seared tuna wins!

phew, the long weekend of over eating, drinking, sleeping in, has come to an end.  although, i loved every single second, minute and hour of it,  my waistline has thrown in the towel.  i am full. really, really full. when my family gets together - it is full steam ahead.  we graze all day, pour cocktails early, eat heavenly desserts and then do it all over again.  i love it.  tempted by one more night of firing up the grill and eating a burger, a dog, more ribs, a boston butt, pulled pork, anything carnivorous,  i opted for tuna.  aaahh... so glad i did.   and aaahh... yes it was  ahi tuna.  i went to whole foods and they had this huge fillet of tuna, 15 pounds or so -  i knew deep down i was going to get a portion - it was absolutely gorgeous!  i walked by it several times - circling from the seafood display to the meat display - contemplating another piece of beef.  but, ultimately i decided on tuna.  simple seared tuna.  and let me tell you, it was so so good.  this meal took me about 5 minutes to put it all together. start to finish. start with making a simple dressing/sauce.
in a small bowl, mix together:
the juice of 2 limes, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, mince 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 jalapeno ( i didn't have any jalapeno, so i used a pinch of red pepper flakes), a handful of fresh cilantro (didn't have any of that either, so i used basil) a pinch of sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
heat a skillet and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil until simmering. salt and pepper the tuna and sear for one minute, flip, and sear for another minute.  put about half of the dressing over the tuna to coat and pull out of skillet.  slice into bite size pieces and serve with some avocado and the remaining dressing.  if you are not comfortable with eating the tuna rare, it will still taste good!

perfectly petite profiteroles

my adorable nieces and nephews are coming in town this weekend for the long holiday and that means cookouts!  that also means dessert.  i am going to get my niece, avery, to help me with these. (she helps me with all my pies i make during the holidays).  this is probably the easiest, most time consuming looking dessert i have ever made.  it literally took me about 5 minutes to put these together.  just 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of flour, pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon.   i used vanilla yogurt as my filling - my way of making it just a bit "healthier", and melted a few chocolate chips with some water over a double boiler and here is what i got. you can find the original recipe here.

veggie greek pitas

i love gyros.  i especially love the pita bread that comes with them.  soft, chewy, sustainable.  i make these a good bit for lunch.  surprisingly, they stay with me all day long.  i generally get a bit hungry around 3:00pm when i have only eaten a veggie sandwich for lunch.  must be the bread.  you can put anything on these that you like.  i prepared cucumber, tomato, onion, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, feta, and fresh oregano.  i like to put the pita in the oven for about 1 minute, just to soften and warm it up.  after i take it out, i rub some garlic on it.  i find it easiest to toss all the diced vegetables in a bowl and then top the pita - it incorporates everything.  sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and lunch is served.

not your ordinary pork chop

now this is my kind of pork chop.  stuffed with cheese.  i have never really been a big fan of pork chops until last night.  i'm with everyone else out there who thinks they are just always tough and dry.  but not these.  i was pleasantly surprised how delicious they were.  i made a stuffing of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, cream cheese and goat cheese.  make an incision in the chop and stuff it. i cooked these for about 5-6 minutes per side.  after they finished cooking i made a sauce of chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest and dijon mustard.  reduced the sauce a bit and poured it all over the pork chops.  be careful not to over stuff the chops, which is very tempting to do.  i had a good bit of the stuffing left over so i am going to make this recipe for lunch tomorrow, but with chicken.  i can't wait.  

spring pea salad

it's pea season, so i have been trying to come up with several different recipes using them. they are really good in salads. this is a recipe i saw in my fine cooking magazine and i just knew i had to make it. it's simple to throw together, not a lot of chopping. boston (bibb) lettuce, radishes, peas (of course), some ricotta salata cheese (optional), and a variety of fresh herbs. i used parsley, chives, and tarragon. when buying peas, choose medium pods. they are younger, sweeter, and more tender than large ones. look for firm, green pods. peas don't have much of a shelf life, so eat up. you can freeze peas and then store them in zip lock bags. first shell them, blanch for a minute or two, and then shock the peas in an ice-water bath. they will keep for five to six months. one more thing, 1 pound of peas in their pods is about 1 cup shelled peas - in case you were wondering! oh, in case you are wondering some more, peas and mint go wonderfully together.

