Mediterranean Turkey Zucchini Burgers

On Friday, I ate lunch with a new friend at a Mediterranean restaurant. While we talked and learned about each others' lives, I gobbled down a delicious falafel wrap and more hummus than I feel comfortable admitting.


Then on Saturday, I ate an amazing falafel and portobello mushroom burger at a great whiskey and burger restaurant in Pittsburgh - yum (I had the burger "lettuce wrapped" to make it a little healthier/so I could eat more french fries instead).


The point of telling you this is to tell you that I ate a lot of falafel. So last night, while still craving more Mediterranean food, I decided to do a spin of a falafel wrap, using little turkey burgers in place of falafel patties (adapted from this recipe).


These turkey burgers are great - they stay so moist because of the zucchini (which you can't even taste, for those non-zucchini lovers out there). And the turkey zucchini burgers + homemade tahini sauce + a tomato and cucumber Mediterranean salsa = a delicious, colorful, Mediterranean-esque meal! Oh yeah, and it's only 350 calories per serving!

Mediterranean Turkey Zucchini Burgers

Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 40 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes (plus resting time)

Ingredients:

• 4 whole grain pita pockets

Turkey Zucchini Burgers:

• 1 pound lean ground turkey

• 1 cup (packed) grated zucchini, squeezed dry

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

Tahini Sauce:

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 Tbsp. tahini

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2-3 Tbsp. water

Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa

• 2 plum tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup diced cucumber

• 1/4 cup diced red onion

• 2 Tbsp. cilantro

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Turkey Zucchini Burgers:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients to make turkey zucchini burgers. Mix and form into 8 patties. Press patties to be about 1/2-inch thick and place on a plate or baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. When ready to cook, heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Grill patties for about 5 minutes on each side. Cook until patties are golden brown and no pink remains inside.

Tahini Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and garlic clove until smooth. Add 2-3 Tbsp. of water to reach the consistency of a dressing.
2. Cover and refrigerate.

Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients to make Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover and refrigerate.

Assembly:

1. Slice a small potion off the top of each pita pocket. Add 2 Turkey Zucchini Burgers, 1/4 of the Tahini Sauce and 1/4 of the Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa.

Nutritional information per serving (2 Turkey Zucchini Burgers, 1/4 Tahini Sauce, 1/4 Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa):
Calories: 350
Total fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 36 grams
Weight Watchers points: 8



Enjoy and thanks for reading!