Okay, yes, this post is six months late, but Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop Prompt (Watcha’ cookin? Share a recipe.) inspired me to finally finish the blog post that I began this summer.

The last time I ate at Umami Burger in Santa Monica, California was in July 2010, so while preparing to write this post I went to the restaurant’s website to link up the Jurkey Burger, the best restaurant turkey burger that I ever ate.  It wasn’t on the menu, so I called the restaurant and found out that–noooooo!–they replaced the Jurkey Burger with the Greenbird.  Described as “shelton farms turkey, crushed avocado, green cheese, butter lettuce, spouts, green goddess,” the Greenbird sounds good, I guess, but not as good as jerk-spiced turkey topped with a plantain.   I took this photo of the Jurkey Burger back in July; doesn’t it look simply divine?  (Hang tight.  I’m getting to the “cookin’” and “sharing a recipe” part.)

Sadly, I will never taste that again.   BUT!–the recipe below for Jerk Turkey Burgers With Mango Slow is just as good as Umami’s Jurkey Burger.  Spicy from the jerk seasoning and juicy from the apples, this turkey burger is delicious; my family gobbles it up and asks for more.  I use whole wheat buns and low-fat mayonnaise to make it healthier and grill the patties on my panini maker.   Using a pre-packaged mix of shredded cabbage and carrots make this easy recipe even easier.

I serve some Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Julienne Fries on the side and you can’t tell me that aren’t in some hip Los Angeles eatery.  Except we aren’t.  Did I mention that we sat next to Tom Hanks at Umami Burger?

Jerk Turkey Burgers With Mango Slaw

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com

(yields 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey (*organic of course!)
• 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 small green apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup panko
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more for brushing
• 1/4 cup mango chutney, roughly chopped
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Canola oil, for the grill
• 4 hamburger buns or challah rolls, split

Directions:

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Mix the turkey, jerk seasoning, apple, 1/4 cup scallions and the panko in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Form into four 1-inch-thick patties and make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb to prevent it from puffing up on the grill. Refrigerate.

Whisk the mayonnaise and chutney in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Brush the grill with canola oil. Grill the turkey patties until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; toast on the grill, about 30 seconds. Serve the burgers and slaw on the buns.

Per serving: Calories 504; Fat 20 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 51 mg; Sodium 894 mg; Carbohydrate 51 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 36 g

photo credit: foodnetwork.com, Antonis Achilleos

See Umami Burger; I don’t need your Jurkey Burger!  I can make my own delicious turkey burger at home!  See; I’m just fine.  See….

*Please Umani Burger, please bring back the Jurkey Burger.  Please.  Pretty Please.  For me?

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

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Other Cooking Groovy posts that you may like:

Whole-What Spaghetti With Lemon, Basil And Salmon

Lemony Shrimp With White Beans and Couscous

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I love to eat.  In the spirit of the Food Network show by the same name, we’re going to share the best thing we ever ate and hope that you will tell us your favorites too.

As far as frozen treats go, I am not a fan of sorbet; I prefer ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt.  I like creamy rather than icy.

But a few years ago I had a scoop of Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet at Bennett’s Ice Cream, a family run business that’s been at the LA Farmer’s Market since forever, that made me change my mind about sorbet. It was refreshing, it was light and it taste just like wine.  Hello!

It was the best sorbet I ever ate.

Bennett’s Ice Cream at LA’s Farmer’s Market: old school for real.

The ice cream is made right there on the premises and it’s expensive–almost $4 for a tiny scoop.  But oh so worth it.   Now whenever I come to LA I make sure to go to the Farmer’s Market for my scoop o’ wine. And just like a good glass of wine, I “sip” it slowly…savoring every. Last. Drop.

Or down it quickly and ask for another.  And why not?  Normally I can only drink one glass of wine, but the sorbet has all the goodness without the ill effects.  Too much Cabernet sorbet?–No problem!  The scale may be a bit heavier, but at least I can still drive home.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

It’s been almost a year since we first published our review of The Best Cupcakes in Atlanta and declared CamiCakes as the overall winner.  Since then we have become frequent visitors; we buy CamiCakes for special events and also just because.   Anytime is a good time for a cupcake, no special occasion needed!

During our last visit, we caught owner Andra Hall on a rare break from crafting cupcakes.  She was happy to sit down and give us an update about her first year in Atlanta.

That’s it; I need a cupcake!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I don’t really eat red meat anymore.  Partly because my body doesn’t like it and partly because I’ve become skeeved out about meat in general.   And I definitely won’t eat a fast food burger; we’re going to LA soon and while the family can’t wait for In-N-Out Burger, I guess that I have to settle for fries and a milkshake.

But this not eating meat thing, it’s not a hard rule.  Sometimes—rarely, but it happens—I want a burger.  Not a turkey burger or black bean burger, but a BEEF burger.   When that happens I make my own at home, with grass-fed, hormone-free beef.   It lessens the skeevy factor, knowing that the cows were treated humanely and fed properly.

Until recently ordering a burger in a restaurant wasn’t even an option, but a new trend in Atlanta restaurants is serving what I call “clean meat.”  Organic, grass-fed and sustainability are the new buzz words and I’m digging it.

In this vein, a new burger restaurant in Atlanta just opened, Farm Burger.  I tried it and if I am going to indulge in beef, it’s going to be there.  The meat was juicy, flavorful and tasted “clean.”  No skeeviness.

I got one of the chalkboard specials, with goat cheese and peach chutney.  Fancy.  And delicious too.

Beef this good doesn’t come cheap.  Burgers, fries and drinks for my family of 4 cost about $50.  This is no fast food.  But it’s good food and I’ll take healthiness over cheapness any day.

I’ll let my son tell you all about it.   He’s featured monthly in the Atlanta INtown News What’s Good section; this month he wrote about Farm Burger.  He’s the burger guy (remember this cover?), so he’s the one to give you the goods.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I love to eat.  In the spirit of the Food Network show by the same name, we’re going to share the best thing we ever ate and hope that you will tell us your favorites too.

This is my last post about my latest Disney Media Trip.   I’ve written about Summer Nightastic, posted a video of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade, interviewed the Green Army Men from Toy Story 3 and showed you how I dressed for both work and play at Disney World.   As you can see from my blog posts, my weekend was pretty amazing; Disney always makes sure that the media trips are full of magical touches.  And we eat good on media trips with catered dinners and dessert buffets.  It’s delicious, beautifully presented and there’s an open bar.  We always love these dinners.

But still my family cannot leave Disney World without having the best Disney treat we ever ate: Dole Whip.   There’s a debate among Dole Whip fans (there are legions of them out there!) if the treat is best in it’s purest form–just the ice cream–or as a float with pineapple juice.  My family votes for the float.  I’m telling you, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a Dole Whip!  Somehow we always seem to get ours right before the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party; we sit on the benches leading out of Adventureland and watch the people move it and shake it.  Or watch the ducks(sometimes a better option).

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

*Dole Whip fans, what’s your vote: ice cream only or float?

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.