Summer in a Burger (Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers with Asian Pear Slaw)

The sun is shining and the temps are slowly creeping closer to summer weather. Ummm...Yay! This is the type of weather that makes me want to head outside. I want to eat outside, drink on patios and grill things. The type of food I want to eat also changes like crazy. Suddenly I want food that tastes light and bright and citrusy. I want to drink caipirinhas and lay by a pool. If lime is part of the recipe, it is something I want to eat. Fish tacos, guac, salad dressing, burgers, adult beverages. If it is cilantro and lime flavored anything it is pretty much a guarantee it is going to make my menu.

I have been working out with weights again (hello Les Mills Pump) and this program is awesome. It is fun. The music is upbeat and motivating. It is leaving me crazy sore. (I totally understand why this is a craze in gyms. Doing it live would be kind of amazing.) But every time I add a lot of weight training to my routine, I find myself craving meat. And for someone who can typically go weeks without meat, this is not only something I find kind of strange but also a struggle. Since I don't cook a lot of meat (and chicken still makes me gag) I am usually up, searching the internet for yummy recipes that will satisfy my jonesing for meat and not leave me feeling like I have a brick in my stomach. (I just have food issues. Seriously. I am kind of a mess.)

This lovely little burger not only satisfied my meat craving but also gave me a bite of summer flavor that made me so happy. (Well as happy as I could be sans sunshine and pool. This just screams let's grill out by the pool and float our way to happiness after we eat. Is that anyone else's idea of bliss or just mine?)

Anyway....they turned out awesome. Lots of flavor in these little babies and I even had to cook them in a pan (as we are in an upstairs apartment with zero outdoor space for this job and sans grill). I love using fresh herbs so I used fresh cilantro in this recipe. I put a big handful of it in the mini chopper (I have no patience for dicing and slicing fresh herbs....as much as I love them this makes me crazy.) and added them to the ground turkey along with everything else. I mixed it all up with my hands (gross!) The juice made them a little wet but the stayed together great and it is so worth it for the yummy summer flavor.

Here is what I did:


Asian Pear Slaw

1 bag pre chopped coleslaw mix (or 1 small head of cabbage chopped)
1 asian pear cored and julienned

Dressing:

3/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons honey (I used raw honey)
1 teaspoon salt

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend (or in a small bowl and whisk until honey is dissolved.)  Pour over coleslaw mix. You can serve immediately or chill to allow the flavors to mingle. I add the pear right before serving so it doesn't get soggy.

I am also thinking next time about adding some fresh ginger and maybe some slivered almonds for some crunch.


For the Burger:

1 lb ground turkey
bunch of fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
1/4 of a sweet onion- diced (but a red onion might be yummy too!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Place ground turkey in a large bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Shape into 4 burger patties.

Grill, broil or cook in a pan until no longer pink inside.

(I  used just enough coconut oil to coat the pan. Heat the oil on medium high and then add the burgers. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side - or until cooked through.)

We ate them topped with avocado and asian pear slaw but you can easily add your favorite condiments and burger buns.

My three year old proclaimed it the best dinner ever so there was that. She cleaned her plate (which these days is a rarity.) Needless to say I will be making these often, at least until she decides she hates them....which could be any minute now.

Happy eating!



21 Day Fix container equivalents:

1 red
1 green
1/4 purple
1 teaspoon
1 blue (if using avocado)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza (with a twist)

I have seen cauliflower used for everything from pizza crust to steak to breadsticks to rice. I love cauliflower. I love the taste of it. I love it in soup. I love it on a veggie tray (which no one else seems to so that always works out in my favor.) I love it roasted. But this whole cauliflower is a miracle to replace carbs and bread and all sorts of other tasty things I know I shouldn't have really throws me for a loop.

I knew I wanted to try this miracle of pizza crusts and really it was out of sheer laziness I never did. I would write it on my meal plans regularly. Always ending up not doing it and making scrambled eggs instead and pureeing the cauliflower into soup before it rotted at the back of the fridge. I always start out the week with the best of intentions. Then life happens, an extra cheer practice or a chance to go to dinner with my girlfriends, and I find myself scrambling to use up my produce before it is too late.

This was the situation when I decided to try to make cauliflower pizza crust this week. Not only did I have cauliflower to use up but some broccoli and basil leaves that were starting to look kind of sad. So into the food processor it all went. My hubby eats a lot so I figured the more pureed veggies to turn into crust the better and putting fresh basil in it was kind of awesome. It had great flavor and I didn't have to add anything else.

