A Burger to Gobble Up!

Every time I read those articles that list the Worst things to order in a chain restaurants, it makes my skin crawl a little.  It makes me wonder first of all what on earth am I eating?  And secondly, why?  Why are some of these restaurant meals so horrible?  Why are they trying to kill us?  I mean, we know that perfectly delicious food can be made at home with a lot less impact on our health.  I don't know, but it freaks me out a little.  The other night I made my favorite burger for dinner which happens to be a turkey burger.  I can't do chicken for some reason but this turkey burger is delish and easy and everyone loves them.  My burger (without the bun) comes in at 230 calories, 260 with cheese.  A cheeseburger (beef) at Applebee's, with the bun has 850!  5 Guys does not have a single burger for under 480 and that's the "little hamburger" without cheese.  You've got to have cheese! Red Robin has a turkey burger that I'll bet is not as good as mine by the way, that comes in at 493 calories with nothing on it.  And hopefully you've all sworn off that creepy McDonald's place but I can't help but mention that super lame quarter pounder with cheese has 520 calories.  So now I with arm you with a fantastic burger recipe with no questionable ingredients that you can make at home. (Trust me, the fat and sodium stats are even more impressive but I don't want to lose you before we get to the good stuff.)

We always buy the Jenny-O ground turkey because it comes with 20oz as opposed to the usual 16oz.  We like a nice meaty burger.  To the meat you'll add a little Dijon mustard, an egg white and a teaspoon of cornstarch to hold it together.

Shred up a small carrot, about 1/4 cup.

Fresh herbs are always a plus.  Here's a little parsley and a little basil (any combo you like is fine).

Chop enough to make about 1 tablespoon.

Toss it in the bowl with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp onion powder and black pepper to taste.

Mix well...

and form into 4 burger patties.

Spray your pan with a little non stick cooking spray and fry flipping once until cooked through,  adding cheese at the end until melted.

Place on a toasted bun with toppings of choice.  I had mine with spinach, tomato and dill pickle.

This very satisfying burger was served with a quinoa salad (that I want to make a few changes to before sharing) but sweet potato fries are always a great side too!

My Best Burger

20oz lean ground turkey
1 egg white (large egg)
1 tsp Dijon
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 Tbs chopped fresh herbs
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Mix ground turkey with all ingredients and form into 4 patties.  You may want to make ahead and let them sit in the refrigerator for 30 min to firm up.  Spray a pan with cooking spray and cook over medium heat flipping once after first side is browned, until cooked through.  Add cheese if desired until melted.  Serve with or without a bun and toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken in a Curry

How many of you are struggling to stick with New Years Resolutions already?  We're only two weeks in so hopefully you're hanging in there.  I just joined a new gym before Christmas because they have some classes that I really love.  So far I've taken Pilates, Cardio-Kickboxing, R.I.P.P.E.D. and Boot Camp.  Every single class is as full as can be.  I'm curious to see if the attendance drops off in a month or so.  That seems to be the trend with a new year at the gym.  Everyone is gung ho, then things slowly fizzle out.  If you've done this in the past, try to pace yourself.  Don't expect to go from nothing to 5-6 days a week and think you won't get burned out and quit all together.  Build your activity level gradually and instead of doing nothing by March you'll be doing more.  The same is true with your diet.  Forget "going on a diet".  The idea is to change your diet, and if you do this gradually, you again, will be more successful in sticking with it.  Super Bowl Sunday is coming up in a few weeks.  If you're like me, you look forward to the food more than the game (I really couldn't care less about the game).  I have a really tasty chicken dish to share if you're entertaining for the game (or any other time for that matter).  This healthy little number is called Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast from the Food & Wine website (which I just love).  Here's how it goes:

Don't be afraid of brussels sprouts! These are my new favorite vegetable and I've only liked them since Thanksgiving (just this past one!).  Roasted until nice and brown, they are fantastic.

You'll need to halve 1 1/2 lbs of them.  A perfect job for a little helper if you have one.

You will also need to peel and dice 2 lbs of butternut squash.  Already you can tell how healthy this is, just look at those fantastic colors!

You will also need to cut 2 red onions (I used one large one) into thin wedges.

