The January edition of my co-worker cooking club/Iron Chef competition centered around the ingredient ginger. The funny thing is that I threw that ingredient out there jokingly having initially thought, “What the heck can you do with ginger?” I came to find that it is actually a very versatile ingredient and the dishes at this gathering were a testament to that. I made Asian-Style Turkey Burger Sliders with a ginger soy sauce that was simply to die for. They were so good that you would be shocked to know the recipe comes from a Weight Watchers cookbook I borrowed from my Mom. Other contributions included: homemade ginger ale for Dark and Stormy’s, Moscow Mule (has ginger beer in it), lemon ginger scones, a chicken curry dish, orange ginger beets, and ginger snap breaded fried chicken with apple and onion slaw. What a treat it all was for the tastebuds! This group continues to amaze me with their culinary know-how. Besides the fantastic eats, the ambiance was particularly welcoming. Our host, Scott, had us at his almost finished house which he had spent countless months upgrading into a nothing shy of a masterpiece home. February’s cooking club appropriately requires the ingredient cocoa. I wonder if this will be a mostly dessert-focused gathering. I wouldn’t mind a bit 😉
Ingredients:
Turkey Burger Sliders (NOTE: I doubled the below recipe as the cooking club crowd was bigger than your dinner for two or family dinner of four crowd):
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 TBSP finely chopped onion
- 2 TBSP finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- cooking spray
- 1 packages of sliders rolls (usually come in 12 packs so you may have a few left-over rolls)
- lettuce, tomato, onion (optional)
Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce (Adapted from http://disgustinglygood.com/):
- 4 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 TBSP sherry cooking wine
- 5 TBSP turbinado sugar
- 2 TBSP minced fresh ginger, or 1/2 TBSP ground dry
Directions:
- Prepare grill or large cast iron skillet (we used the latter.)
- Combine turkey and the next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide into 8-10 equal portions shaping into 1/2 inch thick patties.
- Place patties on grill or in your skillet with a healthy amount of of cooking spray. Cook approximately 5-7 minutes on each side or until done.
- For the sauce, simply combine all ingredients with a whisk and cook over a medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for several minutes. It will thicken as it cools.
- If desired, toast your slider rolls and melt a little butter to brush on top immediately adding sea salt. Top with lettuce, tomato, and onion if you wish, but definitely spoon some of the ginger soy sauce for a flavor bomb!
January Cooking Club Spread
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