hey, what's for dinner?

that is a question i get asked often.  you would think it would be easy for me to answer.  well, it's not.  when i make meals for my clients, i rarely make the same thing for myself.  i intend to, but it just doesn't work out that way.  sure, i may have some lettuce left over or a crab cake, but generally i make just enough for my clients.  one night i made salmon cakes and this one just didn't turn out - it completely fell apart. i wrapped it up and set it aside.  so, when dinner rolled around and the predictable question surfaced, i was ready.  my husband and i love to stand around and snack for dinner.  if i could eat cheese and crackers (with a glass or two of wine),  i would be incredibly content having that every night.  i didn't have much to offer but i knew i had the remnants of the salmon cake, crackers, some goat cheese and jalapenos.  my aunt sent me two jars of jalapenos from texas (odessa, that is) called 'bread and butter jalapenos' from west texas pepper traders.  don't let the "bread and butter" label fool you.  these things are hot! it made for a wonderful, snacky, satisfying, meal!

fish n' chips - but healthy!

i am planning a trip up to the cape soon and it has me all excited about seafood!  fish n' chips to be exact.(well, clam chowder, too).  i know what you are thinking, that my version doesn't even resemble an authentic basket of fish n' chips, but cut me some slack, its incredibly healthy.  it's halibut season and i have been buying a good bit of it lately. (yes, i know, this meal is typically made with cod, but halibut works nicely as well).  i started by cutting the fillets into smaller, sorta "two bite" size nuggets.  i sprinkled each piece with a little salt and pepper, dredged them in flour, then egg whites and into dried bread crumbs.  put them on a baking sheet, drizzled with a little olive oil, and into a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. i also made sweet potato fries that i sprayed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  the potatoes went into the same oven as the fish.  while my fish n' chips were baking, i whipped up a healthy version of tartar sauce.  fat free greek yogurt, dijon mustard, capers, horseradish, fresh parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  this meal was so darn good.  the fish was moist and meaty. the fries simply comforting.  i suggest you run to the store and pick up some halibut, before it's all gone!

halibut with a coconut-curry broth

this halibut dish turned out spectacular. i know, because i ate it for dinner.  i don't always eat what i make my clients, but last night i did.  it's halibut season and boy is it good.  halibut is such a wonderful fish, for many reasons:  it's mild so it takes on the wonderful flavors you throw at it. it's meaty, but still light. it can be prepared so many different ways (grilled, pan seared, poached, steamed, fried, etc).  i made a coconut-curry broth for this particular meal.  i started by sauteing 2 shallots in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until the shallots became soft.  i then added about 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and worked it around for 30 seconds, add a 14 ounce can of low sodium chicken broth, half a can of lite coconut milk and a pinch of salt.  mix everything together and add the fish.  spoon the mixture over the fish making sure to coat it.  i carefully flipped the fish over after 3 minutes and continued to cook another 3 minutes until the halibut was flaky.  in the meantime, saute or steam baby spinach, put it in the bottom of a shallow bowl, top with a piece of fish, ladle the broth over top, add a good squeeze of fresh lime juice and some fresh cilantro.  serve with brown rice,  and you've got yourself one satisfying, healthy and delicious meal.

by the way, i came across this incredibly informative blog.  i have kicked it up a notch in my workouts and this site has given me so much to think about.  check it out:  www.eatsleepandexercisebeth.com.  
this lady knows her stuff!

grilled corn on the cob

the next time you have corn on the cob, try preparing it this way...on the grill, in its husks.  it is so good.  i must admit, i can't take credit for this, my dad made these.  he has always been fantastic on the grill. he removed all of the silks and then recovered the ears with the husks still in tact, and soaked them in cold water for about 1 hour.  this insures the husks from burning when they are over direct heat.  after he removed the corn from the water, he patted them dry, sprinkled the kernels with a little salt and pepper, and chipotle chili powder. no butter required.  light the grill, pop open a cold beer and turn the corn every 4-5 minutes, achieving a nice golden color.  it should take about 15-20 minutes for the corn to cook.  by the way, here's just a little tid-bit about corn:  don't husk your corn until it's time to cook it.  that means, don't husk your corn at the grocery store.  the husks protect the ears of corn within, keeping them fresh and moist.  also, if you are not going to eat the corn the day you buy it (which you should), wrap the unhusked ears in a damp paper towel and keep in a plastic bag in the produce bin for no more than 3 days.  got it?

piquillo pepper and goat's cheese dip

i bought a jar of piquilllo peppers after seeing a recipe that looked really good.  it was for goat's cheese stuffed piquillo peppers. 
i made the recipe exactly as stated, and yes they were good, but...i don't know, just thought they were lacking something.  maybe i stuffed my peppers too full with goat's cheese, but they were also hard to eat.  knife and fork were needed and they sorta slid around the plate when i tried to cut into them.  so, out came the food processor and a dip was born!  i sliced up a few baby cucumbers and toasted some greek pita bread (pocket less).  delicious. the taste reminded me of a smooth textured pimento cheese.  which got my mind swirling.  i think this spread would be fantastic on a burger with a few avocado slices, or maybe some pickled jalapenos and caramelized onions, even something as simple as fresh arugula.  i can't wait until my next burger night (usually on  fridays!) so i can experiment. check back, i will let you know how it goes.

panzanella salad

this is such a wonderful, colorful, hearty salad.  i served this tonight with crab stuffed shrimp.  i think it paired nicely together.  you could make this salad with any vegetable you like.  i chose, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby artichokes, kalamata olives, and fresh basil.  panzanella is sometimes referred to as "leftover salad", because you should use day old bread.  i didn't have day old bread, so when i got back home from the market, i cubed the baguette and left it out for a few hours to "stale up". i used a whole wheat baguette that i cut  into 1" cubes.  i then toasted the bread cubes in a little extra virgin olive oil for about ten minutes or so, until the cubes got nice and golden.  make a simple vinaigrette, toss with the veggies,  and add the bread cubes at the end.  i have looked at a lot of panzanella recipes and most say to toss the dressing over everything, but i want to be assured my bread doesn't get soggy, so i don't go that route.  i hate soggy bread, the thought makes me a bit queasy, actually.  this is a a fantastic summer salad, that travels well.  think about taking it to your next bbq, everyone will love it!

spinach stuffed portabellas

this is my new favorite thing. a portabella mushroom with spinach, garlic, and feta.  i must confess, i don't really like portabellas,  at least on a sandwich or a burger.  i think this is about the only recipe i make with them , really.  i want to go to the store right now to purchase one for tonight, as a matter of fact.  anyway, start by removing the gills from the cap.  i also peel the skin off my mushrooms.  it completely removes the dirt and leaves you with a clean, white mushroom, it just looks better that way.  drizzle a bit of olive oil on both sides and put in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, just to soften the mushroom up.  while the mushroom is cooking, chop some fresh spinach, feta, and garlic.  drizzle with a bit of olive oil and mix to combine.  after the mushroom has cooked for 10 minutes, take it out and fill it with the spinach mixture.  fill it full!  put it back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the spinach has begun to wilt and the feta has softened.  sprinkle with salt and pepper.  enjoy!

greek skewers

i have been asked to cook for a political reception in june - just appetizers.  i love making appetizers, i love eating appetizers.  i made these over the weekend and thought they turned out great - both in taste and appearance. as for now, this is on the "guest list" for this upcoming event.  they could not be easier.  i fear even writing this so called recipe down, as i may offend you. but here it goes...  start with a toothpick, and skewer in the following order (or however you think would look best)  grape tomato, one leaf of fresh oregano, pitted kalamata olive, baby cucumber -sliced and halved, and feta cheese.  i just broke off the feta, rather then cubing it, for a more rustic look.  drizzle a bit of olive oil only over the feta and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  done.  these are fantastic, because in one bite you can eat all that's on the toothpick - no fuss!.  i think at social gatherings when appetizers are the only offerings, it should be easy to eat.  guests should be able to eat and still talk, without the potential of dropping food on the floor or struggling to bite into something and being left to wipe their chin off.  just my opinion, though.  and speaking of opinions, i bet these would be nice with mint instead of oregano (on a big mint kick these days). 

