Yummy Burgers and Quinoa

I have to admit that while I don't eat much meat at all, I occasionally have a craving for a juicy burger. This burger is amazing. No other words are necessary.

Southwest Turkey Burgers

Yield: 4 burgers; 321 calories per serving

2 poblano chiles (about 1/2 pound)

1 ounce french baguette (or 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs)

1/4 cup low fat milk

1/2 tsp chili powder, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 pound ground turkey breast (I have also used lean grass-fed beef that we bought when we got 1/4 of a cow)

Cooking Spray

2 Tablespoons canola mayonnaise

4 (1 1/2 ounce) hamburger buns toasted

4 (1/2 inch thick) slices tomato

4 green leaf lettuce leaves

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat

2. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos, skin sides down, on grill rack; grill 10 minutes or until blackened. Place poblanos in a small zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and dice.

3. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, cumin, and next 4 ingredients (through turkey); gently mix just until combined. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/2 inch thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and mayonnaise. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, about 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture, and 1 bun top

Variations- *I always skip the mayonnaise (not a fan of mayonnaise in general). Instead I top some of the burgers with cheese, usually fontina. I also generally get 6 burgers out of this recipe. The people who wrote this recipe must make some BIG burgers!!

* Also, if I don't have any poblanos or if I don't feel like fussing with the steps involved, then I will replace the two poblanos with a can of diced green chili peppers. Either way it is delicious!!!

This salad doesn't taste like a "salad" at all. It is awesome warm or cold. This recipe rocked my socks off (can you tell I taught middle school). Nuff said.

Quinoa and Parsley Salad

Yield 4 (2/3 cup) servings; 238 calories per serving

1 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)

3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted

1. Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a bowl; fluff with a fork. Add parsley, celery, onions, and apricots.

2. Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Add to quinoa mixture, and toss well. Top with seeds.

Saturday Make-up

Sorry I missed yesterday :-( I was a little tired. We had a fun but full day and with it being almost 70 and sunny- we spent a lot of time outside. So here it is Saturday, and I am playing a little catch-up as well as getting things ready for my hubby as I head out of town for about 3 days.

Today we are making Mushroom and Barley Risotto and a Lemon-Splashed Shrimp Salad (20 minute recipe!)

Mushroom and Barley Risotto

Yield: 4 (1 2/3 cups) servings; 487 calories per serving (I must add that these are healthy calories)

2 cups boiling water

1/2 ounce dried procini mushrooms

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (8 ounce) package cremini mushrooms, sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups uncooked pearl barley

3 tablespoons brandy

1 3/4 cup water

1 cup fat free low- sodium chicken broth

2 ounces fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine 2 cups boiling water and porcini mushrooms; let stand 20 minutes. Grain mushrooms through a sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid. Finely chop mushrooms.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion; cook for 4 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add porcini mushroom and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add barley; cook 30 seconds; stirring constantly. Add brandy; bring to boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 1 minute), stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in reserved mushroom liquid, water, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 55 minutes or until liquid evaporated and barley is tender, stirring occasionally. removed from heat. Grate 1/4 cup (1 ounce) cheese; stir grated cheese and salt into barley mixture. Sprinkle with parsley. Shave remaining 1 ounce of cheese over top.

Lemon Splashed Shrimp Salad

Yield: 4 (1 3/4 cup) servings; 250 calories per serving

8 cups water

2/3 cup uncooked rotini (I use whole wheat)

1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

3/4 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped avocado

1/2 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta to pan; cook 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine pasta mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients; toss well.

Hope you all get to enjoy some time with loved ones this weekend :-)

Heathly Comfort Food and Salad

I was looking forward to the day that I would share this recipe with you. I got this recipe from an amazing cook who is an even better friend- that is saying a lot (shout out to Bekah!). Whether she knows it or not, she has taught me a lot about about balance in my eating and in my general life. This recipe is so tasty and easy. It has become a comfort food for me. I make it at least once a week and never get sick of it. I'm sure all you cooks can jazz it up in lots of different ways, but I love the regular recipe.

Bulgur Pilaf

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 cup bulgur

1 tsp parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

cracked pepper

Melt 1 TB of butter or olive oil in a skillet. Cook 1/2 cup chopped onions and 1/2 cup chopped carrots until crisp tender. Push off to the side of the skillet. Add 1 TB of butter or olive oil and 1/2 C sliced almonds and cook until golden brown. Stir in 1 cup bulgur and 14 1/2 ounces of vegetable or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the bulgur is tender and liquid is absorbed. Add 1 tsp parsley, cracked pepper and 1 TB of fresh lemon juice. Toss and serve.

While salads sound light, this one actually fills me up and it's so tasty.

Shrimp and Spinach Salad

Yield: 4 servings; 316 calories per servings

6 strips bacon cut into small pieces (I used turkey bacon which will lower the calories, but really I'm just not a huge pork fan!)

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons pine nuts

3 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Olive oil (optional)

6 oz. baby spinach

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1. Heat a large skillet on medium. Cook the bacon pieces until they're crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer them onto a paper towel.

2. Add the onion and mushrooms to the hot pan and cook them until the onion begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, along with the pine nuts. When the shrimp are pink and firm (2 to 4) minutes, stir in the vinegar and mustard, and season again with salt and pepper. if the pan looks dry, add a splash of olive oil.

3. Divide the spinach and eggs among four plates and top with the hot shrimp mixture, some of the dressing from the pan, and the bacon.