When you want something healthier, why not use ground turkey to make a delicious burger? Turkey has less fat than most ground beef, so this recipe adds seasoned breadcrumbs and an egg to moisten it. If you only have plain breadcrumbs, add 1/2 teaspoon of Italian dry herbs to the mixture. Additional flavor comes from mayonnaise and wasabi. In Italian, mayonnaise is called aioli, a term commonly found on restaurant menus. You make your own sauce by mixing mayo with wasabi from a tube.

If you aren’t grilling outside, a skillet with oil will sear a delicious turkey burger that you can make into a “deluxe” by adding tomato, onion and lettuce. Happy summer!

Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Aioli

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey, substitute ground chicken

• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, substitute any breadcrumbs

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable or canola

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi (from tube, not powder)

• 4 hamburger buns

• 4 onion slices

• 4 tomato slices

• 4 lettuce leaves Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties. Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, place patties in skillet and cook until the first side is browned, about 4 minutes. Turn burger and cook other side until your desired rareness, about 4 minutes for medium. While the burgers are cooking, warm the buns in a separate skillet or toast in oven. Mix mayonnaise with wasabi.

To assemble burger, place bottom bun on a plate and spread about a tablespoon of the wasabi aioli, then add 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, 1 lettuce leaf, and then add top bun.

Makes 4 burgers.

Lynette Lo Tom is the author of cookbooks A Chinese Kitchen and Back in the Day. She wants to hear about your cooking shortcuts. Reach her at lynette@brightlightcookery.com or @brightlightcookery on Instagram.