zola's fox gloves

i continue to receive comments about the two pieces of artwork i have on my blog - my header and the painting of the cherries. so, if you want to contact zola solamente, the artist,click on her name and go to her website, you can contact her directly from there.  the two of you can come up with a wonderful piece of original art, that will make any wall in your house very happy!

white bean puree crostini

i went to a casual get together the other night and brought these.  a bruschetta, sorta of.  grilled baguette slices with a white bean puree, topped with diced tomatoes and mint.  they were delicious.  i always try to cook seasonally.  so if i am ever asked to bring something to a party, i want it to be in season.  i also want it to be "majority" friendly.  i don't ever want to bring something like ceviche or tuna tartar (even though i love them both) and be the only one eating the food i brought!  always keep in mind, you want to leave with an empty platter.  i started first by slicing the baguette about 1/2 an inch thick, on an angle.   brushed both sides with olive oil and grilled both sides.  in a food processor, i put in two cans of washed and drained cannelloni beans, 1 clove of garlic, about 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1-2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste.  give it a whirl.  while the processor is running, drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil so that the mixture resembles hummus.  taste and adjust seasoning, may need more garlic, rosemary, etc.  you decide.  seed and chop the tomatoes - i used 6 romas for 1 baguette, then throw in about 2-3 tablespoons of fresh mint.  spoon a nice amount of the bean puree on a slice, and top it with the tomato/mint mixture.  make sure to try one, you may feel you need a dash of salt on top.  put them on a pretty white platter and watch them disappear!  the inspiration of this recipe can be found here

a very well balanced meal

i gotta tell you, i really like ground turkey.  love ground beef . . .  but i have a new affection for this low fat, low cholesterol,  lean meat.  i will admit, it is pretty bland on its own.  think about it... do you really look forward to the bird on thanksgiving (besides the tradition and the cooking of it), or all the sides that accompany it? so, back to my point...just by adding a few ingredients to this rather boring piece of meat, you can have a delicious, healthy, moist (yes moist) piece of turkey!  i made individual turkey meatloaves tonight for my clients.  and no, that's not ketchup on top.  it's a red pepper sauce, with:  red pepper, onion, garlic, water, and tomato paste, all mixed in a blender and poured on top.  sounds good doesn't it?  i use dark meat when making meatballs, burgers and meatloaf.  i find ground turkey breast is a little too dry.   i served tonight's meal with grilled asparagus, and quinoa with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley.  yum.  the original recipe can be found here.  the only change i made to this was by making individual loaves ( i really don't like to share my food...)

vegetable spring rolls

i like simple food.  fresh food.  i don't like to cook with a lot of ingredients.  it's not my style. (besides, it takes a lot longer and who wants that?)  i think the food you eat should taste like the food your eating.  not masked with a bunch of extra junk.  just keep it simple.  i make these vegetable spring rolls quite a bit, they taste good, their low in calories, they have a lot of veggies in them and their fun to make.  i also like to add cooked shrimp from time to time.  i have only been able to find the rice paper at asian markets.  but living in atlanta, there's no problem there.  i like to prep all my veggies before i get my assembly line going.  i generally just slice up what i have on hand.  cucumbers, peppers, onion, cilantro or basil, fresh garlic and ginger, spinach, water chestnuts, carrots.  you get the idea.  once everything is ready for rolling, get a sheet of rice paper and run it under very warm water.  you could fill a large shallow bowl and dip the rice paper, but i find you need to stop every few dips and change the water out.  so, i just run it under the faucet.  on a clean surface, lay the rice paper down and fill the paper with the sliced veggies,  leaving about 1/2 inch or so from the end you start at.  roll it like a burrito.  it might take you a few tries, but after a while you'll get the hang of it.  you can keep them in the fridge a few days by putting them in an air tight container with a damp paper towel over them (keeps them from drying out).  i suggest if you serve these to company, cut them into bite size pieces, at an angle. leaving it whole resembles... um, well, a prophylactic.

