Turkey Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Things were getting out of hand. The fridge was no longer filled with various flavors of yogurt (soy and otherwise), and fresh mesclun and arugula for salads, but blocks of butter (salted, demi-sel, and doux); and cheese, including various kinds of goat, parmesan, cheddar, and Roquefort, plus a few others that Xavier brought from the cheese shop that I couldn’t begin to pronounce. There were two different jars of caramel, chocolate bars from Normandy and Switzerland, and the latest addition – a squeeze bottle of Hershey’s syrup that Xavier happily brought home from Carrefour. I won’t even begin to list the different flavors of jam.

We were in a downward spiral, caught in a sugary-cheesy-buttery abyss, with no end in sight.

Not that I have a problem with any of these things, but this had become our routine. Plus, my jeans were starting to get tight.

So, in an effort to slow the rapid expansion of my upper thighs, the other night I decided to make turkey burgers, and instead of chipotle mayo, which I’d made in the past, I’d substitute yogurt. We had some lovely grainy, seedy bread that we’d bought in Honfleur, so I thought that we’d use that, too, and pile on some arugula for some green.

I found sweet potatoes at the grocery store, so I picked up three of them (Yikes –4 euros – can you believe?), to make fries.

We don’t have ground turkey here in Paris, so I just buy the breasts and grind them in the Cuisinart, which takes no time at all.

Turkey Burgers

2 pounds ground turkey
1 small red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
2-3 slices stale bread, cubed
1 cup Gruyere, shredded
½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Soak bread cubes in water for about 5 minutes, then pour out the water and squeeze out remaining moisture.

Put bread, along with turkey, chopped onions, cheese, and spiced in a bowl, and with your hands, squish it all together until well mixed.

Form burger patties, and put those suckers on the grill (put the ones that you don’t cook between wax paper, shove into a Ziploc, and stick in the freezer).

Serve on toasted grainy bread, along with arugula, sliced tomatoes, avocado and *chipotle-yogurt sauce.

Chipotle-Yogurt Sauce

1-2 chipotles
1 cup plain or Greek yogurt

Put chipotles in food processor and pulse until well chopped.

Add yogurt, pulse until well combined.

Refrigerate until ready. Yogurt will firm up a bit.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Peel sweet potatoes, and slice into thick home-style fries, about 1/2-inch wide.

Put the potatoes in a bowl, and add spices and olive oil, and toss until well coated.

Make a single layer of potatoes on a large cookie sheet.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, making sure to flip them over about halfway through, so they cook evenly and crisp on both sides.