Gobble, Gobble

Continuing on my road to low-calorie living (admit it, you're surprised I've stuck with it this long aren't you? It's okay, you can think it - I am pretty darn surprised myself....) I've discovered just how many things can be made with turkey instead of beef. Slider burgers are a go to favorite as a delicious snack or an entire meal. Football food on game day or busy weeknights. The Music Man didn't really notice the switch and the little people had no complaints - that's a win at our house! I've had a few folks ask me what the difference is between a slider burger and a regular burger. The key difference is merely size. I like to "doctor up" the meat by adding flavorful fun into the mix, like garlic or, as in this burger, cheese and scallions. Sometimes we caramelize onions and pile on top or sprinkle a little worcestershire into the raw meat mixture. The sky is the limit really. I think a little smoky chipotle cheese and some cumin would make a yummy mexican burger. Be creative or stick to a recipe, but whatever you do - take time to really taste it and enjoy it!

Turkey Slider Burgers

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey (to use fully cooked, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, lightly pulse in food processor, place in large bowl, fold in one egg with a fork, and then gently stir in remaining ingredients, do not overmix or overwork the mixture)

2 Tbs. ketchup

2 scallions, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2/3 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

Dinner rolls

Tomato

Leaf lettuce

Gently stir together turkey, ketchup, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper until blended, but do not overmix (turkey is a bit more fragile than beef and can become tough if overmixed). Gently stir in cheese. Shape meat mixture into desired size patties. You may need to dampen your hands slightly to prevent the meat from sticking to your palms. Lightly oil a large skillet and cook patties approximately 4 minutes on each side over medium high heat. Not sure how to tell if they are done? An instant read thermometer should read 160 degrees. Place on dinner rolls or buns and top with a tomato slice, lettuce or any other favorite ingredients. 

xox,

A

Protein Packed

Oi. Vey. It is spring and we are in full swing. The Music Man's schedule is always crazy during this time of year and April-May have consistently proven to be two of my busiest months of the year. So, I've kind of lost track of things a little, not the least of which has been this blog. As I mentioned before, when wedding season hits, I get lost in constant activity and don't come up for air very often. Such is life. I wouldn't have it any other way. During the bustle, I sort of left the straight and narrow path of health and dieting and hit a few speed bumps containing chocolate, salty foods and high calorie beverages...like frappucino's...loaded with a whopping 400+ calories per grande portion and sending my daily caloric intake goal sky-rocketing back to chubby-ville. But just like the prodigal son, I returned to the fold of nutritional living and kicked off a new start with this flavor-packed turkey meatloaf. I don't think the family even noticed that it was turkey instead of beef. Or maybe they were just too afraid to say anything given how loaded my schedule has been and the underlying (yet unspoken) fear that I might "lose it". Either way, there were no complaints.

Turkey Meatloaf

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3-4 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 6-7 slices of bread pureed in food processor)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a medium size skillet - add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir onions and all other ingredients in a large bowl until well blended but not overmixed. This works best with bare hands (or gloved hands, but hands are the point - turkey meat is tender and will seize up or toughen if mixed in a blender). Press turkey mixture into loaf pan and bake until browned and cooked through - about 1 hour. Instant read thremometer should register 160 degrees when inserted near the middle. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

xox,
A