Herbed Turkey Burgers with Zucchini Buns

serves: 2

Ingredients

• 8 – 10 oz ground organic, lean turkey meat
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 thick slices of zucchini (or eggplant, summer squash, etc.)
• Olive oil spray
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Toppings: sliced tomato, avocado, cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo, hot sauce, etc.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the turkey meat, oregano and garlic cloves, and mix with your hands until fully combined. Form into two patties and set aside.
2. Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) to medium high heat.
3. Spray the zucchini on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Add the zucchini to the grill pan, cooking 2 – 3 minutes per side until you have nice grill marks and the zucchini still holds its shape.
5. Add the turkey burgers to the grill, cooking 3 – 5 minutes per side, until cooked.
6. Serve between zucchini slices and add your preferred toppings.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

gluten-free | dairy-free | sugar-free | egg-free | nut-free | soy-free

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DUAL CONTACT GRILLING TIMES

VEGETABLES	DUAL CONTACT GRILLING TIMES
ASPARAGUS	Marinate if desired. Grill for 2 - 4 minutes.
BELL PEPPERS	Halve peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Marinate if desired. Grill for 4 - 5 minutes.
EGGPLANT	Slice 1/2 to 1" thick. Grill for 4 - 5 minutes.
LEEKS	Rinse thoroughly and slice. Rinse again to remove any dirt of sand between layers and dry with paper towel. Grill for 2 - 3 minutes.
MUSHROOMS	Remove stems and grill whole, or slice 1/2" thick. Grill for 2 - 4 minutes.
NEW POTATOES	Scrub well and slice in half. You can precook these in the microwave for 3 - 4 minutes or in boiling salted water for 6 - 8 minutes. Grill for 5 - 6 minutes until browned and tender.
POTATO SLICES	Scrub well and slice 1/2" thick. You can precook these in the microwave for 3 - 4 minutes or in boiling salted water for 8 - 10 minutes. Grill for 7 - 10 minutes until browned and tender.
SUMMER SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI	Cut into 1/2 - 1" thick slices. Marinate if desired. Grill for 3 - 4 minutes.
TOMATOES	Cut into 1" thick slices. Grill for 1 - 2 minutes until tender.

MEAT	DUAL CONTACT GRILLING TIMES
BONELESS STEAK	Marinate if desired. Steak should be 1/2 - 1" thick. Grill for 4 - 7 minutes for medium rare, 6 - 9 minutes for medium.
CHICKEN BREASTS	Use only boneless products. Chicken breasts can be cooked as is, or pounded for quicker cooking time. Grill until thoroughly done, about 4 - 6 minutes.
FISH FILLETS	Cook until fillets flake easily when tested with a fork. Grill for 2 - 3 minutes per 1/2" of thickness.
FISH STEAKS	Tuna, salmon, halibut, swordfish steaks should be 1/2 - 1" thick. Marinate before cooking if desired. Grill for 2 - 3 minutes for each 1/2" thickness.
GROUND BEEF PATTIES	Patties should be 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Grill until thoroughly cooked. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes.
HAM STEAK	Precooked ham steaks should be grilled until heated through, 3 - 5 minutes.
HOTDOGS AND SAUSAGES	For precooked products, cook until heated through, 2 - 3 minutes. For raw products, first precook in skillet until almost done, then finish cooking on grill 4 - 6 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
LAMB CHOPS	Chops should be boneless, 1/2 - 1" thick. Grill for 6 - 8 minutes.
PORK CHOPS	Use only boneless products, 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Grill until only slightly pink in center, about 6 - 8 minutes.
PORK TENDERLOIN	Cut boneless tenderloin in half lengthwise. Cook for 6 - 9 minutes.
SHRIMP	Grill until shrimp turn pink and are springy to the touch. Cook for 2-1/2 - 4 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chips

1 to 2 medium sweet potatoes

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Sea Salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a mandolin, slice sweet potatoes into even slices.  You don’t want the slices to be too thin, so be carefully while slicing. 

Place sweet potato slices into a large bowl and toss with olive oil.  Season with sea salt to taste. 

Place slices on a baking sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes half way through baking to make sure both sides are cooked.  Towards the last 10 minutes of baking you will need to watch the chips to make sure they don’t brown/burn.  I prefer mine a little more brown, but the goal is to have them golden.

Remove pan from oven and allow the chips to cool on a wire rack until they are cool and chip like.  And enjoy!

