Switch it up with Julia Turshen’s lamb burgers.

If you need help cooking good family meals and getting them on the table quickly, Now & Again (Chronicle Books/raincoast), the latest cookbook by veteran U.S. food writer Julia Turshen, has plenty of ideas.

London photographer David Loftus has provided fine photos for the seasonal collection of more than 150 recipes.

The book features followup sections called It’s Me Again about how to use your leftovers. Turshen regularly cooks too much of a dish so she will have an easy cooking job the next day.

Another section, Seven Things to Do, covers such matters as cooked rice, over-aged produce and what to make when you offer to take something to a party.

The book, which is laced with interesting Jewish dishes, starts with 20 menus, but the message is flexibility: Do what you want with what you have, and skip any fussy cooking, as Yotam Ottolenghi, the London-based Israeli restaurateur, says in his endorsement.

This grilled recipe calls for lamb instead of the usual beef, plus interesting toppings. You can also cook the burgers in a frying pan or under the broiler.

Lamb Burgers with Grilled Red Onions

Serves 4

¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced

Fresh dill fronds, finely chopped, to taste

Kosher or coarse salt

2 large red onions, thickly sliced

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 lb (454 g) ground lamb, at room temperature

4 soft hamburger buns

4 large leaves Bibb or Boston lettuce

4 large tomato slices

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and dill. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

Make sure the grill is clean and brush lightly with a little oil. Then heat grill to hot.

Arrange onion slices on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt, making sure slices are well coated.

Divide lamb into four equal portions and shape into patties. Sprinkle each patty with salt.

Place onions and pan of patties on the grill and cook, turning as little as possible, until burgers are evenly browned on both sides and firm to the touch, about three minutes a side, and the onions are browned and softened, about five minutes a side.

Transfer burgers to a platter or another sheet pan to wait while you toast the buns. Place the buns, cut side down, on the grill until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.

Arrange buns, cut side up, on a board or platter. Divide the mayonnaise mixture evenly and spread on toasted sides of the buns. Place a burger on the bottom half of each bun and divide the onions, tomatoes, and lettuce among them. Put the tops on the burgers and serve at once.