Sorry about the Politics but Heeerres Burger.

Recipe: Turkey Burger with Citrus Vinaigrette Salad, Everything Burgers, Cinnamon-Grilled Bananas With Mexican Chocolate, Triple Treat
July 22, 2004 FAIR0722.REC

Turkey Burger with Citrus Vinaigrette Salad

Serves 6.

Note: Blended oils are a combination of canola oil and olive oil. From "Burgers: 50 Recipes Celebrating an American Classic" by Rebecca Bent (Clarkson Potter, $16.95).

• 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil (to season grill) or 1 tbsp. peanut oil (to season skillet)

• 2 lb. ground turkey

• 1/4c. prepared horseradish

• 1/4c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 tbsp. kosher salt

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 6 hamburger buns

• 6 half-sour pickle halves

• 61/2-inch slices red tomatoes

• 6 1/2-inch slices red onion

• 2 whole Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

Preheat grill or skillet to medium-high, wiping down grill grate with olive oil (or skillet with peanut oil) before heating over a medium-high flame. In a large bowl, using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine ground turkey, horseradish, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well and form into four patties of equal size. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side (7 minutes per side if using skillet). Place burgers between buns and garnish with pickles, tomatoes, onion and avocado.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 530 Fat 32g Sodium 1350 mg

Carbohydrates 24g Including sat. fat 8 g Calcium 80 mg

Protein 34 g Cholesterol 100 mg Dietary fiber 6 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable exch., 1½ bread/starch exch., 4 medium--fat meat exch. and 2 fat exch.

Everything Burgers

Serves 4.

Note: Like the best meat loaves, these burgers taste even better the next day. To reduce fat, substitute ground turkey for either the veal or the chuck. Adapted from "Burgers Every Way" by Emily Haft Bloom (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $19.95).

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1/3c. fine bread crumbs

• 1/2lb. ground chuck

• 1/2lb. ground veal

• 1 tbsp. unseasoned tomato paste

• 1/4c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 4 deli-style onion rolls

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sautι, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from heat and reserve. In a large bowl, using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix together bread crumbs, ground chuck, ground veal, sautιed onion and garlic, tomato paste and cheese, until ingredients are evenly distributed. Add beaten egg and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat grill or broiler to medium-high heat. Form 4 patties of equal size and grill them, flipping once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Split deli rolls in half and, 1 minute before burgers are done, toast rolls on grill. Serve burgers on toasted rolls.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 410 Fat 20 g Sodium 465 mg

Carbohydrates 27 g Including sat. fat 8 g Calcium 160 mg

Protein 29 g Cholesterol 140 mg Dietary fiber 2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 bread/starch exch., 3 medium-fat meat exch. and 1 fat exch.

Cinnamon-Grilled Bananas With Mexican Chocolate

Serves 4.

Note: A favorite at Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants in Chicago. From "The Banana Split Book."

• 4 firm but ripe bananas, unpeeled

• 1 tbsp. sugar

• 1/2tsp. ground cinnamon

• 8 small scoops dulce de leche ice cream (such as Hδagen-Dazs)

• 1/2c. coarsely chopped chocolate

• Additional cinnamon, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Slice bananas in half lengthwise, then cut split halves again widthwise, into quarters. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle cut sides of bananas. Let bananas sit for 5 minutes. Place bananas, cut-side down, on a clean cooking grate and grill for 2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Using a pair of long-handled tongs, turn bananas over and let cook 5 more minutes or until peel pulls away from banana. Remove from grill and carefully remove peels.

Arrange 4 banana quarters on each of four serving plates. Top each serving with 2 scoops of ice cream. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of chopped chocolate and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Nutrition information per serving, including 1/2c. ice cream:

Calories 485 Fat 24 g Sodium 68 mg

Carbohydrates 68 g Including sat. fat 15 g Calcium 140 mg

Protein 6 g Cholesterol 98 mg Dietary fiber 4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit exch., 3½ other carb. exch., 1 medium-fat meat exch. and 4 fat exch.

Triple Treat

Serves 1.

Note: This spin on the classic banana split hails from the 100-year-old soda fountain at the Pioneer Drug Store in Elk Point, S.D. From "The Banana Split Book" by Michael Turback (Camino Books, $14.95).

• 1 banana

• 1 scoop Rocky Road ice cream

• 1 scoop cherry nut ice cream

• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream

• 2 oz. caramel syrup

• 2 oz. chocolate syrup

• 2 oz. crushed strawberries

• Whipped cream

• 1 maraschino cherry

Peel banana, split lengthwise and place halves parallel to one another on a banana split dish. Place Rocky Road, cherry nut and vanilla ice cream scoops between banana halves in center of dish. Ladle caramel syrup over Rocky Road ice cream, chocolate syrup over cherry nut ice cream and crushed strawberries over vanilla ice cream. Garnish with whipped cream and top with a cherry.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 770 Fat 18 g Sodium 360 mg

Carbohydrates 154 g Including sat. fat 11 g Calcium 230 mg

Protein 9 g Cholesterol 62 mg Dietary fiber 7 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 10 other carb. exch., 1 medium-fat meat exch. and 21/2fat exch.