Awesome Asian Turkey Sliders

...with a side of Sesame Rainbow Slaw

Not too excited about ground turkey? Get over it - the taste of these delicious Asian sliders might be reason enough to fill the freezer with this healthy protein. Healthy? Turkey contains vitamins B-6 and B-12, niacin, choline, selenium and zinc. That is good to know, but our attention was on the palate-pleasing flavor when these cuties hit the tastebuds. Lime, sugar, fish sauce, basil and garlic meld nicely with the turkey into a delicious Asian bite, one that easily handled the heat from any added sriracha and jalapenos. The generous handful of apple matchsticks provided a welcome crunch to the otherwise soft sandwich.   

Every bit of kitchen island and sink countertop showed signs of action during dinner prep. The dozen plus slider ingredients, and even more for the slaw, called for a lot of chopping, mixing and tossing. Still, dinner came together surprisingly quickly as each major component was prepped and set aside.

   *slice and marinate the apples

   *mix the basil mayonnaise

   *season and form the meat patties or meatballs

   *slice, chop and mix the slaw vegetables

   *whisk the slaw dressing, add to the slaw veggies and toss

Chef de Cuisine Hilary adapted this delicious dish from two recipes she found in the Nov. and Dec. 2015 issues of Shape magazine. Colorful, imaginative and fully loaded with sweet/hot/citrusy/tangy flavors, her turkey sliders were a fiesta on the plate and in the mouth. We politely nibbled the first bites of apple-topped sliders-with-slaw:  bite... pause... register the taste... smile! Mmmmm, yes, we each inhaled the rest of our first slider in another bite or two and hurried back to the stove for more. 

We are eager for another Asian slider dinner, soon please (especially if Hilary cooks).These sliders would make a festive party appetizer as well, with a large batch cooked and held in an electric skillet or on a warming tray. Anyone for a party?

Asian Turkey Sliders

serves 4

Juice and zest of 1 lime

2 teaspoons sugar

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 crisp apple, cored & cut into matchsticks

1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (Best Foods)

2 Tablespoons Gourmet Garden basil paste concentrate, divided

1 pound ground turkey

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup water

Sweet Hawaiian rolls, (or mini slider buns) split

Hot sauce, (Sriracha, etc) to taste

*Sesame Rainbow Slaw (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Use a medium bowl to mix lime juice, sugar and 2 teaspoons fish sauce. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add apple machsticks; toss to coat and set aside.

2. Use a small bowl to blend together the mayonnaise and 1 Tablespoon of the basil paste; set aside.

3. In a large bowl mix together by hand ground turkey, garlic, remaining 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, remaining 1 Tablespoon basil paste and lime zest. Shape into 8-12 meatballs or fat patties slightly wider than the slider buns..

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown meatballs over medium heat until browned on all sides, about 10 min.

5. Drain the apple mixture; add the liquid to the skillet with the meatballs. Add water; bring to a boil and scrape up any browned bits from the skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and liquid reduces into a clingy glaze, about 8 min.

6. Spread basil mayonnaise on buns, top with apples and glazed meatballs. Serve with a side of Rainbow Sesame Slaw and offer optional hot sauce and jalapeno slices on the side.

Rainbow Sesame Slaw

2 cups packaged broccoli slaw

2 cups red cabbage, cut in 1/4-inch strips

3 large red, orange & yellow bell peppers, cut in 1/4-inch strips

4 scallions, diagonally sliced

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped or minced

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 Tablespoons sliced pickled ginger, minced (optional)

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 Tablespoon low-sodium Tamari

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon chile paste (more or less to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Use a large bowl and toss together the solids, broccoli slaw through ginger (if using). 

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Add the dressing to the mixed slaw; toss gently to combine. If making ahead, toss occasionally to recoat the slaw and redistribute the dressing.

Lamb Meatball Stuffed Mushrooms with Tzatziki Sauce

Think of this as a 2-for-1 treat; some scrumptious Lamb-Stuffed 'Shrooms to serve as an appetizer or light supper...

Photo: Lamb Meatball Stuffed Mushrooms topped with Tzatziki Sauce and plated on a bed of balsamic-braised kale

...plus a dozen or so little Lamb Meatballs for a lunch plate on another day, tasty on their own or delicious stuffed in a warm pita. 

Photo: Flavorful Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Rummaging through the fridge I found some plump stuffing mushrooms, ground lamb, and bunches of several fresh herbs. Aha! meatballs and meatball-stuffed 'shrooms! Both dishes came from a single one-pound package of ground lamb. That worked for me, big time, since neither of us felt any major hunger pangs that evening and I'm a huge fan of cooking ahead whenever possible. 

Appetizers for dinner sounded perfect, knowing that we could fill up on ice cream and cookies for dessert if we were hungry later. Never happened! The 'shrooms were of medium size, but we were stuffed after eating four apiece and their bed of braised kale.

I turned to my recipe for Lamb Kofta, but ended up substituting a few herbs and omitting capers in order to work with items already at hand. After mixing the ingredients and forming eight small meatballs, lightly packed, just large enough to fill the cavities of the mushrooms, there was still enough filling left to shape a generous dozen+ small meatballs. Win!

Of course I didn't bother to write down the exact ingredients or step-by-step directions, but here's a close approximation of the process. 

 Lamb Meatball Stuffed Mushrooms

Meat Mixture:

1 pound ground lamb

scant 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons mint paste (Gourmet Garden)
2 heaping tablespoons Italian parsley, minced

2 teaspoons garlic paste (Gourmet Garden)

3 tablespoons grated onion

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper  
Stems from the fresh mushrooms, minced

8-10 medium cremini mushrooms, cleaned & stemmed (number depends on size)
Kale, braised and tossed with balsamic vinegar (optional)

Tzatziki Sauce (see below)

Directions:
Mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly by hand, careful not to overwork the mixture or it will be tough. (I read that somewhere.) 

For the Stuffed Mushrooms:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Use a small cookie scoop or damp hands to form lightly packed small meatballs, just large enough to fill the cavities of the mushrooms when mounded slightly.
3. Arrange the stuffed 'shrooms in a lightly oiled pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until you see a few crispy, browned bits and the lamb is just faintly pink underneath. 
4. Serve atop a bed of braised kale - topped with tzatziki sauce - or perhaps in individual Asian soup spoons for party presentation.   

For the Meatballs:

1. Heat a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Use a small cookie scoop or damp hands to form the remaining meat mixture into small, round balls.
3. Place in the hot pan and brown on all sides.
4. Lower the heat to medium and lid the skillet, cooking a bit longer until the lamb is just done, only faintly pink in the middle, usually less than 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the skillet and serve with a side of tzatziki sauce - OR, if you can't resist, remove meatballs from the skillet, swirl some sour cream into the pan juices for a sauce to pour over the meatballs. 

Tzatziki Sauce

Makes 1 ¾ cups

1 English cucumber, peeled

1 TB kosher salt

1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)

1 TB lemon juice

2 TB lemon zest

1 TB fresh mint, chopped or 1 tsp dried mint

1 ½ TB fresh dill, chopped or ½ tsp dried dill

1 clove garlic, minced & mashed

1 green onion, finely chopped

Salt (optional)  and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a strainer; add salt and toss gently. Place the strainer over a bowl and let it sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes (or more). You will be amazed at the quantity of liquid that drains out! 
2. Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly under cold water; drain and wring out in a clean tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible without reducing the cukes to moosh. 
3. Place cukes and all other ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Sample and adjust to taste. 

The flavors will blend and intensify as they sit. The sauce will keep overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator, but is best used within a day or two.