Greek Turkey Burgers

Been lovin' my grill lately!  The cleanup is so much easier and I really notice the difference in the temperature in the house.  My sister and mom are constantly making turkey burgers and I was kinda craving one.  The worst thing about typical turkey burgers is they are so dry and tasteless.  I still had some leftover artichokes and olives and decided to make some Greek Turkey Burgers.  The artichokes kept the burgers so moist and the fresh herbs from my patio garden amped up the flavor!

Greek Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1 egg

4-5 canned artichoke hearts, chopped 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I used a combo of Thyme, Dill, Parsley, and Basil)

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Take the ground turkey out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you are going to make your patties.  Preheat your grill to a medium heat.  Then combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands until all ingredients are just combined.  Divide the mixture into 5 equal parts and press gently into patties.  They should be about an inch think on the outside and a little thinner in the middle.  Put burgers on the grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Serve with Buns and topped with hummus and tzatziki.

Enjoy!  Stay tuned for the greek salad recipe.  I was still impressed with these guys the next day for lunch as well!  Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Perfect Protein

As part of my post workout routine, I normally drink a protein shake or eat a protein packed breakfast.  I workout very early in the morning and can't stomach the idea of having the small protein filled snack experts say you are supposed to have, but the next best thing is eating within 30 minutes of your workouts culmination.  

The directions on the back of my protein powder can say to mix it with a little water and then drink it.  Well, I can drink it that way, but let's just say it isn't pleasant.  The powder refuses to dissolve completely with the water so you are left with little chunks when you are drinking it.  And, if you have ever tried protein powder before (it doesn't matter what kind) it has a weird aftertaste.  So, I had to find a way to make it more pleasant.  It has such great benefits and I really do think it boosts my workouts, but day after day, I can't take the chunky chocolaty protein powder water.  

This shake I created is protein packed, is full of healthy stuff and best of all tastes great!  You can use whatever fruit you want, but make sure to use bananas.  The blended frozen bananas create the best consistency.  It creates this creamy, decadent froth that you can't even believe comes as a plain old banana.  I like to freeze my own fruit, but you can use store bought if you want.  This shake keeps me satisfied for a long time and I look forward to making it every morning!

Chocolate Protein Shake

Ingredients

1/2 cup Fat Free Milk

1/2 Large Banana, frozen

1/2 Peach, Frozen

1/2 cup Blueberries

1/2 scoop Whey Protein Powder, Chocolate

Directions

Roughly chop banana and peach into chunks.  Pour milk into blender, then remaining ingredients.  Blend till mostly smooth and frozen chunks have been broken down.


What is your favorite post-workout meal?

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

I had house guests this weekend so I thought it would be nice to make some baked goods for the morning in case someone was hungry and I wasn't around to make breakfast yet.  Also, a can of pumpkin has been sitting in my cabinet since Thanksgiving and I have been wanting to use it.  Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins seemed like the perfect thing!

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour, about 6 3/4 ounces

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, and next 5 ingredents through cloves.  Stir well with a whisk.

Combine granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until just combined.  Fold in cranberries.

Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.  Spoon batter into prepared cups.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back with touched lightly in center.  Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on wire rack.

The best part is they are only 190 calories each and for a quick breakfast they are very moist and lovely.  I topped each of mine with 3 dried cranberries for a little garnish.  Unfortunately, the my kitchen light went out on Saturday so it was a little dark in there when I took this picture!  

New Treasure

Found these the other day and all I can say is that they are amazing!  They are the perfect little tools to put your hair up without 100 bobby pins.  98% of the time I blow dry and straighten my hair for work every day, but some mornings I am just fed up and want to put it up.  But, after all is said and done, the time I save blow drying and flat ironing is spent pushing in tons of bobby pins.  

These are the solution!  The box says they do the work of 20 bobby pins apiece.  I don't know how many they replace, but these two things held up my hair all day without readjusting at all.  The picture on the box is pretty boring looking, not that it is bad, but I like to get a bit more creative.  You can play around with them and after a few tries you can find something a bit more interesting.  

The directions that come in the box are really easy to understand and these babies are SO great.  You just turn them in and then at the end of the day twist them out.  That is the other thing with the bobby pins, then at the end of the day I spend 10 minutes taking out all the bobby pins.  I did have to use a couple to pin back some of my shorter layers, but other than that the Spin Pins do all the work!  

You can find them at Target or Walgreens.  

Do you have any favorite hair tools?

Pizza and a Movie

On Saturday night I was determined to make my own pizza with a pizza stone.  It was a little harder than I expected, but it was sure fun!  I have always wanted to make my own pizza on a pizza stone to make it taste like true wood fired pizza with the bubbly crust.  Nothing really is the same as pizza in Italy, but there are a few places here that come close.  Sometimes though, I would like to have my pizza in the comfort of my own home and have whatever toppings I want.  

This was my first time with my pizza stone, and I definitely need more practice with it, but below I have listed some of my dos and don'ts of pizza making on a pizza stone!  

Also, after racing through The Firm (book version) because I loved it so much and couldn't put it down, I was SO excited to rent the movie on our AppleTV and watch the book in action.  What a disappointment.  John Grisham is a best selling author for a reason and they totally hacked his work!  Switched around the story lines in detrimental ways.  Serves them right for getting such terrible reviews and ratings.  Seriously, I wish I could erase the whole thing from my mind because it was such a disappointment.  If you haven't read the book, you really should.  The movie was so awful.  

Ugh...thank goodness I had my pizza!!

My Toppings: Tomato Sauce, Mushrooms, Artichoke Hearts, Turkey Meatballs, Black Olives, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Onion, Pineapple, Shredded Mozzarella and Fresh Herbs from my patio garden.  Obviously you can use whatever you want.  Yes, I put all that stuff on, I like it that way!

First order of business.  Put your pizza stone into your oven when your oven is COLD.  Then heat your oven to 450 degrees.  Leave it alone and start dealing with the dough.

It is important to have a pizza peel or something like it to make sliding the pizza dough onto the stone as easy as possible.  Make sure to sprinkle some flour and cornmeal on the pizza peel first before you put the dough on top.  Otherwise it will be so sticky and heavy you will never get it off.  Brush the crust with a little olive oil so it gets nice and browned. 

After you stretch or roll out the dough onto the peel, put all your toppings on.  It is vital that you spread out your toppings, sauce and cheese evenly.  Try to not to put too much in the middle of the pizza because it will make the center too heavy and soggy when baking.  

Remove the Pizza Stone from the oven using gloves for HIGH temperatures only.  Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the stone and gently slide the pizza from your peel to the stone.  

Put your stone back into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly!

Things I learned:

-Remember to put the pizza stone in a COLD oven

-Buy fine ground cornmeal

-Do not listen to a guy in the elevator about how good Trader Joe's pizza dough is.  I bought the wheat kind and didn't love it.  Next time I will make it myself or get some from a pizza place.  

-That I am not a professional pizza tosser and next time I should use a rolling pin to get the 

dough to the thickness I prefer.  

-My husband standing over me directing is not helpful.  

Especially when he doesn't know anything about pizza making.

-Making pizza is harder than I thought.

Hope this inspires you to try this out!  It really was a lot of fun, even though at times I was a bit frustrated because I wanted it to be perfect.  I will have to practice more and I am sure I will eventually get the perfect results.  My pizza was still excellent and I am very proud that I didn't burn myself.  That pizza stone gets extremely hot so be careful!!

If you have made pizza on a stone, leave me some tips!  I am going to try again soon!

Fun at the Fair

This past weekend my family went to the OC Fair!  Every year it seems to get bigger and we always have a ton of fun no matter who we go with.  They have tons of food stands, mostly advertising everything fried you can imagine, even fried butter!  Gross!  We tried almost everything from fresh roasted corn on the cob, ribs, chicken kabobs, Dippin' Dots and even mini cupcakes!!  

My favorite part is always all the rides, but this year, after my 4th of July Sumo Wrestling accident, my chiropractor has still not cleared me to go running so I am almost positive the carnival rides are out of the question.  So sad.  Instead, Brian was determined to win all the games and acquire numerous stuffed animals.  Where are we going to put this thing?! 

 

Hope everyone is having a great summer! 

Summer Slaw

When browsing Bon Appetit the other day I found this recipe for Cabbage and Corn Slaw with a Cilantro and Orange dressing.  I have been thinking about making Turkey Burgers lately for dinner and it made the perfect compliment.  I just get so bored of the same old salads and there is nothing better than a nice refreshing 

side dish to mix up an otherwise ordinary dinner.  

Ground Turkey is an easy, inexpensive, versatile protein to buy and I always find myself recreating last night's dinner into something else the next day for lunch.  It cooks quickly and is low in both calories and fat.  Perfect for weeknights and quick cooking.  This week, I had actually bought it to throw into a quick pasta that I had been dreaming up in my head with roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese, but then when I saw this slaw recipe I changed my mind.  Note: If you are wondering why my turkey burgers in the background look like a hot dog shape, it is because they were.  I only had hot dog buns in the freezer so I just went with it! 

Cabbage and Corn Slaw with Cilantro and Orange Dressing

Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients

-1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

-1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

-1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (I used about half the amount to cut the fat and calories)

-2 (8 oz) bags of coleslaw mix

 -4 ears of fresh corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob 

(I roasted mine on the BBQ for a few minutes to cut the raw taste)

-2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

-1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and cut into thin strips

-6 green onions, thinly sliced

-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Whisk orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, and oil in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dressing can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  

Combine slaw mix, corn, carrots, bell pepper, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl.  Toss with enough dressing to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Let stand 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Toss again and serve. 

