This recipe came to me one night when I was feeling lazy and had next to nothing in the fridge: only a pound of ground turkey, some spinach, green goddess salad dressing, and my fridge/pantry staples. And then it came to me - ground turkey, lots of garlic, dried oregano, canned tomatoes... Italian turkey burgers to the rescue! I have made this twice since, served bun-less on a bed of spinach, and it really hits the spot - super easy, delicious, and filling.
Serves 4
2 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced length-wise (through the stem)
Salt, to taste
1 lb ground light meat turkey (we usually buy Diestel)
3 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 peeled + sliced San Marzano tomatoes from the can, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. almond meal
Salt + pepper to taste
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Vegenaise (or whichever mayonnaise you prefer)
2 tsp. green goddess dressing (you can make your own, but I like to buy the Trader Joe's one, in the refrigerated section!)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 C. Spinach, cut into short, thin strips (or in fancier terms, julienned)
Salt and pepper to taste
For the caramelized onions: Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium until hot. Add entire onion, making sure there is only one layer of onions in the pan and everything is cooking evenly. Cook, stirring until onions are soft and beginning to be translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add a few pinches of salt. Reduce heat and continue cooking onions for 15-20 minutes, until they're to your liking. After 20 minutes, they should be cooked down and blonde, but after 30-45 minutes they'll have some browning - I prefer the browning!
While the onions are cooking on low heat, make the turkey burgers:
In a bowl, add the turkey, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, almond meal, and salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until the meat is well combined. Form meat into four even patties. Heat a large skillet over medium-heat. When skillet is hot, cook burgers, 3-4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
Place the spinach in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Top spinach with a cooked turkey burger. Top the burger with your mayo of choice and the green goddess dressing. Add caramelized onions. Enjoy!
