Cooking Adventures

Earlier this week I met a friend for lunch at a wonderful restaurant in downtown Boulder. This restaurant cooks with fresh and organic ingredients and every meal is on the healthy side. I was in the mood for something different, so I had a turkey burger. Yes, it is still a burger, but I justify it by saying that it is healthier because it is a much leaner meat. Anyway, the burger was very good, but I thought that it was also very simple. I could easily make a turkey burger at home and it wouldn't cost $11! So tonight I made my first attempt at a turkey cheeseburger. I seasoned the ground turkey with garlic powder, pepper, and a pinch of salt. With the turkey seasoned, I was ready to cook. I make burgers at home so rarely that I always forget that meat (in this case turkey) tends to shrink when you cook it. My particular turkey burger shrunk in circumference and diameter but somehow it also rose in height. By the time I was finished cooking it, it was about the size of a coaster and was a little bit dwarfed by the size of the bun. Oh well, at least I know what to expect for the next time. And because my burger became so tiny I really couldn't load up on the toppings. In addition to the cheddar cheese that I melted on top of the burger while it was cooking, I also topped it with some lettuce and red onions. I held the tomato because I don't like tomatoes on sandwiches or burgers. I do like tomatoes in sauces, though, but the dissertation on my picky tomato habits will have to wait for another day. Back to my burger. I could have finished my burger toppings with traditional mustard or ketchup or plain mayo, but I still wanted something even more different. So I made some horseradish mayo. Directions: mix mayo and horseradish sauce until the taste is to your liking. Once the burger was all assembled, I placed it on a slightly toasted whole wheat bun. I ate it alongside some baked French fries. In spite of the minor shrinkage of the burger itself, all in all, it was a really yummy and filling meal. I'm pretty happy.

Current mood: full
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Tori Amos "Raspberry Swirl"
Current drink: Barq's root beer