When I started learning to cook for my new gluten-free lifestyle, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi was one of the first cookbooks to catch my eye. The book itself is beautifully crafted, rife with colorful photographs, and filled with unique stories of life in Jerusalem. Simply as a book, it sheds light on a culture always on the periphery of the American Mind.
When you start cooking the recipes in the book, however, the streets of the city come alive in your kitchen as the spices z’atar, sumac, and cumin charge the air with their unique aromas. Written for the dilettante chef interested in Israeli food, the recipes utilize authentic ingredients but remain simple enough for even the most novice of home cooks. Today, I made the Turkey Burger Recipe found on page 200. Without the sour cream based sauce, the turkey burger patties are completely gluten-free and paleo! With the sauce, they’re just all the more delicious. They only took me about 30 minutes to make from scratch (although they did create quite a few dishes to clean). Each burger’s varied flavors kept every bite interesting, and it took willpower for me to set just 3 of the 12 total aside for tomorrow’s work-day lunch!
Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with green onion & cumin, from Jerusalem
Ingredients:
For the patties:
1lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (ommitted when I made them. Cayenne is a nightshade).
olive oil for pan searing
For the sauce (optional. Do not include if you’d like to eat Paleo):
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
First, make the sour cream sauce by placing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside or chill until needed.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the oil. Mix with your hands and then shape into about 18 burgers (I made 12).
Pour the oil into a large frying pan to form a layer about 1/8 inch thick. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot, and sear the meatballs in batches on all sides. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Transfer the seared meatballs to a baking sheet lined with wax paper (I just sprayed it with olive oil. Ran out of wax paper last week!). Place in the over for 5-7 minutes. Serve warm, with sauce if desired.
BUCKWHEAT 