiful dark grill lines.
7. Put the burgers and pineapples on the bun and then put a dollop of teriyaki in the hole of the pineapple. EAT!
8. bit messier.

3.5.3226

The post Teriyaki Turkey Burgers appeared first on Cooking is Messy.