#BurgerWeek: Asian Slaw Turkey Burgers

You know why I love my friends over at NoshOn.It? Because they get as excited about food as I do. {Plus, they're pretty cool in general.} They get so excited, in fact, that they dedicate an entire week to recipes honoring one type of food, and share all kinds of new and exciting ways to enjoy something that might seem like it's been done otherwise. My kind of folks.

This week, NoshOn.It is hosting #BurgerWeek and asked if I could come up with an original burger recipe to share for the occasion. I, of course, was happy to oblige.

So many possibilities swirled around my head... but I finally settled on these Asian Slaw Turkey Burgers. And I'm glad I did!

I probably haven't had a "real" {i.e. beef} burger in over 10 years. I stopped eating red meat a while ago and never looked back. It was sort of a natural progression since I was never much of a fan anyway. But sometimes it's nice to sink your teeth into a yummy, grilled patty... though to be honest, I think I like burgers more for the toppings than the meat itself!

I make turkey burgers all the time and love the versatility of turkey meat. It's a bit on the lighter side than beef {specifically if you buy lean, white meat turkey rather than the dark meat} and it agrees with me a lot more. Seasoned with Asian-inspired flavor in this recipe, the patties turn out anything but bland. Broccoli & carrot slaw tossed in ginger vinaigrette adds some crunch and zip to these flavorful burgers, and a runny egg adds delicious richness!

If you think you don't like turkey burgers, I suggest you give these a try first! You can certainly swap out the turkey meat for whichever type you prefer, but I promise these are worth making. And the best part is you can make them in a skillet, on a grill pan or -- the ultimate summertime method -- on the grill.

Do you want to become a grilling pro? Need a new grill? #BurgerWeek sponsor Broil King wants to give you the chance to win one of their high-performance gas grills (a $549+tax value) plus burger grilling accessories to use in your home!

Made entirely in North America, every one of Broil King’s gas grills are made of the highest-quality materials and engineering that allows you the versatility to sear the perfect burger or steak, roast chicken or vegetables, or even bake a dessert right on the grill. Their grills are already in more Canadian backyards than any other brand and they’re available in the U.S. at Lowe’s and many other retailers! To enter to win your own Broil King grill, just click on the banner below:

Need more burger inspiration? Head over to these blogs for more delectable ideas!

Jalapeno + Cheddar Burger with Charred Corn Mayo from Simply Scratch
Vegetarian Patty Melt from Naturally Ella
Pork Belly Pimento Cheese Burger from Climbing Grier Mountain
Chili Cheese Tot Burgers from A Zesty Bite

Turkey Reuben Burger from Mountain Mama Cooks

GF Vegetarian Tex-Mex Black Bean Burger from Beard and Bonnet
Peanut Butter Burger with Savory Strawberry Relish from Foodness Gracious
Al Pastor Burger from NoshOn.It

Asian Slaw Turkey Burgers
Makes 4 burgers 

1 lb ground turkey meat
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 - 2 teaspoons sriracha

1. Heat grill, grill pan or a large pan over medium-high heat.

2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well-combined. {Try not to overmix and toughen the meat.}

3. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into patties. Cook over medium-high heat on a skill or grill pan, or grill for about 3-4 minutes on one side; flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side or until the meat is no longer pink in the middle.

4. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil until ready to assemble burgers.

For Slaw:
1/4 cup broccoli slaw
1/4 cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons prepared ginger vinaigrette {I use this kind}
1 - 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until slaw is well-coated. Set aside.

For Egg:
Fry or poach an egg to desired runniness. I like mine cooked for a couple of minutes on one side over high heat in a frying pan, then flipped and cooked for under a minute on the other side.

Assembly: 

Toast buns if desired. Place burgers on bun and top with a heaping serving of slaw, thinly sliced red onion, and an egg. Drizzle with extra sriracha if desired.

#PizzaWeek: "Greek-za!" Mediterranean Pizza

I have never met a person who doesn't like pizza in some way, shape or form. {And if I did, I might be suspicious...} I mean, c'mon... bread, melty cheese, and toppings of your liking? Pure comfort in a convenient, hand-held slice.