pulled pork for my mom

i spent the day over at my parents house yesterday, in celebration of mothers day. i have an incredibly loving, funny, beautiful and supportive mom - and just like me, she really likes (loves) food!   so after much discussion, we decided on pulled pork sandwiches.  barbecue is one food that i really like, but i rarely eat.  truth is, i never really crave it or think about eating it, but when i do, it's always delicious. i bought a 13 lb. pork shoulder and rubbed it with a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  put it in a dutch oven, covered it with water and put in a 200 degree oven for 12 hours.  i could barely get it out of the pot it was so tender and falling apart!  i also made an eastern carolina bbq sauce - just apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, mustard, brown sugar and cayenne.  everything was delicious!  my sister, her husband and my three adorable nieces were over and we played a wicked game of badminton ( i think there was only a rally of 3 consecutive hits), we took a boat ride, fished, enjoyed homemade strawberry ice cream, and completely over ate.  it was fantastic.

my new love of mushrooms

have you ever tried any exotic mushrooms?  they're good aren't they?    i'm not talking about shitake, porcini,  or cremini.  i'm talking about a black trumpet, clamshell,  king oyster or hen of the woods.  i went for it the other night while shopping at whole foods, they had several wild mushrooms to choose from, so i picked what looked the strangest to me.  the black trumpet (obviously the black ones shown) and the king oysters, which have a very big, thick stem and a typical mushroom "cap".  i paired them with a good ole' sirloin and a baked potato, that my husband and i split.  deep down, i'm a steak and potato kind a girl, however, i rarely eat this sort of meal.  so, i was really looking forward to it!  i loaded up my bag full of new and exciting mushrooms, headed to checkout, and almost passed out!  i'm not kidding.  the king oysters were $49.99 a pound!  they rang up to something like $36 or so.  needless to say, i returned all but 2.  i still wanted to try them and when i left i spent $7, and 2 were just plenty.  i simply sauteed them in a bit of olive oil, shallots, rosemary, salt and pepper.  they were better than i had expected.  full of flavor, meaty, earthy, different, new.  it won't be an item i use regularly, only on those "special occasions". so, until the next one, it's back to the tried and true... cremini and buttons. 

kabobs on the barbie!

well . . .  the indoor barbie. it was really hot today, so i grilled these on my indoor grill pan. they turned out great looking. i just made chicken and vegetable kabobs. i like to skewer my kabobs separately. something is a bit stomach wrenching when i go to the market and see the raw chicken and the fresh vegetables all snuggled up with each other. looks pretty, but nope, not for me. i marinated the chicken for about 4 hours in red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, fresh oregano, basil, lemon juice (from one of my lemon cubes i had in the freezer), salt, and pepper. for the veggies i just used olive oil, salt, and pepper - right before they hit the grill pan. i like the taste of vegetables in their natural state, so i don't do much with them. i grilled the kabobs at the same time, turning every 2 minutes or so for about 10 minutes. i then put the chicken and veggies in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes just to finish cooking the chicken through and to soften the vegetables up a bit. they smelled fantastic. i served these with a whole wheat orzo salad made with fresh baby spinach, toasted pine nuts, and feta. a perfectly balanced meal. have a great weekend everyone, see you on monday!

shrimp lettuce wraps

i could eat 8 of these, honestly. because they are so light and healthy, i would feel justified in doing so! there is really no recipe for these, you can marinate them in asian flavors, latin flavors, fresh herbs, you name it. for these i used about a tablespoon of adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olive oil. that's it. i let the shrimp marinate for about 3 hours, sprinkled them with a bit of salt and on to my grill pan.  while the shrimp is cooking (about 1-2 minutes per side) slice your veggies and wash your lettuce. i used red and yellow bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro. ooh, basil would have be nice.  finish the shrimp off with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice.  i like to slice all the veggies and put them on a nice white platter, lined up.  lettuce on another platter and the shrimp in a bowl with tongs.  looks good that way.  haven't you noticed that pretty plated food just tastes better?

