Grilled Greek Turkey Platter Recipes

THE GREATEST GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

GRILLED GREEK TURKEY BURGERS WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• (If using store-bought tzatziki - skip to step 3) Place grated cucumber in a sieve placed over a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes then squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can.
• Mix together the strained cucumber, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside for assembly.
• In a medium bowl combine ground turkey, Kalamata olives, garlic, minced red onion, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions and roll into balls. Use your hands or the bottom of a plate to flatten to about a half-inch. Place on a plate and chill in the fridge until grilling.
• Preheat your barbecue on high heat. Remove the burgers from the fridge and season each with a pinch of salt. Oil your barbecue grates and grill the burgers for 5 minutes per side, until cooked through, then set aside to rest for three minutes.
• If you're toasting your buns then arrange them on the bbq for one minute while the turkey burgers are resting.
• To assemble, load the bottom bun with tzatziki and place a turkey burger on top. Lay a slice of tomato, red onion, a few cucumber slices, and couple thick slices of feta cheese. Dollop with a little more tzatziki and enjoy.

CRUDITE PLATTER

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a large bowl with ice water and salt generously. Drop the beans into the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Scoop them out of the water and immediately plunge the beans into the ice water, to stop their cooking and set the color. Cool, remove them from the ice bath, and pat dry. Repeat with the broccoli and asparagus. (The asparagus may take a minute less, depending on their size.)
• Attractively arrange all the vegetables on a large serving platter and serve with the dip of your choice.
• Drain the yogurt in a coffee filter or cheese cloth-lined sieve, set over a bowl, until thickened to about 1 cup, about 2 hours.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the curry and cook, stirring, until fragrant about 30 seconds more. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, combine the drained yogurt, curry mixture, mayonnaise, chutney, scallion, hot sauce, lime juice, and coriander. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Yield: about 2 cups
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a roasting pan, rub the 2 onions in their skins with the 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until squishy soft, turning them once, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Peel the onions and set aside.
• Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining onion. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 cup oil and heat until hot. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally until they just begin to lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 18 minutes more. Strain the onions through a sieve over a bowl. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate and spread them into a single layer. Reserve 1/4 cup of the onion oil and let it cool completely. (Reserve the remaining oil for dressings or marinades.)
• Puree the roasted onions in a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and salt, and pulse until smooth. While the motor is running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of reserved onion oil until incorporated. Season with pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Transfer the onion dip to a serving bowl and stir in the scallion. Refrigerate until very thick, about 3 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve top with the fried onions.
• Yield: about 4 cups

GREEK-STYLE TURKEY BURGERS

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
• Form into 4 patties, then grill.
• I have served this on regular burger buns with tomatoes and mayo, and on pita with tahini, tomatoes and lettuce.

GRILLED TURKEY KABOBS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chili sauce, lemon juice, sugar and bay leaves. Pour 1/4 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the turkey. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain and discard marinade. Discard bay leaves from reserved marinade. On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread turkey and vegetables. Brush lightly with oil. , Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 9-12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PLATTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the first 7 ingredients. Place 3 tablespoons marinade in a large bowl. Add vegetables; turn to coat. Cover; marinate 1-1/2 hours at room temperature., Transfer vegetables to a grilling grid; place grid on grill rack. Grill vegetables, covered, over medium heat until crisp-tender, 8-12 minutes, turning occasionally., Place vegetables on a large serving plate. Drizzle with remaining marinade.