Turkey and Cheddar Burger with Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

I am realizing that I hardly have any meat recipes on here. It is not that I do not eat meat, because I do, but I just find it so much more challenging and fun to create wholesome and nourishing plant-based recipes. While I eat a mostly plant-based diet, I feel better, more energized, with a little meat from time to time. When I am at home, I prefer to cook meat that is locally sourced and free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free, and/or organic. It does cost a bit more to eat meat this way, but because I do not eat it but a few times a week, I am able to justify this extra cost. While I am naturally drawn to more plant-based dishes, when I go out to eat or eat with family or friends, I am more flexible because I enjoy experiencing other peoples' creations. That said, I hope that our culture lessens the emphasis on meat-centric meals, and use meat in a more sustainable and intentional way.

Now, onto this burger. I thought this would be a good way to say good-bye to summer and hello to fall. It merges the summer burger with a fall-inspired slaw. I chose an English muffin here as the bun for a few reasons. English muffins are easy to freeze so they are often something I have on hand. Also, their slight tang complements the juicy burger and sharp cheddar. One of the main reasons I am using an English muffin stems from my experience cooking in restaurants. When I worked as the pastry chef for a restaurant in Norwich, VT, the chef served his most popular item- the burger- on homemade English muffins with Vermont cheddar, and it was dynamite. And guess who was in charge of making those English muffins. Yep, me. I will eventually get around to making a rendition of them on the blog because homemade English muffins are well, words just cannot describe. For simplicity sake, for this recipe, I use a store-bought whole wheat English muffin, toast it, and it gets the job done.

I cook the burgers in a cast iron skillet, although grilling is always an option. With the cast iron pan, I can sprinkle the cheese on after flipping and all the extra bits that fall to the side crisp up while the burger continues to cook. The slaw comes together in a flash. You can use your favorite crunchy apple, but I recommend something sweet and crisp. It may seem like a lot of cabbage at first, but it wilts right down after a good massage with salt, and letting it rest in the honey mustard dressing. Tahini + honey mustard dressing pulls it all together.

Serve alongside some easy Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potato Fries, and you have dinner.

Turkey and Cheddar Burger with Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

Burger:
1 lb. ground turkey, preferably local
2 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used Cabot extra-sharp), grated (about 1 cup)
Honey Mustard Apple Slaw (recipe below)
2 tablespoons tahini, for burger sauce
1 tablespoon reserved honey mustard dressing from slaw below
4 whole wheat English muffins, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow cast iron skillet to heat in oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, form 4 patties with the ground turkey. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper. Remove skillet from oven (turn oven off) and place on stove-top over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil, swirl to coat. Add patties, seasoned side down and allow to cook for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on the other side. Flip burgers and sprinkle with 1 ounce grated cheddar cheese each. Allow burgers to cook for 3-4 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes to allow juices to settle before serving.

Make burger sauce. Mix 2 tablespoons of tahini with 1 tablespoon remaining honey mustard dressing used for slaw.

Assemble burgers. Spread a thin layer of sauce on each English muffin half. Add patty to bottom halves, top with slaw, and top with English muffin. Enjoy! Makes 4 burgers.

Honey Mustard Apple Slaw

1/2 head small read cabbage, sliced very thinly (about 4 cups)
1 carrot, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey, preferably
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 medium crisp, sweet apple, julienned (I used Honeycrisp)

Add cabbage and carrot to a bowl. Add salt, and massage salt into vegetables. Vegetables will begin to wilt. Mix remaining ingredients minus apple in a small bowl to make dressing. Reserve 1 tablespoon of dressing for burger sauce. Pour remaining dressing over cabbage mixture and toss until well combined. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add apple, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve.  

Mountain Pie with a Vegetable, Bulgur, and Meat Filling

A few years ago, we got a rare day off of school due to inclement weather. My best friend and I lived just across the street from each other so we decided to celebrate with a dinner party. With the grocery stores closed, we pooled the ingredients we each had and came up with a dish we called Mountain Pie. It was reminiscent of shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, but we made it with ground buffalo meat because that’s what I had in my freezer at the time, and some sweet potatoes and yellow potatoes because we didn’t have enough of one potato type to make enough of a topping. I can’t recall why we named it Mountain Pie, seeing as buffalo don’t live in the mountains, but regardless, this dish pays tribute to that Mountain Pie and to my friend.

I modified our bare bones but delicious creation to make it a little more wholesome. For one, I reduced the meat by half and replaced it with seasoned bulgur which gives a nice texture similar to ground meat and provides fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. If you're not familiar with bulgur wheat, it's the little grain that appears in tabbouleh. I deepened the flavor with miso paste and tamari. The top is just a tad crunchy, with a smooth underbelly, and the filling is stick-to-your-ribs good. I hope you enjoy!

Mountain Pie:
Bulgur Filling:
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. miso paste (I used red, but any will do)
1 T. tomato paste
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
3/4 c. bulgur wheat

Vegetable and Meat Filling:
1 T. unsalted butter or olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 carrots, scrubbed clean or peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef or buffalo, preferably local, grass-fed, and/or organic
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 T. balsamic vinegar or red wine
2 T. whole wheat or oat flour
1 1/2 c. beef stock or water
1 c. frozen peas, thawed or still frozen
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Potato Topping:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Begin with the bulgur. Place 1 1/2 c. water in a pot and whisk in 1 T. tomato paste and miso paste. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add bulgur. Cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

For the meat filling, heat butter or olive oil in ovenproof skillet measuring about 12 inches across over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ground meat to skillet, and break into pieces. Again, sprinkle with a little salt. Cook the meat until brown. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and flour. Stir to combine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the stock or water, peas, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to develop some flavor while the liquid is being absorbed and the meat and carrots soften.

Meanwhile, prepare the potato topping. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes in a pot, and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then simmer, cooking for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, and add them back to the pot. Add the sour cream, 1/2 c. grated Parmesan, and a sprinkle of salt and mash until mostly smooth.

When the beef has cooked, remove the thyme and rosemary from the bulgur, and add the mixture to the beef in the skillet, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Smooth the mashed potatoes over top of the filling and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil for 8-10 minutes or until the crust turns a slight golden color. Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8 people.