A Taste of the Past

Growing up in the South Bay, we had this favorite Mexican restaurant we used to go to that made the best tostadas.  It was the combination of the thinly shredded lettuce, the chicken that sprinkled on top and the homemade dressing was the ultimate.  Unfortunately, we moved and the owners sold the place...it just wasn't the same.  This tostada is just a taste of my childhood that I have been meaning to recreate.  It had to look the same, taste the same and bring back the same memories that I shared with my family at Arturo's in Harbor City.

After some research online about traditional Mexican salad dressings and the ingredients used, I managed to come up with something really similar.  I knew that it consisted of three main ingredients: Oil, Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar.  After looking at some recipes for things that seemed similar, I decided that I was right, but other people had also used Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Olive Oil and Water.  I had to try it a couple different ways to make sure, after all, it has been at least 10 years since I last ate this!  

Tostada Salad

A Recreation from Arturo's

Ingredients

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded very thin

4 Chicken Breasts, roasted simply with Salt and Pepper, shredded

1/2 cup Black Olives, sliced

1 cup Red Onion, diced

1 cup Tomatoes, diced

4 dollops Sour Cream (I used non-fat Greek Yogurt)

1 Avocado, sliced

1/4 cup Red Salsa, Mild

1 can Refried Beans (I used the Vegetarian kind, but you could use what you want)

1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

4 tablespoons Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

In a small pot heat up the refried beans until heated evenly.  Spread an equal amount of the beans on the 4 plates in the middle.  Top with a mound of lettuce.  Sprinkle tomatoes, black olives, red onion over lettuce.  In the middle top with one shredded chicken breast per plate.  One dollop of sour cream over chicken, then 1 tablespoon of salsa and 2 slices of avocado per plate.  

Combine red wine vinegar, oil and sugar in a small bowl and whisk till combined.  If you have a small squeeze bottle pour the mixture inside so you can shake the dressing easily.  Otherwise, just drizzle from the bowl over the salads and serve!  

I hope you enjoy this taste from my past!  When you start eating the salad you get little bites of beans, lettuce chicken and all the other things mixed together.  The dressing really completes the whole thing.  

What is your favorite food memory from your childhood?

Missed the Boat

I don't know how I missed the boat...

On John Grisham.

After all the books I have read and all the trips to the bookstore who knows what happened along the way, but I just never started reading his books.  Probably because he wrote his first book way before I was born and, as I have mentioned before, I have an obsession with starting with the very first book an author has written and making my way towards the most recent.  

Of course, I know who he is and have heard of him.  I know a good amount of his books have been made into movies and have even seen some of them, but I just never started reading them.

Well, that all has changed two weeks ago and by extension I am a changed person.  I am obsessed with them and can't wait to keep reading in my spare time!  Last week I finished "A Time to Kill" and am already almost done with "The Firm".  I am hooked!

"A Time to Kill" had me mesmerized by the struggle between fighting for family and doing what is lawful.  I read it in perfect timing with the Caylee Anthony trial and the whole thing had me thinking about what it must be like to be a juror in a trial that has the whole country deciding what is right and what is wrong.  Both juries were sequestered and kept from the comforts of home, their families, their jobs with the weight of someones life in their hands.  If you haven't read this book, you really need to!

What is your favorite John Grisham book?

A Fresh take on Cucumber Salad

We went to a new Japanese Sushi Restaurant the other night and when perusing through the menu I saw something interesting.  Plum and Cucumber Sushi.  At first I thought it sounded weird, but then I started thinking it would probably be a really lovely combination.  One of Brian and my favorite things when we are going for Sushi is the cucumber salad which I also make at home fairly often.  I have tried rolling my own sushi at home and it just never comes out exactly like the professionals so I wasn't going to embark on that again.  Not to mention buying all the necessary tools to make sushi is more expensive than going down to the restaurant and paying the whole $5 for the roll.  

Anyways, below I made my own rendition of Cucumber Salad with Plums.  It turned out beautiful and the flavors were perfect together.  This is the season to make it too with Plums so ripe and gorgeous right now.  Just looking at the picture is making my mouth water because it was so fresh and light!

I know this picture isnt that attractive, but I had to show you how to best sliver the plums.  Using a mandolin, slice the plums into fairly thin slices (upper right).  Then using your knife, stack a couple plum slices together and sliver them vertically (lower left).  I also used my mandolin to slice the cucumbers since I already had it out.  Usually I am so lazy to wash it I just use my knife!

Cucumber Plum Salad

Ingredients

2 cups Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 cup Plum, thinly sliced and slivered

1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Carrot, match-stick cut

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Cilantro, fresh and chopped roughly

2 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice

2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

1/8 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste (won't need hardly any)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss gently making sure to combine all ingredients.  Enjoy!

