Greek Turkey Burgers

It's fun to find new ways to change up a tradtional turkey burger.  I love turkey burgers because they are guilt-free (well not completely, but you know what I mean) way to enjoy summer grilling!  This recipe is for a Greek style turkey burger with a creamy cucumber dill sauce that is a perfect condiment topping.

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 turkey burger + bun + 1 Tbsp. cucumber dill sauce
Points Plus: 8pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Grill/Cook Time:

Ingredients:
Cucumber Dill Sauce:
1 7 oz. plain Greek yogurt (I prefer the Fage brand)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
Fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)

Turkey Burgers:
1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey
1 egg
2 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, dill and fresh lemon juice.  Whisk together with a small whisk until well combine.  Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the turkey burgers.  Wash and prep the onion, cucumber (the thin slices will be used as a burger topping) and dice the roasted red peppers.  In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, frozen spinach, roasted red peppers, onion, oregano, garlic, bread crumbs, feta and salt & pepper to taste.  Mix together (using your hands works the best) until all ingredients are well combined.  Divide the mixture into 6 and shape into burger patties.  Cook on the grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side.  Check to make sure the turkey burgers reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to make sure they are cooked through.  Serve with the cucumber dill sauce and the cucumber slices!

Tip:
One of my favorite parts of grilling is how easy it is to toast the buns while the burgers are finishing cooking.  We have a wire rack above our burners that works perfect - it's like a little shelf perfectly made for buns or bread. :)

XOXO Megan

Santa Fe Stuffed Zucchini

It's definitely zucchini season!  I don't know about you, but I love zucchini and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it.  I found this recipe which makes zucchini boats that are stuffed with a Santa Fe seasoned ground turkey mixture.  The original recipe calls for 12 oz. ground turkey and not the full cans of black beans or corn - I decided to make a bigger recipe and had some leftover stuffing mixture that I baked in a sepearte pan in the oven.  The leftover stuffing would be great over lettuce!

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 2 zucchini halves 
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
5 medium zucchini
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
Kosher salt
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to to boil.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and slice each zucchini in half length-wise.  Scoop out the insides of each zucchini half, leaving about 1/4 of an inch to form a zucchini boat.  Place the hollowed out zucchini halves in the boiling water and boil for 1-2 minutes.  Save the insides of the zucchini to add to the stuffing mixture.  Brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat; season with salt to taste.  Once the turkey is almost cooked through, add in the black beans, corn, jalapeno, tomato, onion, garlic, zucchini and cumin.  Mix all ingredients together and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, covered.  Place the zucchini boats in a 9x13 baking dish.  Add about a 1 Tbsp. to the bottom of each zucchini half and then top with the turkey stuffing mixture, about 1/3 cup of stuffing will fill each boat.  Finish with 1 1/2 Tbsp. shredded cheese per half and top with fresh cilantro.  Bake for 35 minutes and then serve immediately.

Tip:
Maybe Santa Fe isn't your favorite seasoning?  Try taco zucchini boats instead!

XOXO Megan

Recipe inspired by Skinnytaste  

Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

This meatball recipe is from my Mom :)  She usually makes them with ground beef, but I wanted to try out turkey instead.  They were so easy to make and they make quite a few so you will likely have leftovers!  I only made enough pasta for 2 servings when I made these, but I adjusted the recipe below to serve 8 and use up all the meatballs.  Just a serving of 3 meatballs with sauce would be 4pp.  

Servings:  8 servings (total recipe will make 24 meatballs)

Size:  3 meatballs per servings + 3/4 cup cooked pasta + 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Points Plus: 10pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lbs. ground turkey

½ cup onion, chopped

1 egg, beaten
¾ cup oatmeal
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. fettuccine pasta
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients (through pepper) and mix well (this works best by mixing with your hands).  In a 9x13 baking dish or stone, spread 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom.  Shape the turkey mixture into 24 meatballs and place on top of the sauce.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Add an additional 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce to the tops of the meatballs at this point and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until no trace of pink remains.  While the meatballs are baking, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Serve in pasta bowls.  I suggest 3 meatballs per serving (this matches the pp value above) and a small sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top (about 1 Tbsp. of cheese).