Toss your veggies in a large bowl with some oil, salt and pepper.

Spread them out over two rimmed baking sheets.

In the same bowl you mix oil, fat-free Greek yogurt, ginger, garlic, curry powder and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the chicken thighs in and stir until well coated.

Lay the chicken over the veggies and roast in a 450 preheated oven.

The recipe suggests serving with warm naan.  We used the bread machine and made some pita instead.

About 40 min in, you'll pull the pans from the oven and pour off any accumulated juices.  Pop them back in for about 20 min more, until chicken is browned and veggies are tender.

Oh my, now how good does this look!  This is enough to feed 12 so its perfect for when you have company, or you can just have leftovers on hand for weekday lunches.  These chicken pieces make a great sandwich the next day.

Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream.  I think next time I'll make some little yogurt sauce of some kind.  That's it! Minimal work, really tasty meal and healthy to boot!

Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast (www.foodandwine.com)

2 lbs butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 large red onions, cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts, halved
1 cup canola oil
salt and pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs Madras curry powder (I think regular curry will work fine)
4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
warm naan or pita for serving

Preheat oven to 450 and position racks in the upper and middle thirds.  In a large bowl, toss squash, brussels sprouts, onion wedges and 1/2 cup of the canola oil; season with salt and pepper.  Spread veggies on to two large, rimmed baking sheets.

In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.  Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables and roast for 40 min rotating the pans half way through until veggies are nearly tender and chicken is nearly cooked through.  Pour off any liquid and continue to roast about 20 min longer until chicken is browned and veggies are tender.  Transfer to a platter and serve with warm naan and yogurt.

Too Cool For School

I don't know about you, but I could safely say that I could live out the rest of my days never coming in contact with another Sloppy Joe and be just fine with that.  Phoebe on the other hand, does not share this sentiment.  I think she had one once at school a few years ago and oddly enough remembers it fondly.  Since I can't get past the picture on the Sloppy Joe can in the grocery store, I usually have a ready excuse as to why we shouldn't have them for dinner.  That it is, until I found a recipe for Lentil Sloppy Joes in my December issue of Food Network Magazine.  Again, I'm not a fan of the concept in general but Phoebe was perfectly satisfied with this much healthier version and stated happily that she would eat these again (if given the opportunity).  I thought I would share as many of you may have children who have developed a love of the Sloppy Joe through the fabulous school lunch system (how ever that happens...).

While there is some ground beef in this recipe, there are also plenty of vegetables.  First you cook up some onion, red bell pepper and carrot along with a couple of tablespoons of ketchup (I don't think you can escape ketchup if you're making Sloppy Joes). 

Next you add some garlic and lentils and four cups of water (gotta cook those beans!).

These are going to need about 35-40 min.  This is easy but not necessarily quick.

While the beans are cooking you brown 8oz of ground beef.  Just enough to add the meaty texture your Sloppy Joe begs for.  Once your meat is brown, you add some Worcestershire sauce, a little more ketchup, the lentil mixture and a little more water.  Cook for a few minuets to thicken and Wa-La!

Serve it on a toasted roll with a little cheddar and a pickle slice.  We had ours with sweet potato fries.  A much healthier version of a lunchroom classic, and my kids found it to be a perfectly suitable substitute.

Lentil Sloppy Joes (Food Network Magazine)

2 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/4 tsp oregano
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
8 ounces ground beef
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
6 whole-wheat burger buns, toasted
6 slices cheddar cheese
sliced pickles, jalapeno or banana peppers for topping

Heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrot, bell pepper and 2 Tbs ketchup and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are slightly soft, about 3 min.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add the lentils, oregano and 4 cups of water; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until lentils are tender and water is absorbed, 35-40 min (add up to 1 more cup if necessary).  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 1 Tbs oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook, breaking it up until it begins to brown, about 2 min.  Add Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 6 Tbs ketchup and cook, stirring, until well combined.  Add lentil mixture and 1 cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and mixture thickens, about 8 min.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve on buns with cheddar and pickles.

