Cheeseburgers are paradise

Every cooking magazine I have picked up this month has some sort of burger on the cover.

They are made of every meat imaginable and the names usually apply to the main ingredient, spice or location that inspires their flavor. I have seen them made from chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, taco and bison. They carry such names as the Miami, Texas, Asian, 'Shroom, Blue Cheese — I'm sure you get the idea.

I decided to look into the history of the hamburger and it is truly varied. Many people in America have a claim on making the first hamburger, from a carnival food stand that was not selling enough meatballs. So the owner smashed the meatball between two pieces of bread so fair goers would have a way to eat while walking through the exhibits.

Another story tells how a cook at a street fair in Hamburg, N.Y., offered ground meat between two pieces of toast with a raw onion. When he was asked what the meal was, not having a name, he looked up to a sign overhead that announced the Hamburg Fair and said it was a hamburger.

The stories of the first hamburger go on and on, so I thought I would delve further into the hamburger's history.

I found an interesting bit of food history in Theodora Fitzgibbon's book “The Food of the Western World: An Encyclopedia of Food from North American and Europe.” The story involves Genghis Khan, the Mongol who conquered over two-thirds of the known world between 1167 and 1227.

His men would stay in the saddle for long periods of time and had little time to stop and eat. They would take scraps of lamb and form it into flat patties. This they would place between their saddles and horses. When it was time to eat, the meat would be eaten raw, having been tenderized by movement of the saddle and horse.

When Genghis Khan's grandson, Khubilai Khan, invaded Moscow, his soldiers brought this unique way of preparing their meat with them. The Russians adopted it into their cuisine and named it steak tartare. Tartars is what they called the Mongols.

Over the years, chefs refined the dish, adding chopped onions and raw eggs.

In the late 18th century, the largest ports in Europe were in Germany, where sailors brought the Russian tartare back to their port in Hamburg. There the meat gained the name Hamburg steak.

To attract German sailors, food stands along the New York City harbor offered “steak cooked in the Hamburg style.”

However the hamburger was developed, it has become one of America's favorite foods, whether cooked at home or purchased at a fast-food restaurant. According to Internet sources, Americans annually consume about 40 billion burgers, which amounts to each person eating about 150. Now that's a lot of burgers. No wonder chefs are attempting to give them new tastes and names.

For The Yuma Foodie's recipes this week, I would like to share two of my own recipes and one I wish I could claim. My friend Julie Ann Rhodes from www.TheRovingStove.com created the Jewels Jasmine Turkey Burger, which she placed second with in the Food Network's Burger Challenge. My clients beg for this one over and over, as it will leave you wanting for more. I only hope my own from Karla's Kreations have the same effect.

JEWELS JASMINE-TURKEY BURGERS

1-1/4 pounds ground turkey

1/3 cup steamed jasmine rice

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup green onions — sliced thin

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 Thai chili or Serrano chili — seeded and minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Hamburger buns (I like to use whole wheat)

Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber, whole — peeled and thinly sliced rounds

1/2 red onion — thinly sliced

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup sugar

Wasabi Spread

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon wasabi powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger — minced

1 teaspoon lemon peel — finely chopped

Toss cucumbers, onions, rice vinegar, 1/8 cup sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Let it marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Mix ground turkey, jasmine rice, panko, green onions, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, Thai chili and teaspoon of sugar very well. Make into 4 patties.

Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté burgers until cooked through, approximately 4 minutes per side (depending on how thick you make them).

While burgers are cooking, toast buns and mix mayonnaise with wasabi powder, ginger and lemon peel in a small bowl. Drain cucumber salad well.

Smear 1 tablespoon wasabi mayonnaise on toasted buns, spread a layer of drained cucumber salad, then top with burger.

KARLA’S VEGEBURGER

Note: This is my basic recipe. Use it and get creative. Make the recipe your own. Many times I have used whatever vegetable I have in the fridge that needs to be used up. I have added white beans and brown rice. You can also use an egg substitute if you don't use eggs.

1/2 small onion diced small

1 large clove garlic

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated carrot

1-1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup cooked lentils

1 teaspoon thyme

1 egg (slightly beaten)

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauté onion, garlic, zucchini and carrot till soft and any liquid is gone. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, add cooked vegetables and mix together. Let set for 10-15 minutes in fridge. Form into 4 burgers. Cook on medium heat approximately 5 minutes each side.

Toast a whole-wheat bun and place burger and drained slightly creamy slaw. Top and enjoy.

Creamy Slaw Topping

1 cup of Napa cabbage shredded thin

1/2 cup purple cabbage shredded thin

1/4 cup red onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (chopped)

Mix all the ingredients together.

KALE CHIPS

This is a great substitute for potato chips and so much better for you.

1 bunch of curly kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt or a seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a knife or kitchen shears, remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner or paper towel.

Place kale in bowl and pour in oil and sprinkle with salt or seasoning. Mix gently to make sure that the oil and salt are on all the leaves.

Lay our on bake sheet in a single layer and bake until crisp. Watch closely, as they will turn brown quickly. About 8-10 minutes.

Karla Billdt works as a personal chef in Yuma and owns Karla's Kreations.