Turkey Masala Burgers with Roasted Tomato, Toasted Pine Nut and Arugula Salad

Upon starting this blog I could not wait to ask my good friend Malcolm to cook with me. He is far and away the best cook I know which was (and is) a little intimidating, to be honest. He has a real sense for flavor and through that has come up with some great avenues for experiment on a college budget. When I asked him last Thursday to cook with me he came up with a fantastic idea which fits perfectly with the mantra of this blog: Turkey masala burgers with roasted tomato, toasted pine nut and arugula salad. No, I’m not kidding.

I arrived at Malcolm’s apartment and was met with a glass of wine and the words “I love to use wine when I cook – and sometimes I even use it in the food!” I knew I was in for a great evening. From then on it was a veritable kitchen tango – leaning across to taste each others food – add some spices, stir something, squish something, and even clean something (queue Malcolm’s haunting phrase “dinner isn’t over until the dishes are done too”) I must say, together we came up with something pretty spectacular. A line of people followed their noses and traipsed into the living room as we ate – “I'm just looking for a taste” or "uhhh - do you mind if I try a bite?" Yeah, right.

Turkey Masala burgers

1 Package ground turkey

1 jar Tikka Masala sauce – Indian section at the grocery store

2 spring onions

2 cloves of garlic

Basmati Rice

1 box arugula (I am lazy so I buy prewashed)

1 box grape tomatoes

1 small package pine nuts (get the smallest they have because places really rip you off with nuts – giving you way more than you’ll ever use for a crazy price)

1 lemon

Parmesan (I buy a block – cheaper and less artificial tasting)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Dijon Mustard

Chop up onion and mince garlic and sauté them together in a pan with a little oil – save this pan when these are cooked. In the mean time put the raw turkey in a bowl. Add the onion and garlic to the raw turkey. Season with salt and pepper and whatever else you think looks good – we added some red pepper, curry powder and paprika – although if you just have s&p that’s fine. Pour in about ¾ the jar of Tikka Masala. Knead it into the meat with your hands. Cover and put it in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut lemon in half and cut one of the halves into segments. Lay out the tomatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper so each one is seasoned. Squeeze some of the lemon segments over the toms and then nestle the lemons in with them on the tray. Roast for about 12 minutes (keep checking – skins will get wrinkly and toms will soften).

Take the turkey out of the fridge. Roll it into balls a little smaller than your fist. Now you have a choice – if you are lucky enough to have a George Foreman grill (which Malcolm was) then cook them on that. If not (like me) then put a little oil in a pan and cook them on that. If you cook them on the stovetop remember to flatten out the balls a little with a fork. Remember that turkey is not like beef and it needs to be cooked all the way through – about 5-6 mins per side.

Then cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Just a little per person. When the rice is cooked – push about 3 tablespoons of it down into the bottom of a ramekin or shallow glass. Let it sit there for a second and then turn the glass upside down and knock it onto the middle of a plate. This will make a little even stage or platform made of rice for your burger. Put your burger on top.

Pour about ½ cup of the pine nuts into the old pan you used for the garlic and green onion. Toast them in the pan. Pine nuts really need constant attention because they look like they aren’t even cooking and then burn very quickly. Keep stirring them

Make a ring around the burger and rice stand with your arugula. Add the tomatoes and the pine nuts. Mix some olive oil, Dijon mustard, a little squeeze of the lemon and a little balsamic vinegar in a bowl with salt and pepper and mix. Top the salad ring with the dressing. Cut some parmesan shavings off of your block and sprinkle the salad.

Our package of turkey made 2 burgers – but this is easily expandable.