Recipes: Auntie lisa's turkey burgers & my aunt pulie's salsa.

I'm trying something new. I'm actually going to cook for my family. Not just for Linna like I have been, but for me and my husband too (I've totally been "wife of the year" lately). Living in Singapore has many advantages, and delicious, ethnic, convenient, inexpensive take-out and delivery is one of them. However, I have taken advantage of this luxury for a bit too long, and I actually miss cooking. I think I miss actually knowing what's in my food, more than I miss cooking. I've never been an outstanding cook (my husband will vouch for me on that one), but there are many meals we've enjoyed that were prepared by family member or friends, so I've simply asked some of these people for their recipes. How difficult is it to recreate a recipe, right?! Night #1 was a success when I made Auntie Lisa's Turkey Burgers, and My Aunt "Pulie" Krekelberg's Fresh Salsa. I put my alterations to the recipe in parentheses, as Singapore doesn't have some of these ingredients easily accessible.

Auntie Lisa's Turkey Burgers:

97/3 ground turkey
1 egg
Bread crumbs (1/2 to 3/4 cup - I used Japanese bread crumbs)
2 to 3 garlic cloves or shallots (I used yellow onion and garlic)
Red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp. or so, depending on how spicy you like it - I used red chili pepper flakes)
Salt/pepper to taste
**Auntie Lisa says you can add in whatever you want to get rid of in your house (i.e. onions, peppers, etc.)

Saute the shallots/onion and garlic (and peppers if you decide to throw them in) in a little olive oil. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate all day if you can (I just did an hour). Form into patties, and cook in a hot pan with a little olive or grape seed oil. Auntie Lisa doesn't do this, but I added cheddar cheese on top. These patties are delicious enough to eat without a bun, but we're fat Americans so we put them on a toasted sesame seed bun:)

My Aunt Pulie Krekelberg's Fresh Salsa with Tortilla Chips:

3 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 medium onion
5 medium tomatoes
1 jalapeno (I used a green chili pepper - remove the seeds if you like it less spicy)
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I used fresh coriander, as I can't find cilantro ANYWHERE in Singapore)

Chop and mix everything together! The longer this sits, the better. Serve with tortilla chips.