My first venture into Jerusalem: Turkey and Courgette Burgers with Sumac and Yoghurt Sauce

 

 

When I say 'Jerusalem', I mean the tremendously brilliant 'Ottolenghi' cookbook, rather than the city, but I have to say that watching the BBC Four series last year which depicted Yotam Ottolenghi's culinary tour of Jerusalem was fascinating. I'd love to go! Maybe one day... Anyway, until then I can cook my way through this glorious cookbook, full of exciting recipes to try.

 

It was natural that I was going to start here, at this recipe, because you see, the first Ottolenghi recipe I ever cooked was this one, which was a total revelation to me and everybody around me who has eaten it. I always thought that turkey mince was really a bit 'meh!', but pimping it up with some fresh herbs, vegetables and a generous amount of seasoning takes something uninspiring to something you can't get enough of.

 

Lola and Finn were a bit unsure of the yoghurt sauce and that's okay because as a kid I don't think that I would have been too keen. However, it is a lovely sauce, both zingy and cooling and a great match for the cumin infused 'burgers'. I served this with rice cooked in a little chicken stock and Lola and Finn approved.

 

So, here's the recipe:

 

Turkey and Courgette Burgers with Sumac and Yoghurt Sauce, adapted from 'Jerusalem' by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

 

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum, Dad and one other

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb/500g ground turkey

1 large courgette, coarsely grated about 8oz/200g

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 large free-range egg

2 tablespoons chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

about 6 tablespoons sunflower oil, for searing

 

Sour cream & sumac sauce

 

Approx 80ml sour cream

Approx 160ml Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, crushed

11/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

 

 

 

Make the sour cream sauce first by placing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside or chill until needed.

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the burgers except the sunflower oil.

 

Mix with your hands and then shape into about 18 rounded burgers of about 1½ ounces each.

 

 

 

Pour enough sunflower oil into a large frying pan to form a layer about 1/16-inch thick.

 

Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the burgers, in batches, on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes, adding oil as needed, until golden brown.

 

Carefully transfer the seared burgers to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just cooked through.

 

 

 

Serve warm or at room temperature, with the sauce spooned over or on the side

Ok, healthy eating starts here. Teriyaki Turkey meatballs

 

 

There have been many false dawns and this might be another. What I should probably say is that this is the start of my filling the fridge full of fresher, healthier stuff as I whittle my way through the gallon of cream and dozens of eggs and so on that was in the fridge post the Christmas binge. I had this idea that I would be making some nice desserts etc. to go with the meat laden feasts of Christmas time, but the fact is, I couldn't see past the cheese board (I can never see past the cheese board. I put this down to my mum eating a pound of cheese A DAY when she was carrying me. I am, in fact, made of cheese. I am a slave to Stilton, corrupted by Camembert, distracted by...

er... Dairylea...)

 

So, anyway, before I got waylaid by my love of cheese, I was talking about trying to be more healthy and wholesome after the Christmas splurge and this recipe is a nice place to start. I know it says turkey but don't let that put you off. Enough time has passed since you used up the last of that leftover turkey and this tastes soooo good! The original recipe (which is from BBC GoodFood magazine - a rich vein of inspiration at the moment) calls for the blitzing of chicken breast but I had turkey mince in the freezer, in my mind a far superior (and cheaper) alternative.

 

And here's a thing. The recipe recommends you serve these delicious meatballs on a bed of spring greens and basmati rice. And I did, despite the very likely Lola and Finn revolt over the inclusion of green stuff. Anyway, after discovering that spring greens and rice on the same fork actually taste quite nice, I encouraged Lola and Finn to try it this way. They did, and they agreed. See, I knew it was possible!

 

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs, adapted from Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs in BBC GoodFood magazine, January 2013 edition

 

My adaptations in red

 

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad

 

Ingredients:

 

2 shallots

1 carrot, cut into chunks (I used two)

handful of coriander

500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks (I used 500g turkey mince)

zest and juice 1 lemon

a little oil

200g basmati rice

200g spring greens, chopped

100ml mirin

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp caster sugar

 

Method:

 

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

 

 

 

Pulse the shallots, coriander and carrot in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the turkey, lemon zest and some seasoning, and pulse again until mixed.

 

 

 

Using oiled hands, shape into small meatballs. Put on a baking tray lined with baking parchment (I just oiled mine!) and bake for 10 mins until browned and cooked through.

 

Meanwhile, boil the rice following pack instructions, adding the spring greens for the final 4 mins. Drain well.

 

 

 

Add the mirin, soy, lemon juice and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer until saucy.

 

 

 

Remove from the heat, add the meatballs to the pan and roll them around in the sauce.

 

Slightly blurred - getting used to a new camera!

 

 

Divide the rice and greens between plates or bowls and spoon the meatballs over.

Cakes not balls: Turkey cakes with Wasabi Guacamole

The first dish I cooked from the Ottolenghi cookbook was turkey meatballs which was, frankly, a revelation. I know it's hardly some sort of haute cuisine and I daresay it isn't gracing the menus of many Michelin starred restaurants just now but the fact is that it (or they I suppose) taste totally fabulous. I also think that any recipe that manages to impart some semblance of flavour into turkey mince is one worth keeping and cooking regularly.

