TURKEY BURGERS

If you have never cooked with turkey mince before, I urge you to try these burgers! Super simple and hassle-free, they are a great alternative to beef patties. The egg and breadcrumbs in the mince mixture makes the patties easy to shape and the cooking time is minimal. As turkey is native to Northern Mexico & Eastern U.S Australians would be forgiven for not knowing much about these wild birds. Here are such a few of the healthy benefits of consuming turkey:

1.  It is a rich source of protein, iron, zinc and potassium.

2.     Skinless turkey is very low in fat (white meat is lower in calories and has less fat than darker meat)

3.     Turkey is a great source of Vitamin B6 & Niacin, which are both crucial for the production of energy in our bodies.

4.     Eating turkey on a regular basis can assist in lowering cholesterol levels.

5.     Turkey is a source of Selenium, which is fundamental for thyroid hormone metabolism. Selenium also increases your immunity and acts as an antioxidant.

6.     This white meat contains the amino acid Trytophan, which produces Serotonin in the body. Serotonin controls many functions in your body (including the ability to balance your mood, appetite, memory, sleep, muscle movement, learning and much more). 

If those benefits did not convince you, I'll leave you with this note; I rarely ever cook anything twice and have I made these burgers three times in the past week & a half! 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g lean turkey mince
• 2 slices of of multigrain / wholemeal or gluten-free bread, processed or blended into fine breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, preferably free-range
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard or 2 teaspoons yellow mustard powder
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh or dried thyme leaves
• rice bran oil 
• Optional- herbs to garnish such as a few fresh coriander leaves
• Burger fillings, such as tomato, cucumber, beetroot, lettuce, avocado, capsicum, grated carrot. 

COOKING 

1. Combine mince, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, mustard and thyme in a large mixing bowl and mix well (you may need to use your hands to mix all the ingredients so make sure your hands are washed). Now comes the fun part - shaping the burger patties! I find that I can comfortably make 6 patties/burgers out of the mince mixture, however you can minimise this to 4 bigger patties if you wish. Shape into rounds, flatten patties slightly and place on a large plate covered with glad wrap. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 10 minutes. 

2. During the 10 minutes, prepare your burger fillings. 

3. After the 10 minutes, remove the patties from the fridge. Heat 1 tablespoon of rice bran oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat or on a bbq. Cook patties for around 4-5 minutes each side, flattening the burgers as you go. Make sure that burgers are cooked in the middle and no pink flesh remains. 

Serve burger in a wholemeal/multigrain/gluten-free bread bun with desired fillings or serve san choy bau style with the burger wrapped in a big iceberg lettuce leave with the fillings inside; this way you avoid the bread and the stodgy carbs that come with it! 

Serves / 4 (1 big patty each or 1 1/2 smaller patties)

Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes (including 10 minutes refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily