California Style Turkey Burgers on Savory Sourdough Waffles

I was debating over what to do for dinner tonight. A turkey burger sounded delicious but I wanted something different...My son had asked for a batch of savory waffles for the freezer for sandwiches next week so since I had the waffle maker out I decided I needed to have create a waffle burger. I also wanted something with avocado so I was looking around recipes for California Burgers. One of the recipes called for Sourdough buns so I figured why not try to make my waffles kind of Sourdough?.....Deliciousness was born!!



Get the starter going in the am, it can sit all day.  If you want to make the guacamole(at the bottom of the page) you can get that done early too, lots of time for flavors to mingle!

Gluten Free Sourdough "Starter":
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup sorghum flour*
1/4 cup potato starch*
3 TB tapioca starch*
2 tsps yeast
2 tsps sugar
* you can sub 1 cup regular wheat flour in place of these 3 if you don't need/want gluten free

Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl and allow to sit in a warm location for at LEAST 4 hours....the longer it sits, the more sour it will taste.









Remaining Waffle Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup dry polenta (or coarse ground cornmeal)
1/4 cup butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xantahan gum(omit if using wheat flour)
(you can fiddle with seasonings as you see fit, just add your favorite herbs/spices)

Optional Waffle additions:
1/2 small red bell pepper, roasted and peeled then diced well
1 TB  parsley
3/4 cup jack cheese, shredded

When your starter is ready combine water and polenta in a sauce pan and heat until thickened and bubbly and not soupy at all.









Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool down, it doesn't have to be completely cold, just enough to not cook the egg.







Add the polenta mixture to the starter and mix well.











Add in egg, stir.... Then gently fold the baking powder and seasonings (and optional additions.)










Cook waffles according to your waffle maker instructions.









(I actually cook mine a little longer than recommended to make them extra crispy)



Burger Ingredients:
1lb ground turkey (breast is wonderful but you can use any ground turkey you like)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
1 TB fresh cilantro, chopped fine
juice of 1/2 a small lime
1 TB water(optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
Slices of avocado or some fresh guacamole*
Slices of tomato
Fresh Greens
Any condiments you desire!

Gently combine the burger ingredients, add water carefully, it really depends on the fat content of the meat, you want it to stick well, but not be mushy, be careful not to overwork the meat.










Divide evenly into patties and make a nice indentation in the center (to prevent bubbling)

Place on a broiler pan that has been brushed with olive oil and broil 5-6 minutes per side until a minimum of 165 degrees has been reached.

Top each patty with a slice of Monterrey Jack Cheese (Pepper Jack is great too!) and broil a few moments more to melt the cheese.





Place each patty on 1 waffle, dress and top as desired and pop on another waffle!








* I did a  Simple Chunky  Guac.
1  avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
5 rings of pickled jalapeno, minced
1 TB chopped  fresh cilantro
1 small clove garlic, minced fine
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all and mash together gently, leaving generous chunks.












Place the avocado pit back in the center of the guac, cover and refrigerate at least an hour to allow flavors to mingle.

Garlicky Ham and Asparagus Pizza

I had some fresh asparagus and I wanted something a little different so I decided to stick it on a pizza!!






1 par-baked pizza crust(I made my sourdough bread recipe,all white flour, and made 2 crusts, baked for 10 minutes)


2 TB melted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups diced ham
5-6 stalks asparagus
sweet onion
provolone cheese
mozzarella cheese
red pepper flakes

Mix melted butter and garlic together

On par-baked crust spread the garlic butter around covering it well.

Slice asparagus into bite sized pieces and place in a pan with 3 TB water. Heat over medium high heat until the asparagus is bright green(2-3 minutes) Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Top pizza with ham, asparagus and onion as desired....add cheese as desired....I ended up with mostly provolone because I only had sliced, then topped it with a little more mozzarella. You can do any ratio of the 2 you like. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.






Bake in 350 degree oven 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Double Cheese Ham and Peas Pizza

My boys love my homemade macaroni and cheese with ham and peas in it. I decided to tweak it a bit and make it an extra cheesy pizza!



1 par-baked pizza crust (I used my sourdough bread recipe, with all white flour and made 2 crusts, baked for 10 minutes)

Sauce:
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 cup milk
3 oz shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
1-2 cups diced ham
1/2-3/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
5 oz shredded mozzarella

Sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in flour and mustard powder and cook until bubbly. Slowly whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar until melted. Season to taste and set aside to cool.

Spread cooled sauce over the crust, you might not need the entire amount, if you dont use it all on the bottom, you could drizzle the rest on the top if you like..Top with ham, peas and mozzarella cheese.








Bake in 350 degree oven 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and browned slightly.

Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Ranch Chicken Pot Pie with Sorghum Biscuit Topping

Sorry it has been so long since I put on a new recipe. I have been in a bit of a food rut lately. Hopefully this will help snap me out of it!! This is great as written....or spice it up with by adding some Red Hot Sauce and making it a Buffalo Ranch Pie!! If you don't need/want gluten free, feel free to sub your favorite biscuit recipe or even pop a can if you like!



1 recipe Dry Ranch Dip (or 1 commercial packet)

1 lb chicken breast

2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 /2 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 small potato, cooked and diced


Sauce:

2 cups skim milk 

3/4 cup ranch dressing* 

salt and pepper to taste 

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 

3 TB cornstarch (actually potato starch holds the thickness a little better, but either work)

*add 2 TB ranch mix to 3/4 cup sour cream and mix well, or use commercial ranch dressing.
If you want "Buffalo" Ranch Sauce, add 2-4 TB Frank's Red Hot Sauce(or whatever Hot Sauce you prefer) to 

taste!!!

Biscuit Topping:

1 1/3 cups sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup potato starch

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup unsalted COLD butter, cut into chunks,  plus 2 TB for brushing

1/2 cup milk (may need a touch more so keep it handy)

Chicken:

Sprinkle chicken with 2-3 TB of the ranch seasoning and bake at 350 until cooked through, cool and shred.

Veggies:

In a large pan with a bit of oil over medium high heat, sauté carrots, bell peppers and onion until softened. Don't over do it though, you don't want them to turn to mush in the casserole.

Add to cooked chicken along with potatoes and peas and mix well.

Sauce:

Mix 1/4 cup of the cold milk with the cornstarch and set aside. In a pan heat the remaining milk and ranch dressing over medium heat. Add in the cornstarch mixture and season to taste. Stir and cook.





When it is thickened , remove from heat add in the Parmesan cheese and stir until fully melted. 

Mix sauce into chicken and veggies and pour into a greased casserole dish.

Biscuits:

Sift together dry ingredients. With a pastry knife or in a food processor cut in 1/3 cup cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea gravel. SLOWLY add the milk until it just holds into a ball....you MAY need more than the 1/2 cup or you might not use it all so go really slowly.

With sorghum floured hands gather up the ball and knead gently.




Roll out to about 1/4 inch or so and cut with biscuit cutters, re-rolling as necessary.

Cut each biscuit into quarters.

Arrange the biscuits on top of the chicken and sauce mixture.

Brush with remaining 2 TB of butter(melted) and sprinkle on the rest of the dry ranch evenly.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle on 1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.











Return to oven and bake 10-15 minutes until biscuits are golden brown and cooked through.

 Serve Hot!