Rush Hour Gourmet

The mistake, however, turned out for the best: The sticky turkey meat held the ground pistachios very well, much better, in fact, than chicken thighs had done in the past.

These burgers start in the skillet but finish in the oven to cook them through without burning the nuts.

I decided to skip buns, serving them instead with wilted kale. You could use spinach or any other winter green. Some orzo pasta rounds out the plate, maybe perked up with sliced olives or even some crumbled feta - or both!

Pistachio-Crusted Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey, formed into 4 patties (dark turkey meat, or a mixture of dark and light, will work best)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the burgers with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.

2. Place the pistachios on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Coat the patties with the pistachios on all sides, pressing in gently.

3. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the patties in the skillet; cook until nuts are slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip, cook the other side.

4. Transfer skillet with patties to oven; bake until cooked through and interior of burgers are 165 degrees when measured with an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: 431 calories, 29 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 32 g fat, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 507 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber