inaugural dinner

we just got our stove hooked up in our new place! w00t! anyway, that means a first dinner, and what to make? i decided on mozzarella stuffed turkey burgers with homemade baked french fries. i started with the fries first. i used yukon golds because i love them to death. i decided to boil them slightly before baking them. it was a good move indeed. they drained and dried for at least a half an hour before i tossed them in some olive oil with some dill, oregano, parmesan cheese, sea salt, and pepper.





next i tackled the turkey burgers. i put in a bit of dijon mustard, thyme, and sea salt and mixed it. i divided it into 4 balls and then, one by one, divided the balls in half and formed patties. i only had shredded mozzarella. i made an indent in the middle of the patty and filled it with cheese. i put the two patties together, sealed the seamed, and reshaped them a bit so they would stay together.







so of course if things can go wrong, they do. the oven set off the smoke detector, so no "oven" french fries. i guess i have to clean it more thoroughly! anyway, i baked them off in the toaster oven, caramelized some onions, and toasted some buns. earlier in the day i had roasted a head of garlic and make some roasted garlic mayonnaise and some roasted garlic butter. i used the mayo on the burgers. it was so good!

mozzarella-stuffed turkey burgers
1 lb of ground turkey
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp thyme (i like it a lot, you can use less)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1. mix mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper into the ground turkey.
2. divide into 4 equal balls.
3. take each ball and separate in half.
4. for patties out of each and make an indent in the middle.
5. fill the middle with a pinch or two of cheese.
6. sandwich the patties together and pinch the seams closed.
7. in a pan on medium-high cook the patties for about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
8. eat and enjoy!

seasoned oven baked french fries
4 to 5 yukon gold potatoes
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill
1 tsp oregano
olive oil

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. peel 4 to 5 potatoes.
3. slice the potatoes in half, then slice the halves lengthwise 4 or 5 times depending on the size of the potato. sometimes i had to further slice the potato to get nice, even fries.
4. boil them until they are about halfway cooked through.
5. transfer them to a colander or strainer and run under cold water for awhile. you don't want them cooking more.
6. let them drain awhile, using paper towels if necessary.
7. once dry, coat them in olive oil
8. add almost all of the spices and cheese and toss until evenly coated.
9. line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (saves on cleanup) and coat with non-stick cooking spray. i didn't have any, so i used a bit more olive oil.
10. lay french fries down and place in oven for 30 minutes.
11. halfway through flip fries and use the rest of the cheese and spices to top fries.
12. bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
13. eat and enjoy!