Turkey Burgers With Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) eggplant

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided                               

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 pound turkey tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces ( If you don't have a meat grinder, get store-ground turkey)                            

1 teaspoon less-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon Marmite

4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted                               

4 Bibb lettuce leaves

8 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices                               

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray; wrap eggplant in foil. Place eggplant on a jelly-roll pan; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until very tender, turning once. Remove from foil; cool slightly. Cut eggplant in half. Carefully scoop out pulp to measure 1 1/4 cups; discard skin. Place pulp in a food processor; process until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup pureed pulp. Combine remaining pulp, 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 teaspoons oil, juice, and garlic. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
3. To prepare grinder, place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die plate in freezer 30 minutes or until well chilled. Assemble the grinder just before grinding.
4. Arrange turkey pieces in a single layer on jelly-roll pan, leaving space between each piece. Freeze 15 minutes or until meat is firm but not frozen. Combine meat and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large bowl; toss to combine. Pass meat through meat grinder completely. Immediately pass meat through grinder a second time. Combine reserved 1/4 cup eggplant puree, turkey, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, soy sauce, and Marmite in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.


5. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
6. Lightly coat patties with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place patties on grill rack, and grill 4 minutes until well marked. Carefully turn patties over, and grill 3 minutes or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 tablespoon eggplant mixture, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and top half of bun.

 We love turkey burgers in our family. They have a great smokey taste and they are a healthy break from too many beef burgers. Enjoy