BBQ Greatest Hits Vol 1

Outside my apartment cars are double parked, 6am yoga was more crowded than usual and manicure places are bustling with pre-weekend primping. Who doesn’t love a long weekend? Well, actually I don’t love parts of them. There's pressure to beat the traffic, when we end up sitting in traffic anyway, there are expectations…it’s sort of like a mini New Years Eve but at least it’s an extra day off, right? So many of you will be barbecuing on this inaugural summer weekend, I thought I’d share 2 of my BBQ greatest hits. Undoubtedly there will be more as the summer wears on….but here’s a little taste.

Pesto turkey burgers
Combine 1 1b organic ground turkey, 2 tbsp pesto, 1/8 shredded parmesan, 1 clove finely minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Grill 10-13 min turning once. Serve over arugula or on an Ezekiel English Muffin.

Tip Top Tuna Burgers
These burgers are a Sally Schneider (The New Way to Cook is a worthwhile purchase) recipe and worth the extra chopping and effort.

3-inch piece of ginger peeled cut in 3 pieces, 1 ½ pounds tuna steak, 3 Tbs minced scallions, 1Tbs finely chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp minced garlic, 1 ½ tsp minced jalapeno, Pinch sugar, ¼ tsp kosher salt, Fresh pepper, 1 ½ tsp low sodium soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 Tbs sesame seeds (can omit)

Finely chop the tuna. Press ginger in a garlic press or finely grate. Add 1 tsp ginger, scallions, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, sugar, salt, pepper to taste, soy sauce and 1 tsp of sesame oil to tuna. With wet hands shape into 4 equal patties, place on cookie sheet and freeze 10 min to firm up. Brush patties with remaining 1 tsp sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds on both sides. Can pan fry in very hot pan 2 min each side (brown outside, pink inside) or grill 1 ½ to 2 min per side.

Enjoy the weekend and if you make either of these burgers, report back!
Are you a fan of 3-day weekends? Will you be barbecuing this weekend? What’s on your menu?