So when I was perusing the Guardian website for something else it was with such happiness that I saw this. Firstly, an Ottolenghi recipe. Fabulous. Secondly. Turkey mince. Well, it has to be okay doesn't it? And it was...

Wasabi and kids don't do really go together and I'll be honest I didn't even try. I gave Lola and Finn a little guacamole before I put wasabi into it which they tried but weren't massively excited by. That's okay, Phill isn't greatly excited by it either. However, the addition of a little wasabi just transformed the guacamole into something with pizazz, which married well with the turkey cakes. Phill was pleasantly surprised.

Lola and Finn really enjoyed the turkey cakes. I suppose what makes these cakes rather than balls is that they're flat rather than round and are baked. I also think you could make these into burgers and they would be lovely topped with feta and a tomatoey, chilli relish.

Turkey Cakes with Wasabi Guacamole from The Guardian website

Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad generously.

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

2 courgettes, coarsely grated (net weight 250g) (Two medium ones for me)Salt and black pepper
600g minced turkey, or chicken (I used 500g)2 medium free-range eggs
1½ tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chopped coriander
3 tbsp chopped mint
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
60g chopped spring onion
Sunflower oil, for frying
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp mirin
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds (which I forgot to use!!)

For the wasabi guacamole:

2 ripe avocados, peeled (net weight 300g)
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp wasabi paste
20g chopped spring onion
Salt

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

 Put the grated courgette in a sieve, mixed with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and leave to drain for about 15 minutes.

Squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands, then put the courgette in a large mixing bowl along with the turkey, eggs, cumin, coriander, mint, garlic, three-quarters of the spring onion, a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix together well. then shape into 12 patties weighing about 80g each (or just eyeball it, like I did)

Because turkey mince is so bland, I always worry about whether I have seasoned the meat enough. Fr that reason I take a little of the mixture and fry it off to taste for seasoning. If I need to add more, then I do so. You'd be surprised how much salt you might need to make turkey mince taste of something  When you're happy with the seasoning then shape into 12 patties weighing about 80g each (or just eyeball it, like I did).

Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the patties for four minutes, turning once, until nice and brown on both sides.

Transfer to a baking tray and finish off in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

I confess, I like it chunky!

While the turkey cakes are in the oven, make the guacamole: mash the avocado with a fork and mix together with the lime juice, wasabi, chopped spring onion and half a teaspoon of salt.

Mix the sweet chilli and mirin in a separate bowl, and brush this over the turkey cakes as soon as they come out of the oven.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top (if you don't forget!) and serve with the guacamole on the side.

Got Turkey Mince? Make Masala Meatballs

...and if you have chicken mince you could make them too. In fact, the original recipe by Neven Maguire calls for chicken mince but it isn't crucial to use it, as turkey also carries these Asian flavours well.

I think if there is any type of cuisine that Lola and Finn need convincing about, it is anything that has an Asian/Eastern influence about it and I can kind of understand that because the flavours I think call for a quite mature palate. I think once you get away from Korma or Passanda, feeding 'curry' (for want of a better term) gets more difficult as the flavours become more about spice and often heat, rather than unctuousness and delicate flavour. As is often the case, I did find myself letting this sauce out with cream for the children once I had served mine and Phill's, as this sauce packs quite a punch. It's tasty for sure but does possess more heat than you might expect. But, I like to introduce Lola and Finn to new flavours and despite the sizeable dollop of cream I placed in at the end of the cooking process, Lola and Finn were able to sample the tasty zinginess of this recipe. And it was meatballs after all. My kids love meatballs.

Obviously, this isn't just a kid thing. I am not a fan of curries that need to be served and eaten with something akin to asbestos gloves and a welding mask so should you decide to make this, and you should because it is lovely, then you may to be ready to tone things down at the end, either with cream or natural yoghurt, if heat isn't your thing. Or be restrained with the chillies; the original recipe said three, but I added two.

I changed the cooking of this recipe slightly in that I am not a fan of mince that hasn't been browned. I was concerned that the poaching of the meatballs in the sauce might make the look a bit insipid and unappetising, so once I had made them, I placed them in the oven initially to colour them before I put them into the sauce. As it is, the sauce is a rich colour which does seem to cling to the meatballs and so that 'greyness' of unbrowned meat wouldn't be so apparent.

Seasoning. I know too much salt is bad for you but eating unseasoned turkey mince is like eating damp cotton wool. You need to be prepared to put more than you might like, or expect, into the meatball mix for the meatballs to taste of anything.

Lastly, these meatballs are tasty little morsels should you get the seasoning right. I think these would be great little appetisers to serve with an Indian beer before getting down to a main course.