And I have to say that I was pretty pleased with the results. In reality, it isn't going to cut it when I want something chewy and doughy and greasy. But standing on it's own....it is good. And it's green. Anything green makes me feel extra healthy. I will totally make this again....my way.

Here is what I did:

1 head of cauliflower
1 small head of broccoli
Basil leaves (handful or two)
1 egg (beaten)
1/3 cup cheese (I used fresh grated cheddar. It was what we had.)

Preheat the oven to 400

Add the cauliflower to a food processor. Pulse until it reaches a rice like texture.

Transfer to a clean dish towel. Wrap it up and squeeze the heck out of it. And then squeeze it some more. You will be amazed at how much water comes out of it. Transfer to a large bowl.

Repeat with the broccoli and add the basil leaves (or herbs of choice) too. Squeeze them and squeeze them again.  Add to the cauliflower in the bowl.

Mix well.

Add beaten egg and cheese. Mix well.

At this point I lay out another towel and press the mixture flat (like a crust) and then use paper towel on top to absorb even more water. (Because it keeps coming.)

The more moisture you get out of the mix now....the more like real crust it will be. So hopefully that motivates you to keep on squeezing.

Then transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 35-40  minutes or until it starts to brown.

Remove from the oven and add your toppings. (I used diced tomatoes, onions, and sauteed mushrooms and a little bit more cheese.)

Pop it back into the oven for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!


21 Day Fix Container Conversion (per 2 pieces)

1 Green
1 Blue

*There is so little egg once it is all portioned out that I didn't even count it as a container.

**I have seen recipes where the cauliflower (after processing) is cooked for a few minutes. I didn't do this and I still enjoyed the results.

Making my Grandma's Meatloaf 21 Day Fix approved!

I don't eat a lot of meat. And I refuse to eat the soy substitutes that offer themselves up willingly as meat alternatives. It is just not my thing. After being on the 21 Day Fix for two weeks, I have found myself eating more meat than I typically do. (That and a ton of eggs.) Like so many things, there is an emphasis on protein and veggies. And despite the fact that there is protein in beans and quinoa....those things still fall into the category of complex carb. So I am left with trying to fill my red container with things I like eating (so not chicken.)

I do love my grandma's meatloaf recipe and despite it's tastiness, it is not the healthiest thing you can eat (which probably explains a lot.) But we are Pennsylvania Dutch in descent and I was raised with grandparents that believe in eating meat and dairy and fresh produce from the garden. And really, that isn't that bad of a belief system. If it is all about eating real food then this totally qualifies. I usually save making her meatloaf for a holiday or other special occasion. So as this was cooking it really smelled like something special....like Christmas. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

All warm and fuzzy feelings aside, I knew in order to have it fit into my ratio (which is kind of how the fix is set up....) I had to make it over a little bit. So I painstakingly cut the ketchup (except for a teeny tiny squirt on top) and cut back on the cheese. I also cooked it in muffin tins so it was immediate portion control. (And let me tell you I squealed with delight when two of my little meatloaf muffins fit in that container!)

So here is what I did:

2 lbs lean grass fed beef
1 cup cheese cubed* (I used sharp cheddar)
2 eggs- beaten
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground mustard
coconut oil
Ketchup (preferably Heinz and organic)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tins well. (I used coconut oil)

Take a teaspoon of coconut oil and heat in a large skillet. Add diced onions and mushrooms (and any other veggie you would like to add - like peppers) saute for a few minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

In a large bowl mix together the beef, eggs, cheese cubes and sauteed veggies. (Just suck it up and use your hands. Gross but it works so much better.) Once well mixed add the tomato paste mixture and keep mixing until well combined.

Spoon into muffin tins.
.

Squirt a teeny tiny squiggle of ketchup on top (or completely skip this step, but seriously the cooked ketchup on top is worth a little cheat.)

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

And dinner is on the table.

I love that it only takes these little guys a fraction of time to cook as the big meatloaf in the bread pan (which takes an hour and half to cook.) And of course they are way cuter. Eating tiny size food is super fun (and my preschooler loves it as well. She is so much more likely to eat mini anything.)

21 Day Fix Container Conversion:

1 Red 
1 Blue
1/2 Green
1 teaspoon (oil)
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*Do not cheat this and use shredded cheese. So not as good. Not even worth having cheese in it at that point!