When Vacation Gives you Lemons...

Reentry is hard. This week I am trying my darndest to get back in the groove of the grind after a full seven days of family time in the sun, surf and sand. 100+ degree weather just isn’t as fun on the steamy blacktops of suburbia as it is in a beach chair with my feet in the cool ocean water and the beach breeze in my hair.

As it goes with vacation, I came home to a fridge of random ingredients. I had feta, some frozen ground turkey, greek yogurt, spinach, rotten milk, frozen hamburger buns, some cucumbers from a neighbor, and a million lemons. Not a bad lot, but definitely not a whole lot of options for Superman, sorry buddy :)

My neighbor and chef extraordinaire, Tawnya, had recently told me about some tasty Spanikopita burgers she made that I knew I wanted to try out. And when vacation leaves you with a million lemons, make Tzatziki? After I scrounged up some tomatoes I got to work. For a fridge full of random ingredients, this turned out pretty dang good.

Spanakopita Burgers

(adopted from Rachael Ray’s recipe)

1 pound of ground turkey or chicken

1 bag of spinach

half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic (I always always have onion and garlic)

oregano

1/2 cup of crumbled feta

Hamburger buns (optional)

For the tzatziki topping:

1 cup of Greek Yogurt

1 cucumber

half a small red onion

2 cloves garlic

cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

2 tsp Dill

Olive Oil

First thing’s first, heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add a turn of the pan of olive oil. Chop the garlic and onions.
Add to the saute pan and let them go for about 2 minutes.
Then add the spinach. I did use the whole bag. The original recipe called for frozen spinach but I just really have something against frozen spinach. Fresh spinach is so pretty! I added about half (enough to fit in the pan), let it cook down, and then added the other half
Like so

While that spinach is doing it’s thing, get started on the Tzatziki. Add the greek yogurt to the mixing bowl. (P.S. I got to use my new Bamboo fiber mixing bowls from Pampered Chef’s not yet released fall collection, I love them). Then add the 2 tsp of Dill. Fresh dill is so much more flavorful but dry will do.
Add two cloves of garlic.

Oh hey, spinach is done. Put that in a separate bowl to cool while you finish the Tzatziki. You will inadvertently cook the ground turkey if you try and mix it all while it’s hot!

Focus Karen, back to the tzatziki. Add the lemon juice.

Peel the cucumber

I really wanted the cucumber pulverized so I used the food chopper and got the pieces nice and teeny.
Add it in the sauce.
Chop tomatoes. I love the colors of these.
Score and cut the red onion (I would leave this out if I wanted the tzatziki to be more of a dip and less of a burger topping)
Then toss it allllll together.
To the spinach bowl, add the 1/2 cup feta and about a tablepsoon of oregano.
Then the ground turkey and mix it well. I just really think you can’t mix a burger well unless you get in there with your hands, so don’t be shy just do it.
Form into patties and refrigerate until you are ready to go.

When you’re ready, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. I would recommend pan frying these versus grilling because they are a bit juicy and might fall apart on the grill.
Cook through on both sides until they are golden brown and cooked through. I think this took me about 10 to 15 minutes.

I actually ate these open faced but I thought for the picture they looked cuter with a hat. Next time I would definitely throw some Hot Pepper Rings or Pepperoncini on there because I’m insane and have to have something spicy in every meal I eat. Might try pita instead of Hamburger Rolls too!

Game Day Yummies

I love everything about football season but football. I love dressing the kids up in Redskins gear. I love the crisp smell of the fall air when I head out for runs. I love hearing whistles and commentaries coming from the TV on Sundays (perfect for naps if you ask me). And most of all I love game day food. As for actual football? I might care more about that as the boys grow older and adorn some pads of their own. But for now, I really don't care or even know what I'm watching. I'm just happy there's food involved.

These little sliders are EASY as can be and quite tasty. Kudos to Elina on teaching me about the magic of Red Hot (a fat free, butterless hot sauce, to which I promptly added butter) and for enlightening me about the wonders of substituting Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream in almost every recipe. Cuts WAY down on the fat and you can't taste the difference.


