Classic Hummus Dip

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas, two 12-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• Extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup or more, plus extra for garnish
• ½ of a juiced lemon
• Coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves, two tablespoons, plus extra for garnish
• Peeled garlic, two cloves
• Salt, 1 ½ teaspoons
• Dark Asian sesame oil, ½ teaspoon
• Ground cumin, ½ to 1 teaspoon
• 12 to 15 black pepper grinds
• Water, ¼ cup
• Paprika for garnish

Preparation/Cook time: Preparation 10 minutes, Total 10 minutes

Yield: Approximately 2 cups

Preparation:

• Add all the ingredients to a blender except the parsley and paprika for garnishing later. On low speed, blend until smooth. You will have to pause the blending process to push the ingredients down. If blending is difficult because the mixture is too dry, you may add a few more tablespoons of olive oil into the blender.
• Spoon the hummus out of the blender and onto a plate. Sprinkle a dash of paprika over the top, then serve. You can prepare hummus a couple of hours in advance before serving it. Then, leave it at room temperature and cover it with plastic wrap.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• One clove of garlic
• Kosher salt
• Balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons, plus an extra teaspoon
• Worcestershire sauce, two teaspoons
• Hot sauce, two teaspoons
• Lean ground turkey meat, 14 ounces
• Lean ground sirloin, 6 ounces
• Olive oil, two tablespoons
• One thinly sliced large onion
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 4 toasted whole wheat buns or pita bread

Garnishes

• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Ketchup
• Mustard

Preparation/Cook time: Preparation 10 minutes, Inactive 6 minutes, Cook 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
• Using a large knife, smash the garlic cloves and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Mash the garlic into a coarse paste, then incorporate the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and hot sauce with the garlic in a small bowl and whisk together.
• In a large mixing bowl, crumble the ground turkey and beef, then pour and mix the garlic mixture into the meat to form four 5-ounce burgers. Cover and set aside.
• Over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring periodically, until browned for approximately 15 minutes. Add the remaining teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste, to season the onions.
• On medium-high heat, heat a large nonstick skillet for one minute. Use a brush to coat one side of the burgers with olive oil, then sprinkle salt and pepper on the burgers to taste. For about two minutes, cook the seasoned side until browned. Next, brush and season the other side of the burgers, then flip and cook until the other side is browned for another two minutes.

Transfer the burgers to a baking dish to continue cooking in the oven. Bake for roughly five minutes until a thermometer inserted sideways into the burger reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer each burger to buns or pita bread, and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Top the burgers with caramelized onions, garnishes of your choice, then serve.