Tip:

A great idea for leftovers with this recipe is to make meatball subs with your leftover meatballs!  

XOXO Megan

White Chili

Before we move on to Spring I wanted to post ONE more tasty soup recipe. And a chili no less! And a WHITE chili no less!  I had never made white chili before, and this turned out really good. I adapted my recipe from Skinnytaste's White Bean Chili. I changed the proportions a bit and added a few additional veggies.  This is great as soup but would also make a tasty chili dip with veggies! Beware, this chili has a kick!

Servings: 14
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 5pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredient List:
Cooking spray
1 onion, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 lbs ground turkey, lean
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can yellow corn
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
Salt + pepper to taste
Green onions, chopped

Directions:
Spray a large dutch oven and heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, siring a few times. Add the ground turkey and cook through, about 5 more minutes. Add a pinch of salt, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add beans, corn, broth and bay leave - allow soup to simmer for 1 hour. Stir in the sour cream and let cook about 3 more minutes.  Top green onions!

Tip:
The great thing about chili is you can use whatever is in your fridge or pantry! I thought garbonzo beans would also work well in this soup.

XOXO - Katie

Asian Meatballs

These little appetizer meatballs are SO delicious!  They have a blend of fresh ginger, cilantro, soy sauce and of course the lime in the dipping sauce.  I found the original recipe on Skinnytaste for these meatballs served as an entrée with zucchini noodles.  I made them into smaller, bite-sized versions for an appetizer dinner my husband and I made last weekend.  Try them out and see what you think!

Servings:  8 (total recipe will make 24 meatballs)

Size:  3 meatballs

Points Plus: 3pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredient List:

Meatballs-

¼ cup bread crumbs

1 ¼ lbs. lean ground turkey

1 egg

1 Tbsp. ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

1 Tbsp. soy sauce, low-sodium

2 tsp. sesame oil

Dipping Sauce –

3 Tbsp. soy sauce, low-sodium

1 ½ tsp. sesame oil

1 ½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 ½ Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. scallion, chopped

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all 10 ingredients above for the meatballs.  It works best to use your hands to make sure all ingredients are fully combined.  Shape into meatballs that are about 1/8 cup in size (total you should make about 24 meatballs total).  Bake on a baking sheet or stone until fully cooked, about 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, combine all 5 ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small bowl.  Use a small whisk to fully integrate all the flavors.  Serve as a side to the meatballs or drizzle some of the sauce on top of the meatballs.

Tip:
You could easily modify this recipe to make Italian style mini meatballs instead or Asian.  Throw in some fresh parsley, onion and maybe some roasted red pepper?  The great thing about making meatballs with ground turkey instead of beef is that you can cut down on pp!

XOXO Megan

Turkey & Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf

This is such a good meatloaf recipe AND it’s lighter than the traditional recipe since it uses turkey instead of ground beef.  My husband absolutely LOVES this recipe!  This definitely fits into the hearty 'meat & potatoes' type meal that many men really enjoy for dinner. I love the additions like roasted red peppers and fresh parsley – it really makes the flavors pop.  Serve this with a simple side salad or a fresh veggie like green beans or asparagus!

Servings:  5

Size:  1/5 of meatloaf

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lbs. ground turkey

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well (this works best by mixing with your hands).  Shape the meat into a loaf shape and place in a glass baking dish.  Bake until no trace of pink remains, about 45 minutes.  Let the meatloaf rest for about 15 mintues before slicing and serving.

Tip:

You would think a loaf pan would be the best for a meatloaf recipe… right??  Well, last time I made this recipe I flattened it out a bit and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish instead.  It turned out great!  I’m not sure I will go back to the loaf pan and instead save it for breads and baked goods.  It seemed to be much easier to get out of the pan in a flatter dish and easier to serve (the pieces didn’t fall apart as easily).  Try it out!

XOXO Megan

Turkey and Feta Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it comes from the eatliverun blog.  This was an easy weeknight meal for Paul and me.  I loved that it made four servings too – sometimes it’s so nice to have leftovers and not have to cook again!

