Sunday, November 6, 2011

Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Apple Glaze

  

The easiest cake you will ever make, and it is dense and moist so it is the perfect last minute fall dessert!

Pumpkin Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 15 oz can of pumpkin

Using a hand mixer mix together the cake mix and the can of pumpkin. It will come together in a thick creamy batter. Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-35 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Apple Spiced Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbl Apple juice (or apple cider)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all of the glaze ingredients together pour over the cake while it is still warm. If you want it to be extra gooey and moist poke some toothpick holes all over the top before you cover it with the glaze. I like to pour a little bit over the whole thing and let it soak in before I add another layer of glaze and do the same thing again. Usually 3 times is enough, just making sure it is all covered and soaked in the spiced glaze!




Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Best Turkey Burgers Around!


I have wanted to try to make turkey burgers for a long time. I have just been waiting to find a good recipe... the thing is, though, you never know if the recipe is good until you try it. I've always heard bad things about turkey burgers, like they dry out really easily, and they fall apart when you try to grill them. A couple of years ago all of those things came true when I tried to make chicken burgers. They fell apart, they didn't have enough fat to sear and brown nicely, and they were kinda dry. Safe to say, I only tried that once, and I hadn't been brave enough to try another poultry burger since.

SO, I recently found a friend who has a this turkey burger recipe, from her mom. She and a couple others vouched for the greatness of the recipe and I decided to give it a go.

Response: AWESOME! They are moist, juicy, flavorful (and even a little bit healthy)! Not to mention, easy and quick. They even exceeded my expectations and got a nice, pretty char on them from the grill (without falling apart)!

In sum, if you're looking for a good recipe for turkey burgers, or you've been too scared to try them out, this is the recipe for you.

Burgers:
19 oz ground turkey (I used 97% lean)
1/2 cup finely graded Gruyere cheese
4 thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 large clove garlic minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Provolone cheese for melting on top of the burgers

Mix all the ingredients together and form patties. This recipe makes 5-6 burgers depending on the size.

Heat the grill to high and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side. Move to a cooler part of grill  (medium heat) and cook additional 4-5 min on each side. The last couple minutes on the grill melt the provolone over the top for those that want a cheesy turkey burger (highly recommended)!


Serve on a whole wheat bun with your desired toppings. Spicy mustard and BBQ sauce are both good options for condiments! Next time, I think I'll try basting  these burgers with a teriyaki glaze as I grill them, for an Asian flair. Let me know how it is, if you try it!