You Say You Want a Resolution

Here we are, at the end of another year.  I've been enjoying the past month or so getting ready for holiday festivities, making a few gifts for people, watching the snow build up,

and hanging out with my crazy family.  Get a load of these guys!  Tonight we'll ring in the New Year with Nels and the kids and my dear friend Jill and her friend that came into town for the weekend. We'll have a nice dinner of steaks on the grill (once we shovel a path to it!) and a fabulous shrimp and pasta dish that I must share. 

But first lets discuss this whole resolution thing.  I wonder how many people actually follow through with their resolutions.  I personally don't think I know anyone who has.  Unless you count the fact that about 20 years ago a friend and I resolved to never make another resolution and that one I have continued to keep.  It seems like a good idea and all, but they never seem all that realistic.  I read a stat that said by January 7 a third of people will have broken their resolution, by Valentine's Day half will have lapsed and by 4th of July,  60% will have been forgotten (Norcross, Ratzin & Payne 1989).  So, why do we bother?  Obviously we have things about ourselves that we want to change, so how about doing so in a way that won't set us up to fail.  Let's not vow to exercise everyday when we haven't done it at all in three years.  Let's not start a crazy restrictive diet that we can't survive on for more than a week.  Let's not run out and join a gym and only go once or twice ever.  Instead let's plan to always take the stairs, to go for a walk a few times a week, to cook real food at home and involve our families in gradual change towards a healthy lifestyle.  I think we can all handle that. 

OK, now let's get to that shrimp recipe I think you need to have in your arsenal.  I was supposed to make this on Christmas day but we had too much food already.  Grilled Shrimp with Oregano and Lemon is from the Food & Wine website (which I LOVE).  I made this the other day but roasted the shrimp instead (again, there's alot of snow on the grill). 

Toss the shrimp with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  Either grill on metal skewers or pop it in a 375 oven for 4 min on each side or until cooked through.

Toss with the easy to make sauce or as we will try tonight, cook a pound of linguine or spaghetti and place shrimp over the pasta and drizzle the sauce over it and gently toss.  My mouth is totally watering right now.

Grilled Shrimp with Oregano and Lemon

1/2 cup (1 jar) salted capers, drained, rinsed and soaked for 1 hour, then drained
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1 (or 2!) garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 TBS fresh squeezed lemon zest
Fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt

Finely chop the drained capers with the oregano leaves and garlic.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS olive oil along with lemon zest and juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, let come to room temp before serving).

Toss the shrimp in remaining 2 TBS olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Thread on to skewers and grill over high heat turning once (about 3 min per side or until cooked through). Or, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast on 375 about 4 min per side until cooked through. Remove shrimp to a platter, spoon sauce over the top and serve.

When I made this the other day I only used about half of the sauce (my shrimp were on the small side).  I used the remaining sauce as a dressing on mixed baby greens for my dinner guests the next night, delicious!

Easiest Chicken You'll Ever Cook

I've got a few recipes on deck to share but between getting really busy with Thanksgiving and all that goes with it, and perhaps the nastiest sinus infection I've ever had, I haven't spent much time on the computer over the past couple of weeks.  Being that this is a busier than usual time of year for many people, I just had to pass on the the world's easiest chicken recipe (that tastes really good!).  I think Food Inc. posted the link on Facebook, sounded simple enough, so I gave it a whirl.  The recipe is from a blog called "100 Days of Real Food ".  You season a chicken and throw it in the crock pot.  The end.  Seriously. 

 OK, so I exaggerated.  You also have to cut up an onion and put it in the crock pot.

Make a little blend of seven spices.

Rub it on the bird and throw it in.  No liquid no nothing.  This was one big chicken, barely fit in there actually (6lbs).  I cooked it on high for 5-6 hours.  It smelled great, was totally juicy and really versatile.  The kids had theirs in a burrito with rice and veggies, avocado and tomato.  I had mine with sauteed veggies and a little rice.  I'm not sure what is going on with those funky grocery store rotisserie chickens, but man, lately even they seem somehow processed.  We used to love grabbing one for a quick dinner but they seem funny to us now.  And I don't mean funny ha ha.  Maybe it's the flavor injector, overly marinated, I don't know but I don't dig it.  This takes a small amount of planning but could not be easier.

After all of us had dinner, we still a bunch of leftovers for chicken sandwiches and what not.  Again, it was a big chicken. Here's the link again: Easy Crock Pot Chicken

Enjoy your dinner and all the time you saved not dealing with it!

