No Ketchup!? OMG! What will I do!!?

I like ketchup with my turkey burgers or on my meatloaf, but I am never as disappointed as some about the ketchup restriction on the challenge.  For meatloaf, I make a tomato paste/sauce derivative, but for turkey burgers and other meats I try to move toward new tastes.

Recently, just before the challenge started, I discovered two wonderful condiments that I have been putting on eggs, veggies and turkey burgers alike, Zhoug and Harissa.

Zhoug is a cilantro-based relish that is traditionally very spicy- I actually make it without much spice to compliment the spicier Harissa.  Harissa is a red pepper-based relish that can be made mild or spicy to your tastes.  Both have a great flavor, and the vivid color makes your meals pretty also.

Zhoug

Coarsely chop one bunch of cilantro and a half a bunch of parsley (both leaves and stems) and place in a blender or food processor.  Add 4 ounces of green chiles (mild if you like or spicy if you like it hot).  Add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 4 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons water.  Pulse to mix, but do not over mix and lose the texture.

Harissa

Place one large, chopped onion and one can of drained, roasted red peppers in a blender or food processor.  Add 2 teaspoons of harissa spice (you can get this pre-made at Whole Foods) or 1/2 teaspoon each of coriander and  cumin, caraway.  Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 small chopped red chiles.  The store-bought harissa spice is hot, so you don’t need the chiles unless you like it extra spicy, but if you use the cumin, coriander, and caraway, use as many chiles as you need to make it spicy to your taste.  You can also roast your own red peppers, but this way is much faster and tastes great.