Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Roasted Tomato Tahini Sauce

My favorite Pandora station is going berserk.
“Hip like a donkey” (that’s how I’ve named it) is no longer what it used to be. Sad.
I’ve been nurturing this indie-folk station for years. I have upvoted and downvoted songs. Added variety — Pixies, Fleet Foxes, Deer Tick, Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Lumineers; they’re are all there.
I really put some effort and took care of it like it was my dog or baby.
But over the last month or so, “Hip like a donkey” has been slowly becoming more and more rigid.
It doesn’t play any new song and I keep hearing the same tracks over and over.
The worst part is that they’re not even from current indie/folk artists.
It plays The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals. Great bands (arguably some of the greatest bands of all time) but where’s my Mumford&Sons or my Deer Tick? Arghhh!


I smacked “Hip like a donkey” with a rolled-up newspaper, and said a firm "NO! Bad boy!”
It didn’t work.
Apparently, there’s no playlist-shaming.
What know?
Maybe I can abandon it in a reusable grocery bag on a car hood in a church parking lot. Or leave it tied to a pole on a street.
Kind of extreme measures I know, but I’m so disappointed. I thought we had something beautiful going on, I feel betrayed.
I switched to Spotify last week, but it’s not the same.
Pandora plays, in general, better and more relevant music than Spotify (at least for me). With Pandora I discover new music in the genre by itself based on my thumbs ups/downs.
Spotify’s has also a radio feature, it's not great though. The songs they string together seem disjointed and unconnected.
All is well with Pandora, unless it go berserk. Like it happened with “Hip like a donkey”.
Bummer.

So yesterday I ditched the on-line radios and played a CD from my collection — something that I hadn't done in years.
And you know what guys? It’s actually pretty cool.
Insert the CD, press play, and bon voyage! I should do this more often.
As I was listening to R.E.M.’s “New Adventures in Hi-Fi" (oh, teenage years) I made these bad boys.
Now I know that apples, cheese and turkey sound so pedestrian; but trust me, you are going to love these burgers.
They’re really simple to throw together and they’re incredibly delicious.
The apple and cheddar cheese really pump up the flavor all the while keeping them super moist and just marvelous.
The roasted tomato tahini sauce is awesome and super tasty. A great alternative to mundane ketchup if you ask me.
As you start making these burgers, I strongly suggest to slip in a favorite CD to set the mood. It’s as important as the recipe itself. Trust.

Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Roasted Tomato Tahini Sauce          Print this recipe! 
Adapted from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients

Serves 4

Apple cheddar turkey burgers

¾ lbs / 340 gr organic ground turkey
1 small red onion, finely chopped
⅓ cup / 2 oz / 60 gr cubed sharp cheddar cheese (or Dubliner)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup shredded and peeled Granny Smith apple (about ¾ of an apple)
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Roasted Tomato Tahini Sauce

12 cherry tomatoes
5 tablespoons tahini (I used Kevala)
1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions

In large bowl combine ground turkey, onion, cheddar, Dijon mustard, shredded apple, salt and pepper. With dampened hands shape into 4 4-inch burgers (you can also make meatballs if you feel like.)
Grill over medium heat, flipping once until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Alternatively, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook burgers until golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes per side.
To make the roasted tomato tahini sauce; thread cherry tomatoes onto metal skewers (or wooden ones soaked in water) and grill, turning frequently, until the skins begin to char and tomatoes are tender but not bursting, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Place in a blender with tahini, vinegar, cayenne pepper and salt and blend until smooth. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if too thick.

Nutrition facts

One burger (without sauce) yields 224 calories, 12 grams of fat, 6 grams of fat and 23 grams of protein.