Turkey Burgers with Spinach and National Introvert Day

I'm feeling really laconic this afternoon.

Introverts get this way every now and then.

There are so many "National Day of __________" days.  It's borderline ridiculous.   For example, May 3rd is National Lumpy Rug Day. 

What in the what?

Therefore, I've decided that I'm going to call for the creation of a day to recognize some really important (yet shy and quiet) people: I hereby make a motion to add National Introvert Day to the American calender.  

Dianne Cameron wrote a piece a few years ago declaring January 2nd to be hailed as such a day.  She states: "Ahh, Jan. 2. The day that introverts get to breathe a sigh of relief. We can come out of hiding; it's safe to answer the phone, and to stop pretending we're under the weather. Hip Hip Hooray! The holidays are over."

She goes on to say, "...We [introverts] are the ones in the center of the room assessing others' interactions, and slowly backing toward the door. Introverts crave meaning, so party chitchat feels like sandpaper to our psyche."

"Introverted adults are hounded to "be more outgoing" and tortured with invitations that begin, "Why don't we all..." No thanks, we don't want to do anything that involves "we" and "all"; we prefer to visit you, just you, and not a dozen other people."

Oh Amen and Amen!!!

(Validation feels so good.)

I wonder if most introverts like to cook.  Unless it's a date with my husband or a quiet dinner with a friend at a small (quiet) restaurant, I don't really like to go out to eat.  Which would really be hard to manage if I also hated to cook. 

But seeing as how I love to cook and I love to be home and I love to write from the safety of these four walls, life is good.

And so are these turkey burgers. 

Have you ever made your own skillet turkey burgers?

This one was particularly delicious, if I may say so myself.  Which of course I can.  It's my dang blog.  :)

Here's how I did it...

First I mixed together all of this...

Then I sectioned the mixture into four (almost equal) parts to make the patties.

Sauteed them in olive oil for about 6-7 minutes per side...

Topped with some delicious Queso Fresco (a lovely Mexican cheese), and nestled it in a split Kaiser roll. 

Really filling, but easy(ier) on the ole "spare tire" than a real burger. 

Mmmmmm...  Now I'm going to go off by myself and enjoy it.

(Here's the printable...)

Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Shallots
Makes 4 large burgers

1 10-ounce box chopped spinach, thawed
1 pound ground lean turkey (or ground chicken breast)
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
10 basil leaves, shredded or chopped
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
20 mushrooms (I used Baby Bella), chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)
4 slices of your favorite cheese (Swiss, Queso Fresco, Gruyere, all work well here)
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
4 red or green lettuce leaves
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Desired condiments (mustard, mayo, ketchup, etc.) 

Begin by preparing the sauteed mushroom mixture.  In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the garlic cloves for about 30 seconds, and then add the mushrooms.  Stir occasionally and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated from the pan (about 2-3 minutes).

You'll want to squeeze the water out of the thawed spinach.  To do this, you can use a clean kitchen towel or good-quality paper towels (the really cheap ones will come apart).  Wrap the tea towel (or about 3-4 stacked paper towels) around the spinach and twist to squeeze out the excess liquid.  (You can also press the spinach up against the holes of a colander with a spatula to release the extra water.) 

In a mixing bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, spinach, ground turkey, shallot, mustard, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper. Use your mixing spoon to section the mixture into four equal parts.  Form each part into an inch-thick patty. 

Preheat a large skillet (you may want to use non-stick) over medium-high heat.   Swirl one tablespoon of the olive oil around the pan to coat it well.  Drizzle the remaining tablespoon over the burger patties.  Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side (resist the urge to flip unless you think they're burning), until the turkey is cooked through.  Turn the heat off under the pan.

Place the cheese on the burgers and place the lid (or foil) over the pan to trap the heat in order to melt the cheese.  It should be nice and melt-y in about 2 minutes.  

Assemble burgers on the buns with mustard and mayo (or whatever you like), and top each with a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice.  

Adapted from  Rachel Ray 365:  No Repeats (A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners)