Jalapeno Cheddar Turkey Burgers

In my continuing quest for more recipes that don't require an oven, I came upon these turkey burgers.  They were originally actually chicken burgers (made with ground chicken), but I had ground turkey so that is what I used!  These were delicious topped with diced avocado and salsa (sort of like guacamole).  Mark liked them so much that he wanted the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

Wondering what sort of weird "bun" these are served on?  I didn't have any hamburger buns on hand and I wasn't about to turn on my oven, so I continued my fun with grilling bread.  I rolled out some pizza dough from the freezer (again) so that it was fairly thick.  I grilled it on both sides and it completely puffed up- filling up with air like a balloon!

That was awesome.  And also meant that I had essentially made one huge pita.  So after removing the bread from the grill I cut it into four sections and split it open.  I now had four burger pockets.  While I would have served these with traditional burger buns if we had them, we both actually really liked these pockets.  They held the topping well so it was overall less messy.  Also, they didn't make the burger too tall to fit your mouth around.... so- a winner!  I'll definitely do this idea again for burgers.  If you're not up for making your own grilled bread (though it is super easy), you could always just buy pita bread at the store if you want to try eating these in that way.

A couple of notes about the burgers.  They were definitely spicy so you might want to use less jalapeno if that is not your thing.  Or just be careful about the salsa on top.  Also, there are no breadcrumbs in the burgers, so the burgers themselves are gluten-free!

However you eat these burgers, they are definitely a great use for your grill this summer.   [Speaking of summer, Mark says he misses winter... did he really grow up in California? ;) ]

Jalapeno Cheddar Turkey Burgers
*burgers by themselves are gluten-free

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (I used 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 a small yellow onion)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Suggestions For Topping/Serving:

• burger buns/ pita bread/ etc.
• cheddar cheese
• diced avocado/ guacamole
• salsa

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Heat your grill to medium-high heat.  Combine all burger ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined (don't over-mix).  Form into 4 patties.

2)  Cook the patties on the grill about 4 minutes per side until the internal temperature of each is 165F.  In the last couple of minutes, top with additional shredded cheese if desired.

3)  Assemble burgers in buns/pita/grilled bread and top as desired.  Guacamole and salsa is delicious.

(recipe adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from What's Gaby Cooking?)

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

This is more of an idea than an exact recipe.  I provide the recipe for what I did below, but you can definitely play around with this!  After trying grilled pizza, I thought it would be fun to try making bread for sandwiches out of pizza dough cooked on the grill.  I ended up making taco-shaped sandwiches that were really delicious and also very filling.

I filled the sandwiches with grilled vegetables (zucchini, peppers, red onion, portobellos) and grilled tofu slabs.  I divided the pizza dough (a little less than a pound's worth) into four pieces and rolled each piece into a rectangle that I grilled.  I then spread one side of the grilled bread with kale pesto and goat cheese (this was key!) before filling with the grilled ingredients.  YUM!

Store grilled ingredients separately from the bread for leftovers.  Reheating in the toaster oven is ideal!

This was a fun new way to use the grill (I actually did all of the grilling this time!).  And while a bit messy to eat, these sandwiches were thoroughly enjoyed!  Get creative and make your own grilled veggie sandwiches!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ball pizza dough (about 1 pound)
• olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 1 14 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained and water pressed out, cut into 4 slabs
• 1 red onion, sliced into semi-thick circles
• 2 green bell peppers, sliced into large flat pieces
• 2 small zucchini, sliced into long strips
• 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• kale pesto
• goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Divide the pizza dough into four sections.  Roll each section into a rectangle shape.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt + pepper (if desired).  Set aside while you prep the remaining ingredients.

2)  Heat the grill to medium and cook.  Brush or spray tofu, onion, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms lightly with olive oil.    Cook on the grill until tender and moisture has been released.

3)  Turn the heat on your grill to medium-low and start to grill the bread.  Flip the rectangles onto the hot grill so that the oiled side is touching the grill (I did two at a time-- depends on the size of your grill).  Close the top of the grill and let cook for 1-4 minutes until browned on the bottom.  Carefully flip over and cook the other side until done (1-2  minutes more).

4)  Spread  half of each piece of bread with pesto and spread the other half of each piece of bread with goat cheese.  Layer tofu and vegetables onto one half and fold other half of bread over (now it looks like a taco/wrap!).  Cut each sandwich in half.  Serve with napkins (it can get messy!).

Grilled Pizza with Spinach, Portobellos, and Sausage

I first heard about grilling pizza a few years ago, and couldn't understand how the dough wouldn't fall through the cracks on the grill.  I just couldn't wrap my mind around it!  But I finally decided to give grilled pizza a shot during one of the recent 90F+ days, and it worked super well and was delicious.  A special thanks to Mark, the resident grill expert, for implementing my plan for this meal. :)

You can definitely top with your favorite pizza toppings.  I went with sliced portobellos and sausage that Mark pre-grilled, as well as some spinach, onions, garlic, and cheese.  It's important to not over-do it with the toppings on grilled pizza.  I was able to get the cheese melted and the spinach slightly wilted, but nothing else really cooked once it was on the pizza.

We loved the grill marks on the crust and the fact that this cooks fast!  Get your grill ready and start grilling any toppings you want to grill while you prep everything else.  You'll be in pizza heaven before you know it.  We are excited to experiment with other toppings throughout the summer (pesto anyone?).

I also think that this will be a great method for making flatbread for sandwiches or to have alongside salads during the hot summer months when you don't want to turn on the oven.  Instead of topping with lots of pizza toppings, just sprinkle the cooked pizza crust with some spices and eat however you want!

If you would appreciate more pictures of the process, King Arthur Flour did a blog post on grilled pizza a few years ago that might be helpful.  

Grilled Pizza with Spinach, Portobellos, and Sausage

serves: 2-4 (depends on what you serve along with it-- salad is great!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ball of pizza dough  (mine was about a pound of dough)
• olive oil
• 3 portobello mushrooms
• 2 links chicken sausage
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 10 cloves garlic, sliced
• handful fresh baby spinach
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
• salt + pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat up your grill to a medium heat.  On a piece of parchment paper or a silcone baking mat, roll the pizza dough into a rough rectangle (consider the size of your grill....) and brush with olive oil.  Set aside.

2)  Grill the mushrooms, sausage, and onion until they are cooked to your liking.  Slice the mushrooms and sausage and set aside.

3)  Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook garlic until golden.

4)  Once all toppings are prepped, turn the heat on your grill to medium-low and start to grill the pizza.  Flip the pizza dough rectangle onto the hot grill so that the oiled side is touching the grill.  Close the top of the grill and let cook for 1-4 minutes until browned on the bottom.  Carefully flip the crust over and top with toppings.  Start with the garlic, then the cheese, then the spinach, and finally the mushrooms, sausage, and onions.  Close the grill and cook for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the pizza is brown.

5)  Carefully remove the pizza from the grill.  Sprinkle with salt and/or pepper if desired.  Slice and enjoy!