CAJUN STYLE TURKEY BURGER

OK, I know what you’re all thinking – turkey? Let me assure you that this burger, if made right, with lots of lovely seasoning, is seriously good and very tasty. It’s better for you than beef, is much cheaper to prepare, is great for the whole family with or without the bun.

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

Serves 4

600g turkey mince

1 egg

3 teaspoons

Cajun seasoning (if you don’t have this try equal quantities of cumin, paprika and dried herbs)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil

To serve

4 burger buns (or grilled bagels)

1 ripe avocado mashed with 3 tablespoons of chermoula

lettuce

sliced tomato

red onion

griddled corn on the cob(optional)

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas 5. To make the turkey burgers, mix the turkey mince with the egg, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and mix well. I do this with my hands but you can use a spoon if you prefer.

Divide the mix into 4 equal portions and shape into round patties. are done cooking. These can now be put into the fridge for cooking later or cooked right away.

Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. When the oil is hot, lay in the patties and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until they are golden brown. You can now put them on a baking tray and transfer to the oven to cook for a further 8 minutes (they should be cooked all the way through without any pinkness).

While these are cooking, prepare the spicy avocado salsa, if you plan to doing so. Mash the avocado with 3 tablespoons of chermoula and mix well.

Remove the burgers from the oven and allow them to rest while you toast the burger buns. Cut the buns in half horizontally and toast them in the hot oven for a few minutes.

Now serve your turkey burgers. Lay some lettuce and sliced onion on the bottom layer of each toasted bun, followed by a turkey burger and a spoonful of the avocado salsa. Add a few slices of tomato and top with the burger bun top. Serve these with Sweet Potato Wedges, if you wish. (To make the wedges cut 3–4 medium sweet potatoes into 8–10 large wedges. Place in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon 25–30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.)

As featured in “Cook on a shoestring: Easy, inspiring recipes on a budget”

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