When my buddies over at NoshOn.It reached out and asked if I'd be interested in participating in their #PizzaWeek, saying yes was a complete no-brainer.

Pizza is a great unifier. I am convinced that, done correctly, it could bridge generation gaps and end world conflict. Ok, maybe that's a bit excessive. But I can't imagine not being anything but supremely happy when sitting down to split a pie with another.

In fact, some of my absolute favorite memories have pizza involved -- family pizza nights at home as a kid; 3:00 a.m. mushroom pizzas with my roommate in college; finding the ultimate pizza place when Steve and I moved to Dallas {it was our first meal in Texas, eaten among moving boxes}; my father-in-law's famous homemade pizzas; and finally, learning how to make amazing pizzas myself over the past few years.

You just can't go wrong no matter what type of pizza you enjoy the most.

One of our favorite Friday night pizzas at home is what I've lovingly started to refer to as "Greek-za"... a pizza with Mediterranean toppings.

It is so, so good. Can't turn down another slice, kinda good.

When I made the "Greek-za" this time, I rolled out the dough really thin to make it more of a flatbread. Not only does it cut down on carbs this way {because we all know you must be very worried about that if you're eating pizza}, but then you're also getting more toppings than bread, which is never a bad thing in my book. The spinach, tomatoes, Greek olives and red onion intertwined with a variety of bubbly cheeses and sprinkled with fragrant herbs is drizzled with syrupy-sweet balsamic vinegar...it's easy to see why this recipe tops my list of favorites.

If you like pizza as much as I do, be sure to check out the other #PizzaWeek posts being shared today by the following talented bloggers:

Roasted Veggie Pizza by Dine & Dish
Mini Cauliflower Pizzas by The Fitchen
Berry with Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza by FoodieCrush

And if you still haven't gotten your fix, head over to Pinterest and follow the "Pizza Pizza!" board where you can find a variety of pizza recipes to suit any and all tastes!

"Greek-za!" -- Mediterranean Pizza 
Yield: 2 thin crust personal pizzas

Your favorite pizza dough recipe {I used this one} or store bought pizza dough, cut into quarters*
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup favorite grated Italian cheese blend
1/2 cup favorite mozzarella, grated
1 roma or plum tomato, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup Greek olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
*I also use a sprinkle of Alessi Dipping Spice -- I love this stuff.
For Drizzling: Good quality balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place pan or pizza stone in oven to heat up as well.

2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and garlic in a small microwaveable cup and heat on high for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant and begins to sizzle. Remove from microwave and set aside.

3. Cut one of the quarters of the pizza dough in half.* Set aside the other half and keep covered. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness -- for this version, I rolled mine out quite thin to about a 12x6 inch oval. Repeat the process with second piece of dough to make 2 personal pizzas.

4. Carefully move rolled dough to hot pan or stone. Brush the crusts with the garlic oil and bake for 3-6 minutes {depending on thickness} or until the crust is beginning to turn golden brown in some spots.

5. Remove from oven and top each pizza with spinach leaves, Italian cheese blend and mozzarella. {Doing it in this order helps the leaves stay in place, but you can arrange it as you like, of course.} Place tomato slices, sliced red onion and olives on top of cheese; sprinkle with crumbled feta. Sprinkle dried mint and oregano {or whichever spices you choose} over top.

6. Return pizzas to oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pizza are crisp and browned. For a crisp underside, I like to move the pan to the very bottom rack of the oven for the last minute or two of cooking. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!

7. Remove pizzas from oven and drizzle with balsamic syrup if desired. Slice and serve hot.

*Most 1 lb. dough balls will make 2 large pizzas, 4 medium pizzas or 8 individual thin crust pizzas. It's up to you how you want to divide it up, but for the this particular recipe, I've listed enough ingredients for 2 individual thin crust pizzas or 1 medium pizza. Hope that isn't too confusing! :)