Portabella Sandwich Stack

4 Portabella Caps

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken cutlet, cooked (and cut into two pieces)

2 slices of tomato

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves

2 slices cooked turkey bacon, or bacon of choice

3 tablespoons guacomole

Instructions:

Scoop out the gills and stem gently from the underside of the mushrooms.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until the mushrooms turn golden brown on the top and become tender.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan.  On one mushroom, pile on cooked chicken, turkey bacon, tomato, spinach, and 1 ½ tbsp guacamole.  Top with the other mushroom.  Repeat with other mushrooms.  Then cut in half or eat whole, and enjoy!

 Makes 2 sandwich stacks.

How to Keep Produce Fresh

 

There's a proper way to store fresh produce, and as I am about to launch into a new work-out routine and a healthier diet, I thought I would finally determine the proper ways to store it all.  I read up on it... I googled all over the place, and this is what I found.
Updated: In addition to researching this post, I tried many of these techniques myself and they worked great. 

It kind of comes down to which fruits and vegetables give off the natural gas, ethelyne. 
Ethelyne can affect the other fruits and veggies that they are stored next to.  (That's the premise of the Debbie Meyer Green Bags.)  You don't need to buy special bags, but you do need to know which produce doesn't play nicely with others.

Apples - Do not wash until just before eating, keep them sealed in the plastic produce bag, in the refrigerator. They give off a lot of ethelyne gas, so don't store them next to anything else.
Avocados - Keep them at room temperature.  If you need one to ripen quickly, put it in a brown paper bag along with a banana.  If it is ripe and you need to slow the ripening process, put it in the fridge.

Bananas - They produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit.  Keep them away from other produce,   on the counter-top, away from other produce.  Once they are ripe you can stop the ripening process by putting them in the fridge, just be sure to put them in a sealed bag.  The skin will turn black, but the fruit will be fine.
Beans (snap, string or wax) - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Do not wash until just before use.
Berries - You know when you buy berries and they look like they have a dusty layer one them...? That is called bloom, and it serves as a natural preservative.  Never wash berries until just before use.  Pick through them and throw away any berries that are bruised or molding.  Store loosely in shallow containers, cover with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.
Broccoli & Cauliflower - These need to be kept in their wrapping/packaging and kept in the fridge.  Do not wash until just before using.

Cabbage - Keep in the fridge, in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using
Carrots - Whole carrots?  Wash them thoroughly.  If they have green tops, cut off all but an inch.  Wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer. 
"Baby" carrots? I just discovered that I should stop buying them... but if you still do, you can put them in a plastic container, covered in water.  Be sure to change the water every few days.  (Note: this may reduce the flavor of the "baby" carrot.)
Celery - Give it a rinse, loosely wrap it in a paper towel, then tightly wrap the entire stalk in aluminum foil and keep in the crisper.  It will keep fresh and crisp for weeks.  (I actually have had celery that I bought to make stuffing at Thanksgiving still be fresh and crunchy for Bloody Marys on New Year's Day! Amazing!)

Cherries - Store in the fridge in a plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before eating.
Citrus - Since citrus fruits have thicker skin, they are easier to store.  They'll stay fresh for about 2 weeks in the fridge, about a week on the counter.  It doesn't matter if they are near other produce.

Corn - Husks on? Store loose and uncovered in the fridge.  Husks off?  Wrap in foil and store in the crisper drawer. It will keep for 1 to 2 days.
Cucumber - Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.
Eggplant - Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
Garlic - Store at room temperature. Whole heads will last 3 to 5 weeks, but once cloves are separated, they will last about 10 days.

Grapes - Do not wash until just before eating, as they also have a bloom.  Store them in the fridge, in the plastic bags they come in, or poke holes in a plastic bag to allow for air circulation.  They say they should last up to 2 weeks.  (I have never seen them last longer than a week before getting shriveled up and gross...)
Jalapeno Peppers - Store in plastic bag, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Kiwi Fruit - store at room temperature until ripe, then cover with plastic and refrigerate.  Will keep for about a week.
Lettuces, Leafy Greens & Spinach - Wash, wrap loosely in paper-towels, then bag it... paper towel and all.
Melons - Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. They will keep for about a week.
Mushrooms - Do not wash until just before using.  Pre-sliced? Store in the refrigerator in their original packaging. They will last for about a week. Whole?  Store loosely in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator
Onions - Store in a cool, dry place that has good air circulation.  (Store in the fridge if you don't have such a place.) They will keep for 2 to 3 months.  DO NOT STORE WITH POTATOES.  (If next to each other they spoil faster.  Who knew?)

Pears - If they aren't ripe, store them at room temperature.  Once they ripen, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge.  They will keep for about a week.
Peaches, Plums, Nectarines & Apricots - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to eat.  They will keep from 3 to 5 days.  Do not wash until ready to eat. 
Pineapple - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Potatoes - Store in a cool, dry, dark place that has good air circulation. They will keep for 2 to 3 months.  DO NOT STORE WITH ONIONS.  (If next to each other they spoil faster.  Who knew?)  Sweet Potatoes keep at room temperature for a week or in a cool dark place for about a month.

Tomatoes - Store them in a cool, dry place.  Don't store them in plastic bags as the trapped ethylene will make them ripen more quickly. Once ripe, you can put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process, but let them come to room temperature before using them.

Zucchini - Refrigerate in a plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before using.

Egg & Sweet Potato Breakfest

1. med sweet potato
2. 12 eggs
3. sea salt
4. pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and dice Sweet Potato into fairly small cubes
2. Put SP in a skillet sprayed w/ a little Pam (I usually use olive oil or coconut oil to grease my pans, )
3. Sprinkle w/ pepper and Sea Salt to taste
4. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring a few times (just long enough to soften the potatoes up a little - you don't want them "mushy")
5. Distribute SP Cubes evenly between 12 deep-ish muffin pan holes
6. Beat 15 egg together 
7. Pour eggs evenly over the SP cubes in the 12 muffin pan holes
8. Place in Oven at 350 and cook about 20 minutes
9. Pull out of oven and turn pan upside down onto cooling rack
10. Let cool completely before placing in fridge 

Turkey Meatballs with Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional - adjust to your preference)
• 16 oz frozen chopped spinach (defrosted, drained, and squeezed to remove excess water)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 2 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs/ gluiten free bread or cracker crumbs
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray. I actually line my baking sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray.
2. In a frying pan on medium heat, heat olive oil until hot. Then add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onion is tender (about 5-6 minutes total time).
3. Add spinach to pan and combine with onion mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth and mix well to combine. Cook until most of the liquid has cooked out (evaporated). I don't have much liquid in my pan after I combine all these, but it will depend on how well you drained your spinach. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, and egg. Add cooled onion/spinach mixture to the meat. I do all of this step with my hands, but you can use a spoon if you prefer.
5. 5. With your hands, create meatballs that are about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheet. Leave a little bit of space between each meatball. When you are done shaping your meatballs, you will probably have about 40-42 meatballs from this recipe. Don't need that many? Freeze them after baking or cut this recipe in half (but I say freeze them and then you've done the work only once and have a future meal).
6. Bake until your meatballs are cooked through with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F - which was about 20 minutes for my oven. Remove from oven and serve as desired.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

• 1 head broccoli, cut in florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt or kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Toss broccoli florets with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
2. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly crisped and browned.

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter (Ghee) or coconut oil;
• 8 eggs;
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in slices;
• 2 sliced zucchinis;
• 1 sliced red bell pepper;
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Technique

1. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat;
2. Add the oil and sweet potato slices and cook until soft, about 8 minutes;
3. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper slices and cook for another 4 minutes;
4. While it cooks, whisk the eggs in a bowl, making sure to incorporate a lot of air in the mixture;
5. Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper and add to the cooking veggies;
6. Cook on low heat until just set, about 10 minutes;
7. Finish the frittata until golden under a heated broiler.
8. Cut the finished frittata into wedges and serve with fresh parsley.

Cauliflower Poppers

What you will need:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut the cauliflower up into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower pieces and thoroughly coat each piece.
4. Place cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for one hour and turn 3 times during cooking until each piece has a nice brown coloring. The browner they are the better.
5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet
potatoes
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Three-Cheese Potatoes

• Prep: 15 min. Grill: 35 min.
• Yield: 4-6 Servings

153550

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Transfer to a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter.
• Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-18 minutes on each side or until potatoes are tender.
• Carefully open foil. Sprinkle the bacon cheeses over potato mixture. Grill 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 293 calories, 11 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 36 mg cholesterol, 614 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 13 g protein.