Not Your Usual Microwave Corn

I'm not sure about you, but I have my moments when I just have to have some snacky/salty/crunchy type thing when I'm getting a little hungry.  My recent favorite is popcorn.  Fancy (but easy) popcorn.  I'm not a fan of microwave popcorn and all of it's fake buttery weirdness that makes the roof of my mouth feel glossy.  I like to make my own, which is nothing new (I had my 1983 air popper for years after microwaving was the way to go).  Last summer I found a recipe for Corn (on the cob) with Paprika Butter.  It really wasn't a standout on the corn but I rolled the leftovers into a little log and saved it for another day.  It is now my favorite popcorn topper and a little goes a long way.

So, I actually do pop my corn in the microwave but I use kernels and a paper bag.

Just toss a 1/4 cup of kernels in there and close it up.  Simple.

Then push the popcorn button on the microwave.  If you don't have one you may need to play around with it a bit.

I use 1 tablespoon of butter for this whole bowl of popcorn.  You can use any herb butter you have.

This was a cilantro butter with a little bit of chili powder.  Not my fave, but works in a pinch.

This here is my beloved paprika butter...I strongly recommend making a batch and just keeping it in the fridge (I'm all out, need to make more) for when that popcorn craving hits.

Paprika Butter

Mix 1/2 stick softened butter, 1 small clove grated garlic, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp finely chopped rosemary.  Season with little salt and pepper.  Put leftovers in a container or roll into a log in wax or parchment paper for future use.

This is a satisfying snack and since it's a whole grain it adds to your fiber tally for the day (don't get me started on the fiber thing).  Enjoy!

Tis the Season!

Well, I'm happy to report that my grand plan to get a group of friends to get out together for a fitness event was a success!  It took a couple of years (literally) to get everyone on board but we did it!  We all had fun and felt pretty darn good about it too.  The 5k we chose was the Jingle Bell Run/Walk.  It was pretty chilly but nice and sunny.  More importantly, it was flat.  Some of my girls still have a major aversion to hills, but we're (and by that I mean I'm) working on that (them). 

Here's Phoebe and I before the race.  She did the kids fun run with Ella.  She has a very shiny nose.  You could even say it glows.

Here we are toasting with our pre-race Gu.  We thought it might be fun, and make us faster.

This is what my face does when I try to swallow the Gu.  It doesn't taste that bad but the consistency is rather disgusting.

I believe that Ouije shares that sentiment.

So then we headed to the start.  I'm not sure what direction we were going in but I'm pretty certain that these guys were heading south.  Nelsy was going to attempt to get each of us at the finish but things were a little disorganized and he and our friend Josh thought they lost our kids so photos were minimal.

He did however get this young buck coming towards the finish.  I'm not sure if this is Brendan or Ryan but whoever it is looks pretty cool!

Here's a group photo after the race, minus our walkers.  I had to ditch out of there with my poor sick son who was freezing his buns off.

This is Heather after her first 5k! She rocked it.  Like I knew she would.

After the race we met up at our house for a nice brunch.  These two lovely ladies also kicked some 5k butt.

We got our sweet potato waffles made.  These are so good. 

I whipped up a celebratory round of pomegranate and Proseco drinks.  It's important that we get our anti-oxidants in, ya know?

It's all fun and reindeer games around here.

Check out the spread!  I missed a picture of the fritatta muffins that Ouije made (same ones you all went nuts over when I previously posted that recipe).

Kristin (who somehow did not make it into one single photo....I need to work on these things...) made these pumpkin muffins and Heather also made a variety of Weight Watchers muffins. 

This is Jen and her cute baby.  She's so adorable we could've eaten her for brunch (seriously, check out those cheeks!).

Jen made this fabulous roasted vegetable tort.  This was quite a hit.  I will be making one of these sometime!

I will also be making Melanie's Huevos Rancheros some time.  I'm pretty much a sucker for anything that involves black beans and avocados.

So there you have it.  A group of people who normally gather around excessive amounts of food of various degrees of bad for you, CAN gather around a fitness activity and food that is good for you!  We are already talking about next time!