Masala Turkey Meatballs, adapted from Neven Maguire's recipe in 'Home Chef'

Serves Mum. Dad. Lola and Finn generously.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1lb chicken (I used turkey) mince

2 tsp freshly ground ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion, peeled, grated and squeezed dry

2 tbsp chopped coriander

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:

4 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 pint passata

3 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (I used two and the sauce was hot)

2 tsp freshly grated root ginger

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp tandoori masala powder (I left this out)

pinch of caster sugar

In addition, you might want some cream/natural yoghurt to temper the sauce to your taste, a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavours of the sauce and some additional chopped coriander for garnish.

Method:

Mix the ingredients for the meatballs together thoroughly and add about a teaspoon of salt and a grinding of pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan (you may as well use the pan you're about to cook the sauce in!) and put a teaspoon of the mixture into the oil to cook. Once cooked, taste for seasoning. If it needs more, add more to the mix and repeat. Once you are happy with the taste form the mix into meatballs about the size of golfballs, or to your preference.

Cover the meatballs with cling film and refrigerate until required.

To make the sauce, heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan that will, eventually, be big enough to hold the meatballs in a single layer. Add the cumin, cloves and bay leaf to the oil, and when they start to sizzle and become fragrant, add the onion and garlic and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

At this time, I placed my meatballs in a hot oven to colour, but it probably isn't necessary.

Once the onion and garlic mixture is looking translucent, increase the heat and cook the mixture until it is starting to brown slightly and looking a little dried out. At that point, add the passata, chillies, ginger, garam marsala and turmeric and then cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes.

Now add 12fl oz of boiling water, stir well and season with salt and pepper.

The original recipe now suggests blitzing the sauce with hand held blender to create a smooth sauce, but I didn't, being a fan of chunky, more textured sauces.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the meatballs. Continue to cook on a low heat for about 20 - 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally in case the meatballs begin to catch on the bottom.

At this point sprinkle the sugar into the pan and stir a little. You might now want to raise the heat to thicken the sauce to the consistency you prefer.

Taste the sauce once you are happy with the thickness. It may need more seasoning, you might want to temper the heat with yoghurt/cream (as I did - a heaped tablespoon initially) and then brighten the sauce with a squeeze of lemon. At this point I served mine and Phill's portion and then added more cream for Lola and Finn's portions.

I served this over steamed rice with a sprinkling of chopped coriander.

Getting ready for a certain barbecue summer - Apple and turkey burgers with hot salsa and halloumi

*with apologies for poor burger pic - whoda thunk it would be so difficult?*

Well, obviously. Summers around here are just so fabulous, why wouldn't you want a nifty few recipes up your sleeve? And if you're doubting my sincerity then you'd be totally right, and our dreadful summers is one of the reasons I want a bolthole somewhere near the Med, where at least I can feel the sun in the summertime rather than dodging the raindrops. Anyway, barbecue weather or not, you can whip these up anytime, cook 'em inside and feel a little more virtuous than if you were eating 'real' burgers, as these are quite light in the scheme of things.

As to the origin of this recipe, well, I don't know. I scribbled it down in my recipe file years ago and have no idea as to where I got it and how and have made tewaks along the way. What I do know is these burgers are lovely, as long as you are not shy with the seasoning, as turkey mince needs plenty of salt to make it taste of something.

The recipe for the salsa can be tempered to your palate. Lola and Finn only get a thin spread of this, if any at all; usually they prefer a dollop of tomato sauce. The quantity of salsa is generous, and you may find yourself with plenty left over. I have used it with chicken and fish and it has been glorious.

Lastly - this masquerades as a kiddie food friendly blog, and often falls short of the mark, but making your own burgers for the kids is quite a cool thing. You can make the burgers to suit their tiny mouths, buy those little rolls to put them on, and voila, it's theirs. Only in miniature...

Apple and turkey burgers with salsa and halloumi

For the burgers:

500g turkey mince

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

2 apples, grated/finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

3 tbsp chopped parsley

olive oil

plenty of salt and black pepper

For the salsa

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

400g tinned tomatoes

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 to 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)

1 tsp sugar

a squeeze of lime (optional)

1 tbsp of chopped coriander (optional)

black pepper

salt, if needed

To top the burgers: 100g halloumi cheese, sliced and melted onto the burgers

Rolls and salad to serve.

Method:

Begin by making the salsa. Heat the oil in the saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the coriander and lime. Cover, and bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool and put in the fridge to chill.

Preheat the grill

Put the ingredients for the burgers into a bowl and mix thoroughly until combined. Using your hands is good. Check the mixture for seasoning (I just place a really tiny bit of mixture on my tongue to taste, then throw it away) and then with damp hands, shape the mixture into burgers, of whatever size you require.

Place the burgers under the grill, on the griddle, on the barbecue and cook for about 6 minutes or so each side until 'golden' and cooked through. Smaller burgers will take less time.

Whilst cooking, taste the salsa. It may need some lime to brighten the flavour, or some salt. If you have a mind to, add some chopped coriander.

Place a piece of halloumi on each burger. Grill/cook until the cheese has melted.

Serve burgers on warmed rolls with a helping of salsa and some salad leaves. With any luck you'll be sat outside and not sat inside with the heating on, watching the raindrops fall. Enjoy.