Crimini, Bean, and Turkey Burgers

Happy Easter, everyone.  Some of my favorite memories involve this Holy day: the 5am vigil in the dark in Hawaii with birds beginning to chirp and the sun just reaching over the horizon at the end of the service to celebrate the Resurrection, my dad singing the Exaultat (yes, I know every word), teaching ski lessons then heading back into town for an evening vigil and family dinner, and spending today with my favorite little family.  My mom calls Easter "white glove" season because as a kid, I would have my new Easter dress and accompanying white gloves, but would go through about four pairs of white gloves beforehand because I would play in them wherever I went.  Traditionally, families eat leg of lamb for dinner, others eat ham.  Most wear fancy clothes, have a proper place setting, and relish in food that is reserved for one or two feasts of the year.  While today is certainly the most Holy day of the year, that does not mean it has to be fancy or stuffy.  That's why we had burgers.

While the rest of the crew ate the standard beef kind, I had a crimini, bean, and turkey burger.  I certainly had no complaints.  Beans, mushrooms, onions, a little bit of spice, and ground turkey combine to make something incredible.  Yes, I love turkey burgers; there certainly is no doubt about that.  These however, were different, new, and extremely tasty.  These mushroom bean guys are a great addition to the turkey burger roster consisting of these little basil and oregano tasties, the chipotle corn yummies, the soy and ginger awesomenesses, and the yet-to-be-unveiled feta and spinach deliciousnesses.  Pretty soon I will have a nine-burger lineup! 

Instead of spending our time cooking today, we spent our time playing.  We went on a dog walk in the glorious 50 degree sunshine (with no coat!) while the Easter Bunny came for another egg-hiding visit, we scoured the house for those eggs, played with playdough, practiced some yoga, did some headstands (without breaking through the window), watched some epic ski movies, had great conversation, and snacked on this and our favorite, and a few deviled eggs (to be blogged about soon) before eating our burgers.  We decorated some bunny and carrot shaped cookiecakes, and had a nibble or two of the world's most incredible carrot cake (also to be blogged about later and a potential wedding cake contender).  We had incredible food without the posh, which is my favorite way. 

I couldn't have prayed for a better day with better people.  I am very thankful for the loved ones in my life--both near and far.  I hope that if you read this and are inspired to re-imagine anything from this blog, you feel my love too.

Bean and Turkey Burgers--Simple and Tasty:
Mostly inspired from this recipe.

• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 mayan sweet onion
• a little bit of butter for the plan
• 1 can of beans (we used no fat refried beans, but black beans would be great!)
• 1.25 pounds of lean ground turkey (or whatever the package gives you in the store)
• a healthy dash of pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon oregano

1. Place mushrooms, garlic, and onion in a food processor. 
2. Pulse until the mixture is finely ground. 
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the mushroom mixture until very soft, about 5-7 minutes over medium heat. 
4. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add the beans, ground turkey, and spices until combined.
5. Form into patties.
6. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through.  (We tried a few on a grill and they had a very difficult time staying together.  I imagine a really hot grill or a fish grate would help.)
7. Serve on a kaiser roll with avocados and salsa, or ketchup and cheese.
8. Enjoy your family.