Servings:  4

Size:  1 stuffed bell pepper

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time:  30 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

4 large green bell peppers

1.5 lbs ground turkey

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup crumbled feta cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the diced onion and garlic – sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add in the tomato paste and mix well.  Next, add the ground turkey, breaking into smaller pieces; cook until browned.  Add in the can of diced tomatoes along with the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and salt.  Simmer and cook the mixture for about 15-20 minutes to help reduce the sauce down.  While the turkey is browning, wash the green bell peppers and slice off the top and remove the seeds and fleshy part inside the peppers.  Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil and place the peppers on it.  Once your turkey stuffing is done cooking, scoop the mixture into each pepper.  Top each pepper with crumbled feta.  Place another piece of tinfoil over the tops of the peppers to seal.  Bake your peppers in a 350° oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Tip:

My pepper stuffing mixture ended up being very runny – I would recommend trying to drain out some of the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes to help cut back on this.

XOXO Megan

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was a kitchen disaster SAVED at the last minute. I wanted to make some Asian lettuce wraps inspired by the popular PF Chang's app. When cutting the lettuce I got three 'cups', but everything else ripped. SO, I improvised and created three lettuce wraps and one lettuce salad.  Both were very good and nothing went to waste.  Also, sesame oil is like the best oil ever!

Servings: 4
Size: 1 cup meat mixture, unlimited lettuce cups
Points Plus: 6pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredients:
1.25 pounds ground turkey, 93% lean
1/4 cup water chestnuts, cubed
1/4 cup mushrooms, cubed
1/4 cub red onion
1/4 cup carrots
1 T + 1/2 t. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 t. sesame oil
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
Kosher salt
Pepper
Iceberg lettuce, cut into cups or cubed (for salad)*
Siracha
Cooking spray

Directions:
Prepare lettuce.  Either rip into cups, or cube. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and a some ground pepper.  Whisk together and set aside. Add 1/2 t. to wok and saute ground turkey. As turkey cooks spray a skillet with a dash of cooking spray and saute the carrots and onion, about five minutes. Add the water chestnuts and mushrooms and cook 4 minutes longer.  Add veggie and sauce mixtures to ground turkey and saute until meat is cooked through. Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and divide into four, 1 cup servings. Put in cups or over lettuce and squeeze

 a little hot sauce over the top!

Tip:
After some internet research I found that Bibb or Butter* lettuce works well for lettuce wraps. My cups may have turned out better if I would have had a little more patience when disassembling the head!

XOXO Katie

Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw

Ground turkey, although healthy, can sometimes be a little blah. Not the case with this recipe!  These buffalo turkey burgers come together quickly and taste GREAT!  The buffalo seasoning is just enough to add flavor, but it doesn’t completely overwhelm your burgers.

Servings:  6

Size:  1 burger + bun; ¼ cup slaw

Points Plus: 9 pts

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

*Recipe is originally from Skinnytaste with some slight adaptations.

Ingredient List:

Coleslaw –

1 ½  cups broccoli slaw

¼ cup light blue cheese dressing (I used Wishbone variety)

Turkey Burgers –

1.25 lbs. ground turkey

2/3 cup grated carrots

¼ cup breadcrumbs

1/8 cup red onion, grated

¼ cup Frank’s hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray

6 slices of reduced fat cheddar

6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Combine the broccoli slaw and light blue cheese dressing in a medium bowl.  Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve the burgers.  In a larger bowl, combine the ground turkey, carrots, breadcrumbs, red onion, hot sauce and salt and pepper.  Mix well and shape into 6 patties.  Place the patties on wax pepper.  Lightly coat a grill pan with cooking spray.  Add the burgers and cook over medium heat, each side should take about 4-5 minutes.  Once you have flipped the burgers and are cooking the final side, add a slice of cheese for the last minute of cook time.  While you are cooking the burgers, toast the hamburger buns.  Place burgers on the toasted bun and top with broccoli slaw.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tip:

The original recipe from Skinnytaste has a link to a recipe for a skinny homemade blue cheese dressing – I saved time by buying a store-bought light version instead.  Also, these burgers were delicious from a grill pan on top of the stove, but we think they would be even better on an outdoor grill.  Try it and let us know what you think!

XOXO - Megan