Ah, summer – hot weather, cool drinks, fresh produce, grilling.  For me, summer is mostly about air conditioning and trying not to get sunburned; but there are times when I get excited about it – beach trips, BBQ’s, long days.  On one of these bouts of enthusiasm I decided that I wanted legit summer food, so here it is.

These turkey burger patties are made with apple butter, ketchup, onion, parsley, and poultry seasoning.  I topped them with cheddar cheese, mayo, and more apple butter.  Moist and delicious!

For a super fresh and tasty side I mixed avocado, corn, grape tomatoes, and parsley with a honey-lime vinaigrette.

Turkey Apple Burgers
adapted from Panera Bread
makes 4 burgers

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp apple butter*
2 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp finely grated onion
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Buns

Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 425°F.

Combine turkey, bread crumbs, apple butter, ketchup, onion, parsley, seasoning, salt, and pepper in small mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix gently, and form into 4 patties no more than 3/4 inch thick. If mixture is loose, form patties on sheets of wax paper to make it easier to transfer them to the grill. Coat burgers with cooking spray.

Brush grill grate and coat with oil. Grill burgers for 10 minutes, flipping after 6 minutes.

Serve burgers on buns with your choice of condiments (I used mayo and apple butter). For a cheeseburger, melt slices of sharp cheddar on the burgers during the last minute of cooking.

*If you don’t have apple butter, replace it with applesauce drained in a colander for 15 minutes.

Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
adapted from Jehan Can Cook

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced

Grill corn over medium heat for 10 to 15 min. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. DO NOT OVERCOOK!! Cut the corn off the cob and scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool.

Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn. Mix well so that everything is coated with the marinade, but be careful not to mash the avocados. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Taste for seasoning before serving. I found mine to be a little sweet so I added more lime juice.

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