Nouveau Roasted Potatoes

Ever on the quest to find or reinvent new side dishes, I came up with something last week that was sure to breakup my feeling of boredom for my current collection of side dishes.  Potatoes are not my favorite vegetable and I feel no inclination to like them because they really don't provide any fabulous health benefits, but they are pretty much the ultimate starch.  If I am going to indulge in an unhealthy starch, I would much rather a giant piece of homemade bread.  

When I was young I remember my mom making these Roasted Potatoes with Caramelized Onions.  They seemed so sophisticated and special!  She later told me, "oh, those potatoes?  They are so easy!"  They are easy, and still look so impressive to me, but even though I make them all the time for Brian and my sis (the potato fiend), I still don't eat them.  

Then, it hit me!  I like sweet potatoes and I could do the same thing with them!  They were delicious and different.  I love the color and the more intense flavor.  I also felt good knowing I was getting some nutritional benefits to go with my happy taste buds.

Nouveau Roasted Potatoes

(I also had to give them a sophisticated name because I am just so impressed with myself.  Ha!)

Ingredients

4 Sweet Potatoes or Yams, chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 medium Red Onions, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh Cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons dried Tarragon

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh Cracked Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a cookie sheet covered with cooking spray.  Toss with olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and onions are caramelized.

Restaurant Review: Taco Asylum

After hearing and reading many accolades for Taco Asylum, I have been dying to try it for months.  Of course, I always remember I want to go there when I am already someplace else.  The other night Brian and I were looking for a fun, casual place to go eat because neither of us thought the halibut I planned to prepare sounded appetizing.  Suddenly, I remembered the glorious article I read about this hip, intriguing taco joint that prides itself on "non-traditional gourmet" tacos.  Who wouldn't want to go here and try a Short Rib Taco with Ghost Chili Sauce??  

We set off to "Camp", the shopping center it is in, and miraculously found a parking spot.  As we approached the restaurant I noticed that all the other places surrounding it were packed, yet the line at Taco Asylum was dismal.  Undeterred by my mission to experience the best tacos on earth and my thoughts of greatness drowned out my husband's negative comments about how "good places are always busy"...blah, blah, we entered.  The menu was a bit confusing and the cashier did not lead us on the culinary exploration I had hoped, but my thoughts were still so positive and I was thrilled to find they had Ginger Ale on the extensive beverage menu.  Yay!  How could all of this go wrong?  I am thinking, "I am in for a wonderful experience and this will be our new favorite place!!"

Well...I don't even know if I can express my disappointment thoroughly.  I will start off by saying that I left having eaten, but I was not satisfied.  At all.  My tacos came, Short Rib and the special of the night Crispy Chicken, and they were just "Okay".  Brian ordered the Wild Mushroom, Lamb and Duck.  He couldn't even eat his Lamb one because it was dripping so much grease that it initiated a gag-reflex in both of us when he attempted to pick it up.  Also, the tortilla was so soaking wet from the grease that it just fell apart in his hands.  Gross.  Needless to say, I left feeling sad, frustrated and defeated.  And, our experience only took a total of 20 minutes!  So much for a wonderful dinner with great food and interesting atmosphere.  I would have much rather gone to Baja Fresh.  That would have been a treat.

My wonderful husband saw my sad face and drove straight to one of my favorite Italian restaurants for dessert.  Their Budino, a chocolate and salted carmel pudding with fresh whipped cream, can cure any aliment.  Plus, we had to get a pizza to go as well.  I know, we are pigs.

The Ginger Ale literally tasted like battery acid.  I have never tried battery acid, but I promise it was horrible.

Crispy Fried Chicken and Short Rib Taco

 

 Hot Sauces.  Only cool thing there was the Ghost Chili Sauce.  

In conclusion, I would not go back here.  I really had such high hopes of it being fantastic, but it just wasn't.  In fact, it wasn't even good.  Also, although I am never really concerned about the value and money I spent to eat someplace, I have to mention that it was expensive.  We spent $40 on 5 tacos and 2 Ginger Ales.  Outrageous I know!

'Tis the Season

One of the best vegetables that summer brings in season are artichokes.  It seems like every time I walk around the grocery store there is a special on them and I just can't resist picking up a few.  They are so easy to prepare and are fun to eat!  They are a great source of folic acid, dietary fiber and Vitamin C, but their nutritional benefits are easily compromised with the traditional sauces that are usually served with them.  I like to serve this healthy dipping sauce with it that is full of fresh flavor and health benefits too!

Yogurt-Dill Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Dill

1/2 teaspoon Tarragon

1/8 teaspoon fresh chopped Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard or Trader Joe's Garlic Mustard Sauce

Directions

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.  Serve!