Turkey Burger with Herbed Yogurt Sauce

On a balmy summer evening we grill. It’s that simple. I was craving burgers but didn’t want anything too heavy. I decided to fire up the grill and do up some turkey burgers.

Don’t be fooled, with the right ingredients a simple turkey burger can be just as flavorful as a regular burger.

Given the plain backdrop of ground turkey I didn’t think ketchup wasn’t going to cut it. This was the perfect opportunity to get creative. I looked over at all the herbs in my garden and knew what to do –  a refreshing herbed yogurt sauce.

As usual, I improvised using a little yogurt, a little lemon to enhance the tanginess, some fresh cut herbs, and a little homegrown dried hot pepper mix. The result was light and fresh with just enough spice. To really showcase the fresh sauce I opted to serve these burgers in big leaves of lettuce. To make burger night extra fancy I topped each serving with a nasturtium from my garden.

The recipe made a lot more sauce than I needed for just a few burgers. I stored the extra in the fridge and tried it on everything from grilled vegetables to chicken to a simple salad. Worked perfectly every time.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 4 large whole leaves of lettuce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• Juice ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh edible flowers (optional)

Directions

1. In a blender add the basil, chives, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon juice and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat grill to medium-high.
3. Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties.
4. Place the patties on the grill and cook for 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes until well done.
5. Remove the burgers from grill and serve each in a lettuce leaf topped with a spoonful of the herbed yogurt sauce.

Note:  Keep the extra sauce covered and refrigerated. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Yum