Hold Onto Your Buns

...and bring out the pita!

It's definitely not fall-like here in Tennessee - it was 90 degrees yesterday. ....so although fall foods sound pretty good right now, and much of the country is closing down their pools & bringing out the fall clothes - summer is certainly hanging on here in the South.

Since I recently discovered that I love turkey burgers, I thought I would try it Mediterranean/Greek style. The flavors worked so well together, it was light, colorful & just plain great. It was a refreshing change from the same old beef burger on a bun topped with a slice of cheese, ketchup & mustard.

Mediterranean Mini Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean)
1/2-1 tbsp dried oregano
1/3 cup fat free feta (I would have added a little more, but Jamie's not a big fan of feta...I think I slipped it by him)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp each kosher salt & freshly ground pepper (I used a blend of black, white, red & green peppercorns)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
whole wheat pitas
extra virgin olive oil
Toppings: I used thinly sliced tomato, English cucumbers, red onion and a few crumbles of feta. And I used the garlic-lemon yogurt as my condiment, recipe to follow.

I mixed all ingredients in a bowl. I shaped the mixture into about 8 small equal sized patties and grilled on the BBQ for about 5 minutes per side on medium-high heat, or until desired. (I like more on the well-done side).

About a minute before burgers are done, brush a little extra virgin olive oil on some whole wheat pitas, and place on the grill for 10-15 seconds on each side just to heat. Remove burgers and pitas, slice both in half, and stuff the burgers inside the pitas, and add your toppings.

Lemon-Garlic Yogurt

1 cup plain fat free yogurt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2-1 tbsp dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least a half hour before serving.

Grilled Lemon-Herb Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
kosher salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of half a lemon
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Bring a pot of water to boil, and add potatoes. Let cook for about 15 minutes. Mix some EVOO with the lemon juice, zest, oregano and parsley in a bowl and set aside.

Remove, drain and cool slightly. Cut into large wedges. Brush the potatoes with some (plain, not the above mixture) EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat , turning a couple of times till cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from grill and add to bowl and toss with EVOO mixture. Use some of the yogurt dip instead of ketchup!