Wednesday: Turkey Burger with Goat Cheese Spread and Garlic-Broccoli

 

This is one of my favorite burgers. I love that it has some sort of vegetable (spinach) in it. This Cooking Light Burger makes me feel good about serving it to my kids. The lemon zest gives it an extra burst of citrus goodness. :) Serve with a side of garlic-broccoli and you have made yourself a healthy dinner! There are only 269 calories per burger. YUM-YUM!

Turkey Burger Recipe
4 servings

2 tsp lemon rind, grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 cup of fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 large egg white
1/8 tsp pepper, divided
6 English muffins, toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves
6 slices red onion 

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 6 portions, shaping each into a patty. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, and cook for 8 minutes on each side or until done. 

 2. Toast english muffins. Spread 1 1/2 TB yogurt mixture on bottom half. Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 onion slice and 1 patty. Place top half of bun on each serving.

Yogurt/Goat Cheese spread Recipe 

1/2 cup low or nonfat yogurt or Greek style yogurt (if using low or nonfat-see additional instructions below) 
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup (1oz) crumbled goat cheese (I like using an herb variety)
2 TB flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 TB fresh oregano, chopped
1 TB fresh mint, chopped 

1. If using Greek style yogurt, go to step 2. If not, follow these instructions. Place yogurt in a paper towel lined strainer. Drain yogurt over sink for about 15 minutes. This thickens the yogurt, and turns it into something similar to Greek-style yogurt.

2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. 

Broccoli Recipe 

1 lb Broccoli crowns, cut up into bite sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil 

1. Steam broccoli for about 4-6 minutes until it is still crunchy. In a medium skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add cooked broccoli and saute for another minute until everything is blended together. Serve with Turkey burger. 
 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Combine turkey mixture ahead of time and keep in fridge for no longer than 24 hours. 
~Make goat cheese spread ahead of time, and keep in fridge. 
~Slice red onion ahead of time and keep in fridge.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Use ground chicken, pork or beef instead of turkey. If using beef, make sure to get lean cuts to cut down on the fat content.
~Try chopped rosemary and basil instead of oregano and mint. 
~Swap parsley for cilantro. 
~Yummy sourdough bread or french bread rolls would be good with these burgers. 
~Instead of goat cheese try feta. 
~Zest up a lime instead of lemon for the burgers. 
~Add some sprouts instead of lettuce. 

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Have you ever tried goat cheese?  

When I first discovered goat cheese, I was going to college in Arcata, CA and as some of you know, Arcata is ALL about organic food and health food. At one of the coffee shops they used to serve a toasted Foccasia bread sandwich with goat cheese , marinated artichokes and portabella mushrooms. Ever since then, I have been in love with goat cheese!

Goat cheese has a very distinct tangy flavor. It is tolerated well by those that are lactose intolerant and comes in many different flavors. My personal favorite is an herb variety. If you've never tried goat cheese, check it out next time you are at the grocery store. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you enjoy it. It's super yummy on a spinach salad with strawberries and slivered almonds.