kale and quinoa salad

i came across this recipe a while back, printed it, tossed it aside and finally got around to making it.  glad i did, it's really good. it's different, it's simple, it's attractive and it's healthy. i found it on another blog, running with tweezers. i changed mine up only by blanching the kale, putting it in a cold water bath and then spinning the greens. other than that, i followed the recipe exactly. next time i make it, and i will, i am going to use a white balsamic vinaigrette, rather than the horseradish dressing in the original recipe.  i free pour when i make my dressings, but all my vinaigrettes are pretty much made like this:  1/4 cup of vinegar, small clove of garlic or shallot, minced, 1 teaspoon (maybe a bit less) of honey, 1-2 teaspoons of dijon mustard (don't substitute), salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little less than 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  i know, i know, you are probably thinking my ratios to dressing and oil are off, but i like a more vinegary tasting dressing and the use of less oil. most chefs go for a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, try it my way and let me know what you think.  also, make sure to check out running with tweezers, this chick takes incredible photographs (she's a food stylist), but she also has wonderful recipes.

savory salmon cakes

i made these last night for my clients. the were a huge hit! i make a lot of salmon, but generally just with the use of a fillet.  i wanted something new. i came across this recipe over the weekend and i made a few changes:  i used cilantro instead of chives, yogurt instead of mayo and i baked them instead of pan frying. i think all were good calls. you start by grilling the salmon fillets (1 lb) with olive oil, salt and pepper. and please, whatever you do, don't even attempt to use canned salmon for this - gross! after you have grilled the salmon, about 6 minutes per side, let it cool for 20 minutes. while that is happening, in a large bowl combine 3 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of dijon, 26 saltine crackers, 1/2 cup of frozen corn, thawed,  1 egg, cilantro, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and drained. flake the salmon and add to the bowl. mix gently until just combined. form into patties and put in fridge for 1 hour. the original recipe has you coating the patties with 1/2 of the cracker crumbs, but since i baked these i incorporated all the saltines into the patties. i baked these in a cast iron skillet. start by heating a bit of olive oil - i use an olive oil sprayer and spray the skillet - you use so much less oil this way. add patties and cook on both sides for about 2 minutes. a nice crust will form (that's why i like the cast iron skillet) finish by putting them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. this recipe is sure to jazz up that same ole salmon you've been cooking yourself over and over again. the original recipe can be found here

shrimp and black bean enchiladas

 this photo may not do these delicious, healthy, low fat enchiladas justice, but they are darn good.  i love mexican food and am always on the hunt for new recipes.  i came across this one on the william sonoma website, which, by the way, has fantastic recipes.  this recipe calls for tomatillos and bay shrimp.  two ingredients that i don't cook with often, so i was excited to use.  start by making the salsa - which can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days - i love when recipes give you that sort of info.  the salsa would be good on fish or chicken, too.  once the salsa is made, take 2/3 of a cup and throw in some black beans, corn kernels and the shrimp.  put the filling in corn tortillas, top with additional salsa and a sprinkle of monterey jack cheese.  cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. finish with a bit more salsa, a dollop of fat free plain yogurt.  yep, that's right, yogurt.  i was surprised as well, but it was really good, some cilantro and an avocado slice.  the original recipe can be found here. hey, cinco de mayo is wednesday, maybe you should make these...

steakhouse turkey burger

this is my new favorite burger!  this probably won't be the first time you hear me say that, but for now, believe me.  this burger has it all, and it's a "healthier" version.  this came to me by standing in front of my open fridge, trying to figure out dinner for me and my husband.  after a long week of cooking, i am not as enthused on the weekends to cook.  i had some ground turkey, blue cheese and mushrooms.  we love burgers, i mean, really love burgers, so i came up with this steakhouse turkey burger.  i mixed some ground turkey, chopped mushrooms, blue cheese(very little) and chives, threw it on the grill.  topped it with some grilled onions, baby spinach, on a toasted bun.  it was phenomenal.  seriously.  i think the mushrooms in the patty made it incredibly moist,  something that is generally hard to achieve with ground turkey.  if you didn't know you where eating turkey, you would think it was beef - trust me on this dad.