15 Minute Meals: Tremendous Turkey Burgers

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Hey friends! Happy Thursday! 
Rob and I have been LOVING the grill my parents got me for Christmas last year. We've been grilling up all sorts of things and one of our favorites is this easy turkey burger recipe that I recently concocted. Last Thursday, knowing that Rob was leaving for Vegas the next day, we wanted to spend some quality time outside on the deck. I didn't want to waste a lot of time chopping, slicing, baking, etc so I knew it would be best to whip up something quick, healthy, and delicious. This is where the turkey burgers came into play!

TREMENDOUS TURKEY BURGERS
Serves 4

Need:
- 1 lb Organic Ground Turkey
- 1 Organic Egg
- 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
- 2-3 Tbs of Feta Cheese
- Handful of Parsley, Chopped
- 2 Tsps of Dill, Chopped (not needed, but, I had it in my garden so I added it)
- A Few Shakes of Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- Salt/Pepper

HOW:
- Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together (preferably with hands) - be careful not to overwork the meat
- Form an even ball and then take your hand to make a criss-cross shape into the meat so that it is divided into four equal parts
- Take each to part and form into a burger patty then press thumb into the center of each (this ensures that the meat will cook evenly because it tends to rise in the middle)
- Place on grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Make sure they are fully cooked through... this is NOT beef, it should never be pink.

Ideally, it should only be flipped once for even cooking and perfect grill marks!

I think I've shared my sweet potato fries recipe a zillion times, but, here it is again. JIC!
- Cut sweet potato (or two) into desired shape and toss with desired seasoning (this night, I used garlic powder, cayenne, salt/pepper). Bake on 425 for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for another 7 or 8. This should all happen while the meat is grillin'!

Plate and serve burger with Boston or Romaine lettuce for bonus health benefits! We top the burgers with organic ketchup, mustard, and desired spicy sauces. Then, wrap them up and mangia!

Have you guys tried the "Not your father's Root Beer" yet? OMG. Dangerously delicious and 5.9% alcohol by volume. Gotta love that I never drink soda but if it's soda/beer, I'm down. Enjoy and have a great Thursday night! xo

QUESTIONS:
What's your favorite thing to grill?
Have you tried the NYF Root Beer yet?
Do you grill in the winter months?

Caprese Zoodles

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It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, huh? Lo siento. I've noticed a pattern (you notice patterns in your life when you blog for a couple years). My recipe posts tend to drop off in the summer and pick back up in the winter. This is likely not a surprising little factoid, but, creating and posting recipes is something that I have to consciously think to do in the summer. The warm weather makes me crave salads, grilled protein, and lighter fare that would likely get very repetitive and a bit boring. Anyway, I have an easy dish that is light for summer and includes a creative spin on a caprese salad.

If you've been following my blog for a little while, you know that one of my favorite salads is caprese salad with avocado added! Tonight's dish is a warmer version of a caprese that's a bit more hearty and comforting.

NEED:

- 2 Zucchinis for Zoodles
- 6 Organic Chicken Tenderloins
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 3/4 Pint of Organic Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Handful of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley or Basil or Both
- Buffalo Mozzarella (as desired)
- Evoo
- Salt and Crushed Red Pepper to taste

STEP 1: Zoodle the noodles and set aside.

STEP 2: Half all the tomatoes and saute with lemon juice, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, and evoo

STEP 3: Add chicken and herbs to pan and cook throughly. The tomatoes should be softening and creating a nice light sauce.

STEP 4: Tear most of the mozzarella and add to pan. It should get a bit melty.

STEP 5: In a separate saute pan... add the zoodles with a drizzle of evoo and cook until slightly softened (about 2 mins).

STEP 6: Mix together and top with more herbs and a little more cheese, plate and serve!

That's it! A light summer meal full of vitamins and protein. Did you know that zucchini is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and B vitamins? I had no idea how high the potassium levels were which is great because zoodles are a PERFECT post workout meal.

I hope you are all having a great week! xo

QUESTIONS: Do you have a spiralizer?
Do you love caprese salad as much as me?
How was your Wednesday?

Asian Zoodle Bowl

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Hey guys! How's was your hump day? Mine had some pits and peaks. Pit: Our family dog, Stella, is in the hospital. It's effecting me pretty heavily... I was a mess this morning. I just hope she's ok and not in too much pain. :(
Peak: I have a few! 1.) My car got fixed and the folks at the service shop were super nice. 2.) I found an old iPhone 5 case that I bought over a year ago - it didn't fit my last phone so I held onto it. It has anchors on it - so nautical! 3) I nailed my Asian Zoodle Bowl recipe and was able to eat it outside on my deck (in the warmth).

Sooo, I'm going to provide that recipe to you all tonight. Are you sick of my zoodles and Asian noodle bowls yet? If you are... you can tell me. It's ok, I won't be offended ;)

The main staples I use with most noodles bowls are as follows (I bolded what I used tonight):
-Rice vinegar (a generous couple of pours)
-Low sodium soy sauce (couple of shakes)
-Chopped garlic (1-2 cloves)
-Sesame oil (tbs)
-Coconut oil (tbs)
-Sriracha (couple shakes)
-Organic peanut butter or Tahini Paste (tbs)
-Crushed red pepper (as desired)
-Veggies (lots) (red pepper, broccoli)
-Chicken or Shrimp (as desired)

Saute the veggies and chicken (note: if you use shrimp - wait and throw them in 2 minutes before everything is done) in all of the above. I usually start with the oils, rice vinegar, soy, and garlic. Then, after it cooks down for a bit - add nut butter, crushed red, sriracha and more vinegar/soy, as needed.

Tonight, I used zoodles which brought the whole healthiest level up about 95 notches. Rob actually asked if I mixed both regular noodles and zoodles - I didn't. I'm telling ya - the spiralizer is worth every damn penny. Saute the zoodles for about 2 minutes.

Top the zoodles with the awesomeness and serve!

Soooo goood. You cannot go wrong with noodle or zoodle bowls - you just can't. The flavor combination of the above ingredients is delightful - the vinegar really adds so much flavor. I make these so much because we truly love them. Plus, they are so incredibly healthy. If you need more guidance on the measurements - just shoot me a message. I make them differently every time so it's never really precise!

I hope you all have a great week. xo