Buffalo Sliders with Blue Cheese Spread

2 to 3 chicken breasts, shredded (I did mine in the Deep Covered Baker in the microwave which attributed to this recipe being easy as can be)
1/2 cups Red Hot
4 tablespoons honey
1 tbl butter
1 tbl vinegar
slider buns

Spread:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
bout 2 green onions chopped
1 tbl vinegar
salt and pep




So first get your chicken ready. Whisk hot sauce, butter, vinegar and honey (if you don't add honey, the sauce will just be HOT with no flavor. This will balance it out). Pour directly over the chicken (if raw). Bake or microwave in DCB until chicken is cooked through. Mine took 8 minutes in the microwave in the Deep Covered Baker. If you add the sauce to a rotisserie chicken, just make sure to heat the sauce on the stove first to meld flavors!


Meanwhile mix greek yogurt, blue cheese, finely chopped celery, green onion, vinegar, salt and pep in a bowl.


Fridge it til ready.


Shred your chicken and put on a slider roll with Blue Cheese Spread. All I had on hand was dinner rolls so I went with it. This is a bite size morsel of heaven!

P.S. Reader Question: Can these be done in the crock pot?

I can't see why not but I'm no crock pot pro. My only insight would be to use chicken thighs as opposed to breasts because they have more fat and therefore won't dry up in the crock pot.

On the Run to Run

Tuesday nights get a little hairy. I've gotta get everyone fed and bathed by 5:30 and get the house in some decent order before leaving TGB and Batman with a babysitter. I realize that doesn't actually sound hard when you put it in words like that, but I can't tell you how dang exhausting it can be getting little people to do what you need them to do, when you need them to do it. Superman joins me at the track for workouts with my local running club. Before I go I like to get an adult dinner ready so that we can eat when I get home and the kids get to sleep. Why? I wish I could say it's because I'm such an excellent wife, but really it's just because I'm going to be all kinds of ravenous when I walk in the door and cereal just doesn't cut it for HungryMom.


Here's the thing, you can't really eat too much during the day of track practice, or its very likely you'll spew all over your fellow teammates while circling the track in 90+ degree heat. So by the time I finally get home, I have to have something somewhat healthy prepared to eat or I'll just start tearing through everything in the house. Similar to getting home from work at 5:30 and realizing you didn't think about dinner earlier. Then you just start eating.... everything. Well, that's what I would do anyway.

So last week I finally tried Grilled Portabella Mushroom burgers. Others had raved about these and I thought I'd give it a try, since they seem easy enough to get together when you're *on the run*


Grilled Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Portabella Mushrooms (get em big, because they shrink)
Hamburger buns
Marinade - 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, couple tablespoons soy sauce (not pictured), 1 tbl sugar or honey, pressed garlic (if you want... I always want)
Toppings - feta cheese, roasted red peppers, fresh tomato, basil
Quick Aioli - jarred pesto and mayo

Mix the marinade ingredients together (olive oil, red wine, soy sauce, garlic, sugar/honey)

And then do you want to see possibly the worst mess you could make when you've got kids hanging on your ankles screaming and you're trying to get out the door? This. Half a cup of olive oil all over the floor.

I salvaged what was left and threw it on top of the mushrooms. Then I threw them in the fridge.

Mixed this 1 tbl pesto and 1 tbl mayo together for later and threw that in the fridge too. And ran out the door.

When I got home to relieve the babysitter I found my husband wasn't yet home from work, so I broiled the mushrooms instead of grilling them. About 5 minutes. They were AWESOME, so easy, and healthy!

Topped with pesto mix, basil, tomato, feta and roasted red peppers - I have to add that Jarred Roasted Red Peppers are essential to have on hand for last minute dinners. Add to sandwiches, burgers, or pasta to add a LOT of flavor with no work.

p.s. hub came home and grubbed 2 and was full, so they're guy-approved.

Hey Hey its My Birthday

August 2nd. Today I turn 25. Yes I know, I'm a baby and I generally don't like to tell people my age but with each passing year, I become more comfortable with and thankful for God's plan to kick start my mom years. It's funny though because I realized this morning I'm not overly estatic for my birthday as I have been in years past. Normally I'm known for being semi-obnoxious about it by plannning events for nearly the whole week, and using the "its my birthday" card with my husband in every possible instance.

I realized this morning what has changed in my 25th year is that for the first time I feel an enormous sense of inner peace. I'm not looking to the future for better days, and I'm definitely not nostalgic for the past, I am one hundred percent satisfied with the here and now. I don't need to do something today to make it extra fun and special, because I truly feel blessed with fulfilled with what my normal day holds.

I got to rise with the sun this morning and go on a run with a friend.

