Bombtastic Turkey Apple Burger Patties

Today I wanted a burger.

I'm recovering from a peg to the face with a volleyball.

The story:

I coach 7th grade girls volleyball and we practice in the same gym as 8th graders. During practice yesterday, one of the 8th graders kicked the ball clear across the gym and it pegged me straight in the kisser. My glasses flew straight off and across the court! What does one do in this case? I bent over, let the tears come as they may (they were more tears of shock than anything-- hardasses don't cry and my team thinks I'm a hardass ;) ), shook it off, and went to the bathroom to freshen up. The whole time, everyone watched in horror-- would I make them run when I was done? Would they be doing suicide drills the rest of practice? Was my brain going to explode? Was I going to return the favor to the 8th grader? I knew that's what they were all thinking-- like I said, they know I'm hardcore and were just waiting for me to explode.

Instead, I was mid-coaching so the other coach and I releases the girls for a water break. I came back out of the bathroom with a smile, and began telling the girls how that wasn't the first nor will it be the last time I get hit in the head (or face more specifically). Sports are hard and you're going to get hurt. Pause, assess, and if you can, shake it off and move on. That's what it means to be an athlete. That's life. Never had a bloody nose before and apparently my face is hardcore, just like the rest of me, because that volleyball to the face didn't give me a bloody nose either.

The update:

Well, today, I have a tiny bit of swelling and bruising, and a whole lotta tenderness. All around my left eye and on the bridge of my nose. My poor face.

The food:

In any case, now you know why I'm all "Woaw is me, someone get be a burger!"

Well, I was inspired by this article by Muscle & Fitness with the low fat protein patties. I took the Chicken-Apple Sausage Patties and decided to run with it-- with the ground turkey I had in my fridge. The bonus of using ground turkey instead of ground chicken? Even leaner protein with even fewer calories! According to my calculations, the patty is about 160 calories! Obviously, add extra for toppings, bun, etc. :)



The recipe calls for a tart apple. Studies have shown that eating tart apples (like Granny Smith-- which is what I used), helps improve digestion and fight obesity. So OBVIOUSLY let's get guys into our plan!

In any case....

Now... without further delay... here's the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 large tart apple, peeled and diced very finely
• 2 tsp seasoning of choice (I used Flavor God Lemon & Garlic Seasons-- it's similar to Mrs. Dash and you don't need to add salt or pepper to it)
• 1 lb of ground turkey (I used 93% fat free)
• I also sprinkled red cayenne pepper liberally into the mix... just because I use that ish on everything :)

Instructions

• Combine the apple, seasoning and red cayenne (if you're using it) in a bowl.
• Crumble the ground turkey over the mixture and mix it all together. I use my hands because... well, why not :)

• Shape out your patties. This recipe makes 4-5 patties, depending on how big/small you want them. 
• I made 5... next time I'm going to make 4 to make them bigger :)
• Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Do so lightly if you use 93% fat free turkey- there's still enough fat in there to help the cooking process

• Place patties in pan and cook on each side for about 5-6 minutes-- until they are no longer pink and there is a light golden brown crust.

• Build your burger and enjoy!

I built my burger with whole wheat buns, a touch of mustard, mixed greens, and tomato. On the side, I had some steamed veggies to round things out (yes, you definitely can scroll up to oogle on my delicious meal (: ).

HOLY MOTHER OF BANANAS that was the BEST burger patty I have had in a long time. Turkey burgers? Yes please! I think even the most suspicious of turkey burger haters will appreciate the juiciness, tenderness, and flavorfulness of these ridiculously amazing patties.

Enjoy!

Love,
Paulina

Sweet Kickin' Chicken

I decided to experiment with my chicken. I was tired of the salsa chicken and the basic seasonings for my baked chicken. I bake a lot of chicken-- it's one of my go-to lean proteins and I'm terrified that I will get bored with it! So I try to keep it mixed up and fresh as much as possible. Well, I was getting bored, which made me panic a little bit- What if I can't look at chicken ever again? What if I get so disgusted with chicken that I get lazy about cooking? What if I get so lazy that all my good habits go out the window?

Basically... my mind decided to jump to insane conclusions because of some damn chicken. Now that's a little bit ridiculous, I realized, and I couldn't let some chicken get the best of me.

So I got creative.

And HOLY SMOKES my creativity is sooooo good!

I've named my creation the Sweet Kickin' Chicken! This delicious bird has a touch of sweetness but it definitely gives you a good kick, too. However, either way, it is SOOOO good! I will be repeating this experiment in the future, that's for sure! In the meantime, I am sharing my creation with you :)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup of mustard (your choice, but I like Spicy Brown and Dijon)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt & Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Oregano

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar
3. Place chicken breasts into 9x13 greased baking dish (or any baking dish that will fit). Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano.

• I used 1/2 tbsp of cayenne pepper and eyeballed the sprinkling of salt, pepper and oregano. Use more cayenne for spicier chicken, less if you can't handle the heat ;)
4. Pour the mustard mixture over chicken, making sure the chicken is coated.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

The end product may not look like much but trust me. YUM!!! I'm enjoying mine with asparagus and corn tonight!

Enjoy!! :)

Love,
Paulina