Friday: Curry Turkey Burgers with Thai Slaw

Giving Rachel Ray another shot with burgers this week.  My husband loves anything with curry, so these are a big hit.  I also like that the recipe calls for mild curry paste...that way my girls won't have a problem with the burgers.  Making the slaw to go on the side and perhaps some sweet fries (for the girls mostly)


For those of you not familiar with curries...here's a bit of info (courtesy of Wikipeida):

Red curry paste: Red curry paste includes red chili peppers (fresh or dried), shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, coriander roots, peppercorns, salt, shrimp paste and kaffir lime leaf.

Green curry paste: The ingredients for green curry paste are similar to those for red curry paste, except green chilies are often used in place of red.

Yellow curry paste: Yellow curry paste is also similar to both red and green curry pastes, but it is made with turmeric, where it derives its yellow colour, and occasionally yellow chili peppers.

Massaman curry paste: Massaman curry is an Indian influenced curry, and unlike other Thai curries it contains many ground dry spices as ingredients, including cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

Panaeng curry paste: Panaeng curry is generally more mild than the other types of Thai curry.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• A handful cilantro, chopped very fine, about 2 tablespoons, optional
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons mild curry paste or a handful of curry powder (Preferred brand: Patak's Mild Curry Paste)
• Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 crusty rolls, split

Toppings:

• Bib or leaf lettuce
• Sliced vine-ripe tomatoes
• Mango chutney (preferred brands: Major Grey's or Patak's Mango Chutney)
• Serving Suggestions: Thai Slaw Salad, recipe follows 

Directions

Combine first 8 ingredients and form into 5 patties.

Brush or drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill patties 6 minutes on each side on indoor electric grill or pan fry for same amount of time in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Pile patties on split crusty rolls with lettuce, tomato, and chutney spread liberally on roll tops as a condiment. Serve curry turkey burgers with Thai Slaw and root vegetable chips.

Thai Slaw Salad:

• 1 (16 ounces) prepared shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix) from produce department
• 1/4 European seedless cucumber, sliced into thin sticks
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on bias
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded

Dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white distilled or rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Garnish:

• Toasted sesame seeds

Combine vegetables in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a small plastic container and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Drizzle sauce over vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes and re-toss before serving and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.