I came home to three healthy, sweet, adorable children.

I got to kiss my handsome husband who works so hard to give us a great life.

What else do I need? Not much.

Except maybe mexican for lunch. And for Breyers to be on sale :)




Anyway, this is another delicious recipe from the kitchen of Judy DelliColli! I stopped by her house last week and she was kind enough to clear out her vegetable garden for me! By August, the normal old hamburger and hotdogs on the grill are getting tiresome. Here is a great and super easy way to spice up your burger.


Teriyaki Burgers



1 pound ground beef or turkey

About 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (this ones from TJ's)

About 3 tbl soy sauce

Chopped/Pressed garlic

chopped fresh green onions

chopped or grated finger, about 1 tbl

hamburger buns




Simply add the soy, teriyaki, green onions, garlic and ginger to the meat in a bowl and mix well.


I had to stop and take a picture of what was going in in my house while I was making this. I don't want my posts to fool you into thinking I actually have things under control over here with three kids under 5. Yes, that is Batman riding a pink bike, naked, through the house.


Form into patties, top with some freshly ground pepper and refrigerate until ready!

Here are the fresh salad greens and quirky little yellow tomatoes from Judy's garden I was excited to use. I love eating homegrown/local!!

Thought these greens would go perfect with ginger dressing, you can get this in the Asian section at most grocery stores!

Then, because I like a little green in every meal, I threw the salad on top of the burger. The ginger dressing and the crunchy greens were the perfect addition.

Hungry Mother

WARNING: If you're looking for super-healthy recipes, ignore my next two posts. The next two posts are ones for those nights you want to indulge! Couple the fact that I've finally been getting back on track with my morning runs with nursing over 30 ounces a day, means I am the definition of a Hungry Mom these days.

But really, what one considers "healthy" is a relative term if you ask me. Sure this may be all meat and bread, but its ground turkey! And there's only one slice of cheese! And its so incredibly tasty you'll stop caring about the nutritious value after one bite!!

Two additional facts about these:

1. There are a lot of "steps" to this, which I actually don't mind because that allowed me to stop, break up a fight, resume. Stop, put together a track on the train table, resume. Stop, clean marker off of kid's arms, resume. Or maybe you need to walk your dog, or take a shower, whatever. Its hard to get 45 uninterrupted minutes no matter who you are.
2. If you grow herbs, this time of year your basil plants are beginning to be absurdly huge. Unfortunately mine aren't, because an army of caterpillars invaded the soil of my herb pot. I know, gross. But anyway here's a fantastic way to use bunches and bunches of that basil.

Turkey Parm Burgers

(compliments of Leslie Moffitt and You've Got Supper)

1 lb ground turkey

Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Jarred Marinara

Rolls (I used Trader Joe's Take and Bake Ciabatta... yummmm)

slices of mozzarella

Lots and Lots of BASIL

And because I just couldn't stop there... a little aoili of basil, lemon juice, mayo and a tiny bit of olive oil for the buns.

Mix a few tablespoons of marinara into your ground turkey in a bowl with some additional dried Italian Spices... oregano, basil etc. Doesn't this look appetizing????

Shape into patties and stick it in the freezer for 15 min to let them get a little more consolidated. Otherwise they will be too gooey to work with. Yes, my freezer is this small.

During this 15 min little break I threw together the aioli real quick. Definitely not necessary! But a really tasty addition if you feel up to breaking out your blender.

Simply mix a few tablespoons of mayo, a touch of olive oil, a handful of basil and the juice from one lemon in the blender.

Should actually be thicker than this but I added too much EVOO. Whatever no big deal. Precisely why I like to cook and hate to bake!

Take out the burgers and put bread crumbs on both sides. Pat the bread crumbs down well so they don't shake off when you have to put them back in the freezer (for me, tipped on an angle) for another 10 minutes or so.

Use this time to give your cute baby a bath in the sink :)

Then heat your skillet to medium high heat with a thin layer of olive oil.

Sear burgers on both sides and pan fry until cooked through - about 5 min per side or so.

Stick your buns in the oven :)

Put one slice of mozzarella cheese on top of your turkey burger

Then to assemble... basil aoili on the buns, then the burger, then some marinara sauce straight out of the jar, then some fresh basil.

This is not just my camera, it really looks and tastes this amazing and delicious!

Then my sister suggested we pile tons of basil on top like lettuce. There's the genius in the background!