Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

     I have to admit that I was taking a big chance when I decided to make this meal for the first time.  I found this recipe from The Yummy Life on Pinterest and decided to try it. I wasn't convinced it would be a hit for several reasons, the first being that it used ground turkey instead or beef, which isn't my husbands favorite.  Secondly, it used an ingredient, hoisin, that I had never heard before and had no idea what it would taste like.  It also had several other ingredients which I didn't have or don't like to eat.  Among all those things I don't have a food processor to mince all the veggies, which meant more work for me!  So as you can imagine, I was shocked after I made this meal for dinner one night and subsequently watched my husband scarf down three helpings!  My husband rarely tells me he doesn't like something I cook, but I can tell by whether or not he eats leftovers.  In this case, there weren't even any leftovers, which was an indicator that I should make these lettuce wraps again!  If you like spicy, which around here we don't, check out the yummy life link above for some dipping sauces.

1 lb. ground turkey
1-2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup shredded carrots, minced
3 green onions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cooking sherry
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 cups brown rice
Lettuce

     Mince the carrots, green onions, garlic, and ginger.  This can either be done by hand or using a food processor.  Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the turkey. At the same time begin preparing the brown rice according to package directions.
     Once the turkey has browned, add in the minced carrots, green onions, garlic, and ginger.  Cook for 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, and sesame oil.  Add to the turkey and stir, cooking about 5 more minutes or until heated through.  
     Serve turkey mixture with rice in lettuce leaves.  To make as an appetizer, serve in endive leaves.

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

     About 2½ years ago I became really interested in food blogs and spent a lot of time reading them and finding new recipes I wanted to try.  When I told my sister that, she told me that I should check out Dashing Dish.  She said the sister of a girl that she had a college class with created the website and made all sorts of healthy versions of foods we love!  I checked it out and really liked her site, and quite a few of her recipes as well.  This was one of my favorites though (and still is)!  We all know turkey burgers are good for you, but that wasn't enough to convince my husband.  The only way I can get my husband to eat a turkey burger is if I make this recipe, which is not a problem for me since these are so simple and delicious!  This time I accidentally bought the mesquite marinade, but they still tasted delicious!

1 lb. ground turkey

4 tbs. teriyaki marinade (I use the kroger brand)

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. sugar

4 pineapple rings (I prefer using fresh pineapple to canned)

4 hamburger buns

In a bowl, use your hands to combine the first six ingredients.  Form into four even sized patties.  Place patties on the grill and cook until to longer pink, flipping once.  At the same time, place fresh pineapple slices on the grill (you may even want to make a few extra just to eat!).  Place each patty on a bun and top with pineapple slice.  My husband also adds ketchup to his!