Burger Night!

This turkey burger is loaded with toppings. Let's talk about how to prepare it...

What you need:

99% fat free ground turkey

fat free feta cheese

oregano

ground pepper

sprouted grain burger buns

garlic

purple onions

spinach

tomato

olive oil

To do:

liberally coat pan with olive oil and add sliced onion and minced garlic. saute

roast red peppers in oven with oregano and olive oil splashed on top

after making a ball-shape with each turkey burger, make an opening and place a piece of feta cheese in the burger. re-roll, add oregano and pepper, then grill.

toast hamburger buns, then stack the toppings on the burger as you please.

The side dish is simply steamed broccoli and the roasted red peppers, mixed together. Roasted asparagus would also make a great side dish in place of the broccoli and peppers.

For dessert:

Try a juicy Minneola. So good!

Spaghetti Squash Bake

I made my special someone his favorite dish recently: spaghetti squash bake. This is an extremely healthy alternative to using pasta for a spaghetti meal. Once spaghetti squash is cooked, it can be easily taken out of the shell with a fork. The flesh has the appearance of spaghetti noodles. Apparently, I was so excited about dinner that I forgot to snap the pic before the damage was done to the dish. This is my own little creation, so I hope you try it for yourself.

What you need:

spaghetti squash: cooked and flesh removed

99% fat free ground turkey: browned

almond cheese: yes you can make "cheese" from almonds. buy the mozzarella style

garlic cloves

rosemary

garlic and oregano pasta sauce

fresh ground black pepper

To do:

Saute the minced garlic, then add browned turkey, spices and sauce. Let simmer for a bit.

Grate the cheese (not grated in picture, because the kitchen I was using didn't have a grater).

...Now, layer everything. Put down a layer of squash, then sauce mixture, then cheese. You should have about 3 layers, depending on the size of your baking dish. Cook in the oven until bubbling.

Salad:

This is simply: red cabbage, red leaf lettuce, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil tossed together, then chilled.

Bread:

There is a lovely little bakery in Abingdon, VA: Wildflour Bakery & Cafe. I bought their "War" bread, which is multigrain. I simply tore it into little dipping pieces for the dipping sauce I made.

Dipping sauce:

olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper.

Truly one of my favorite meals.

Lemon fish Cod

This meal is packed with Quercetin-rich foods. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that is undergoing rigorous research currently. It may help increase exercise endurance and speed muscle recovery. One theory is that quercetin increases the oxygen capacity of the muscle by increasing the number of mitochondria. Another theory is that it may prevent fatigue by way of the central nervous system. Quercetin contains anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce postworkout muscle soreness. I say, bring on the capers! They contain the highest amount of this antioxidant per serving. Other foods in this recipe that contain this little powerhouse are red onions and tomatoes.

What you need:

olive oil

Cod fillets

black pepper

paprika

red onions

mushrooms

clam broth
lemon juice

lemon rind

capers (rinse them like crazy...they contain an astonishing amount of sodium, even after drained)

What to do:

saute the fish in the olive oil with the spices, then remove from pan

saute the remaining ingredients, adding the capers and lemon at the end

pour sauce over fish and voila. Enjoy!

To add to this meal, you can steam asparagus with: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and pepper.

For my endurance athlete friends: I suggest adding sprouted grain pasta with sundried tomato pesto sauce as a side dish.

Tomatoes, Basil and Shrimp Pasta

I made this dish this past Fall and it was delicious! The 3 ingredients that make the meal special are: local heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil leaves snipped right from the plant and extra sharp cheddar cheese from Canada (it's naturally white).

What you need:

cooked shrimp (I like the Jumbo kind)

olive oil (extra virgin, first cold press)

sliced mushrooms

thinly sliced garlic cloves

blush wine (Biltmore estate wines never disappoint and the rest of the bottle was finished off in the background of the picture :)

tomatoes

sea salt

ground pepper

cooked lemon-pepper pasta

chopped, fresh basil

grated, extra sharp cheddar cheese (just enough to top off each serving...think "decoration")

What to do:

heat oil in skillet over med-high heat

-add mushrooms and garlic

-saute till mushrooms are soft, add shrimp, saute, then add wine, deglaze pan , cook 1 minute

-add tomatoes, salt, pepper, pre-cooked pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Top with Basil and cheese. Enjoy!!

Berry Protein Shake

This is just a simple protein shake for those of you who are hitting the iron hard. It's important to take in protein within 30 minutes after your weight-lifting workout. This shake is full of antioxidants and is low in fat. Take 1 scoop of an all-natural, strawberry, whey protein powder and blend it with frozen raspberries and blueberries and light soy milk. The protein and the fiber from the whole fruit makes this drink quite filling. Enjoy.

Tomacado Breakfast

I love those morning when I have a little time to linger over my soy latte and catch-up on the news in the world. I purchased an espresso machine about 4 months ago and it has been one of the smartest moves I've made. It's amazing how much money you save by making your own favorite coffee drinks. Maybe one day I'll acquire the skill to perform latte art...

Today's breakfast features a Tomacado sandwich. I thought I made this word up until I Googled it. Alas, someone else has already thought of it. The sandwich is very simple. Slice up a small tomato, 1/4 of an avocado and scramble 2 egg whites. Toast an Ezekial sprouted grain english muffin. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper on top and voila. Easy, healthy, wholesome breakfast.

The sprouted grain products are a complete protein, because they contain lentils mixed with other grains. I prefer tomatoes still on the vine when purchased. They are usually more juicy and fresh tasting. And, if you already have access to fresh produce then go for it! I'm looking forward to the day that I have my own little vegetable garden.

Eating the egg whites only will give you all the protein without the cholesterol. I like to get my fat from plant products, hence the avocado. The pictures are quite blurry due to my camera being fussy this morning (it has horrible mood swings). I plan to post dinner either tonight or tomorrow. Have a beautiful day!