Spicy Bombay Sliders

When I made Buffalo Turkey Wraps, I only used half of the package of ground turkey since I mixed lentils into the meat.  Since we also had lettuce leaves, which are great to use as a gluten-free substitute for buns or wraps, we decided to make Spicy Bombay Sliders with the leftover turkey.  We picked up pound of ground chicken to round out the recipe - I don't love the taste of turkey burgers, so adding a different meat usually milds the taste for me.  Lo made Spicy Bombay Burgers for a friendly cooking "competition" with our friends, so we knew how good they were going to be. 

Spicy Bombay Sliders

recipe from The Fresh Market

Bombay Sauce: 

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 T. garlic chili sauce
• 2-3 T. hot curry paste (found in the asian section)
• 1 T. sugar

Sliders:

• 3/4 - 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 1/2 T. fresh ginger, minced (see tip below)
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 t. curry powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, chili sauce, curry paste and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat grill to medium heat. In a large mixing bowl, fold together turkey, chicken, ginger, cumin, curry powder and garlic until well combined; form 1/3 cup of mixture at a time into patties. Season patties to taste with salt and pepper; grill 4 to 5 minutes per side until done. Serve sliders with spicy sauce.  I wrapped mine in lettuce leaves, while Lo ate his on a bun.

Ginger tip: I keep a knob of fresh ginger (found in the produce section near the garlic usually) in the freezer.  When I need of piece of it, I just grab it from the freezer and cut off a hunk with a sharp knife.  Using a veggie peeler or the knife, carefully peel the skin off the ginger.  Mince or prepare according to recipe instructions.  If I don't need much ginger, I'll often just peel part of the hunk with a peeler and continue to "shave" the ginger with the peeler.  Just chop the shavings to the size you need. 

Buffalo Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps - especially P.F. Changs - but I wanted to make a version that wasn't Asian-inspired (mostly because we didn't have soy sauce).  I saw some recipes on Pinterest that were buffalo-style and I thought that sounded perfect.  I didn't have the ingredients for those recipes either, so I just (buffalo) winged it.  

I love these and the recipe is completely customizable.  I mixed cooked lentils with the meat to stretch the amount of meat and make it a little healthier.  The lentils can be left out, or you can used cooked rice or quinoa in place of the lentils.  You won't notice the taste or texture for the lentils though, so I recommend them.    

Buffalo Turkey Lentil Lettuce Wraps

3/4 - 1 pound lean ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup dry lentils (brown or green...orange gets mushy)
3 carrots, shredded using a veggie peeler
Leaves of lettuce, washed (we used butter lettuce, but it doesn't matter which type)
Shredded cheese or blue cheese sprinkles
Buffalo Wing sauce, about 1 cup
Blue cheese dressing, if desired (I didn't have it and didn't need it)
Chopped celery, if you have it (I didn't)

Don't have buffalo wing sauce?  Mix some up.

Buffalo Wing Sauce:
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot (or favorite hot sauce)
1/2 T. white vinegar (more to taste)
sprinkle of garlic powder, to taste
1-2 t. sugar, to taste
pepper, to taste

Stir together the ingredients, tasting as you go.  Add more vinegar if you want it to be more tangy; add more sugar if it's too tangy.  If it's still too spicy or too tangy, stir in a couple of tablespoons or more of BBQ sauce to mild it out. 

For the wraps:
Sort lentils, discarding any weird looking ones.  Place in pan with 2 cups water and simmer with lid tilted until to desired tenderness, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes. Drain water from lentils and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onions for 3 minutes until tender.  Add ground meat and cook until browned.  Drain if needed. 

Add lentils to cooked meat.  Stir in buffalo sauce.  If the sauce it too runny (once mixed with the juices from the meat), you can turn the heat back on and cook for a couple of minutes.

To assemble, scoop meat/lentils down the middle of the lettuce, top with carrots and desired cheese and celery, if using.  Fold it up like a taco and enjoy!  I find it easiest to eat the stem end last, since it's a little more sturdy.   

Breakfast Chili Potato Hash

When I organized the pantry I found a can of turkey chili that was nearing the sell-by date so I set it on the counter to remember to use it.  After a few weeks, something made me think of breakfast hash (I think I had something like that at Tip Top before and loved it), and I went in search of a recipe for a hash with chili.  I found this Rachael Ray recipe, and made a few changes.  Lo made it on Sunday and while it was good, it would definitely be better with some additions (which I included in the recipe).

Breakfast Chili Potato Hash

• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large potatoes, poked with a fork then cooked in the microwave for 6-8 minutes on high, or until tender (I used redskin potatoes)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cups leftover chili (I used a can of turkey chili)
• Hot sauce to taste, depending on chili
• 1-2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/4 cup of shredded cheese

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. While the skillet heats up, chop up the cooked potatoes into bite-size chunks then add to the hot skillet and spread out in an even layer. Season them with a little salt and pepper, and let them brown for about 2 minutes without messing with them. Then give them a stir and continue to brown them for another 3-4 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Add the chopped pepper and onions, stir to combine and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add the leftover chili and hot sauce; cook until it is heated through.

While the leftover chili is heating up with the potatoes, start the eggs: Preheat another skillet over medium-high heat with butter or oil. Once the skillet is hot, crack eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry to desired doneness.

Divide the chili hash between 4 serving plates and top with the fried egg.  Sprinkle cheese on top.