Chimichurri Turkey Burgers

My bad! What I thought was ground chuck turned out to be ground turkey and I didn't realize it until I started to make dinner. Bob's favorite treat after weeks away from home is a hamburger and I dropped the ball. A better wife than I might have run to the store to correct the mistake but I decided to make the best of it and took another tact. As a bride, I was known to create days of fast and abstinence when I forgot to take meat from the freezer. Bob, who was not particularly well-versed with the liturgical calendar, always considered my declarations as fiat. These days I use recipe contests as an excuse to cover my tracks. Then, as now, things turned out fairly well. I'm not big on gourmet burgers; they've always seemed to me to be a contradiction in terms. A hamburger was/is something I throw on the grill when I've lost yet another battle with the clock - they're quick and flavorful and very easy to do. Turkey burgers are another story - they need all the help they can get. A quick look in the vegetable bin and freezer produced the "Eureka" moment that led to the creation of this turkey burger. It requires a bit more chopping than I care to do but the burger is flavorful and not at all dry. I actually kind of like it. Here's what I did.

Chimichurri Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon + 1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic, divided use
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno, divided use
2-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided use
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup packed Italian parsley leaves
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup lime juice
Five 6-inch pita pockets
Red onion slices
Lettuce leaves

Directions:
1) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon jalapeno and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until softened. Transfer to a mixing bowl. When cool, add turkey, ricotta cheese, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, oregano and cilantro; mix gently until just combined. Shape into 5 patties. Set aside.
2) Combine, parsley, mint, reserved 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, 2 tablespoons reserved garlic, 1 teaspoon reserved jalapeno, 1 teaspoon reserved cumin and 1 teaspoon reserved salt in jar of a food processor. Process until a thick sauce is formed. Add additional salt to taste.
3) Spray a large skillet with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Heat pan. Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper. Cook one side of burgers burgers over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 3 minutes longer. Serve each burger in a warm pita with sliced onions, lettuce and some chimichurri sauce. Yield: 5 servings.