Day 7: Southwestern Turkey Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4
Calories per serving, turkey burger: 342
Calories per serving, sweet potato fries: 89

For the sweet potato fries
2 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
Juice of 1/2 lime

For the turkey burger
1 1/3 pounds lean ground turkey
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2–3 spritzes canola oil in a mister
3 ounces 50%-reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese, cut into thin slices
4 whole-wheat Kaiser rolls
Romaine lettuce leaves
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced

1. For the sweet potato fries, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and dry the potatoes and, with the skin on, slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; cut the rounds into 1/2-inch-thick finger-shaped pieces. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the oil, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.

3. On a baking sheet, spread the sweet potato fries in a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter or bowl and sprinkle with a little more salt.


4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the lean ground turkey with the diced chiles and season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

5. Heat a large grill pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat and spritz with canola oil. Add the turkey patties to the grill pan and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to low, cover (if using a skillet) and cook until the juices run pale pink, about 4 more minutes. Top with the reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese during the last minute.

6. Toast the rolls in the oven or in a toaster oven. Alternatively, grill them 1 minute on each side.

7. To assemble: On a platter, place the fries and a burger on a bun and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado slices. Squeeze lime juice over the fries and serve.

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This week is all about dinner! Sorry I didn't get to blog yesterday but this meal was made on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

This meal was delicious. My family really enjoyed it and I will be making again sometime soon.

Day 7: No Recipe

No recipe today but I have been eating healthy and watching my calories. WOOT! For that!

Day 6: No Recipe

I needed a break from cooking so no recipe today. I will resume tomorrow.

On another note, I am doing pretty well with staying inside of my calorie limit. Woot!

Day 5: Stuffed French Toast Sundaes

Serves 2 (2 cups per person)
Calories per serving: 353

1 whole egg
1 egg white
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blackberries
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, milk, cinnamon and honey. Spray a nonstick muffin pan with calorie-free vegetable spray. Carefully dip each slice of the bread into the egg/milk mixture and press it into the muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, until crisp.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of the ricotta mixture into each of the bread cups and top with berries. Drizzle the maple syrup on top.

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The french toast is so delightful. I never had ricotta cheese before today but it is pretty good mixed with other foods. I substituted the raspberries and blackberries for blueberries. I may have to make this more often.

Yesterday, I was so bad. I started my day off well but it ended with fried chicken and corn bread. My husband took me to a soul food restaurant. The food was yummy but I only ate a little bit because I felt so bad. Did I mention that I had popcorn at the movies? I didn't even work out. I will be doing overtime next week to make up for this weekend.

Day 4: Raspberry, Orange, and Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 205

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup chopped banana

2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Place the ingredients into the bowl of a blender and whip up until smooth.

*Ideal for a mid-morning snack.

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This smoothie is so yummy! I doubled the recipe for my family of 4 and it still worked great! This morning I had a muffin from Day 3's recipe and as a mid-morning snack, I had a smoothie. What a delicious way to start my day!?

Day 3: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Serves 12
Calories per serving: 200

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.


2. In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.

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OMG!! These muffins are DELICIOUS!! They are the bomb diggity! They are so moist and yummy. I will definitely being making these again! The chocolate chips on top sealed the deal for me! The recipe is pretty simple and I love that there isn't a long bake time.

I know I am posting early, but I had to make my husband breakfast and lunch tonight since he has to be at work before I wake.

I also stayed inside my calorie limits today and I will be doing sit ups and push ups before bed. Woot!

Here is a pic of the muffins. My kids helped make them.

Day 2: Eggs Benedict on a Muffin with Garlic Aioli

Serves 4
Calories per serving, eggs Benedict on a muffin: 178
Calories per serving, garlic aioli: 145

For the eggs
8 fresh chives
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 whole-wheat English muffins
8 slices smoked salmon (4 ounces)
1 cup mixed baby greens

For the garlic aioli
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons water, warm
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. Trim 1 1/2 inches from the tops of the chives, and reserve for garnish. Finely chop remaining chives, and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.
and bring to a steady simmer. Break an egg into a small bowl, hold the edge of the bowl close to the water, and tilt the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook until whites are cooked through but yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs, one at a time, with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

3. Toast the English muffin halves, and cut into 3-inch rounds using a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place a poached egg on the cut side of each muffin, and drape a slice of smoked salmon over each egg. Divide the greens among the muffins and mound over the smoked salmon. Spoon the sauce over and around the Eggs Benedict, garnish with remaining chives and serve.

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This wasn't one of my favorite recipes. I'm not into tomatoes or runny eggs. Also, I have a 'thing' about certain textures and I didn't like the parsley in the aioli. Overall, this not a recipe I will be cooking again but it was great to try it and it was filling. Breakfast today, was a grand total of 323 calories!