Getting Healthy

It's so hard, isn't it? I feel like I've been at a particular disadvantage recently. I've always been interested in nutrition and I usually eat well and make healthy meals but  - here's the thing: I eat too much and I haven't been able to exercise as much as I'd like to. I lost a lot of muscle being in the hospital and after surgery and resting. My knee has been acting up to the point where it became too painful to walk  far and so I went to the Dr and had that taken care of yesterday. Now I need to do some strengthening exercises and take the getting-back-into-shape ordeal a little more slowly. Otherwise, if I overdo it, I am just going back to square one. Big sigh. I just can't seem to get it all together but I'm trying.

I've also been trying to eat a little lighter. It helps that it's warm outside. My husband and I both try to limit our red meat consumption but he likes fish as a replacement and I don't. I prefer chicken or vegetarian meals but that often means pasta or rice which I  should probably avoid more. Which is worse - red meat or too much pasta?? You know what I mean.  I am always cooking vegetarian meals for my daughter anyway so it isn't too hard to make more for me. But two nights ago I made Turkey burgers and created a great recipe you will love. My daughter had a veggie burger instead but I am not fond of those. I've actually never been fond of frozen turkey burgers either  - they always seemed really blah to me. But, using fresh ground turkey instead of frozen turkey patties, and with a couple of small additions and a little work, these were great. Try it!

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with Vegetables

     1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

dash of salt and/or pepper

1/2 zucchini, grated

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, grated

1/4 cup bread crumbs (or oat bran!)

2  T olive oil

4  T milk

2 T  Teriyaki sauce for mix

2 MORE T of Teriyaki sauce for glaze

1.   Saute zucchini, onion and carrot in oil until soft.
2.   Mix turkey, egg, seasonings, bread crumbs and milk.
3.   Add sauteed vegetables to the turkey mixture.
4.   Add the 2 T of teriyaki sauce and mix well. Form into patties.

Dab a little of the extra teriyaki sauce on top of the patties before cooking. You can bake these on a baking tray in the oven (at 400 degrees I'd guess?), cook in a non-stick skillet or grill them. Grilling is my favorite. Remember to flip them so they get browned on both sides. If you bake in oven, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, it's poultry so be careful. My son also likes these made with barbeque sauce substituted for the teriyaki sauce.

What's that side you see here that goes along so well with turkey burgers on the grill in summer? My special healthy Spinach and Orzo salad, of course! (Everybody needs some carbs . . . ) Add some fresh strawberries and you've got a complete light healthy meal. You have to admit the burgers and salad look so nice on my new dishes too.

I'm still working on portion control, even if this plate looks pretty full, LOL. I have a wonderful appetite, especially if the food is good and I am a good cook if I say so myself. I now try to drink a full glass of water before I eat, while I'm cooking, and I also started adding a cup of decaf coffee after my dinner for an extra fill-me-up in case I'm still hungry. I'm always hungry lately.

Here's the Spinach Orzo salad recipe:

Spinach Orzo Salad

1/2  pkg of Orzo pasta, cooked

3/4  bag of fresh baby spinach leaves

baby tomatoes, sliced

3 T Olive oil

2 T Balsamic vinegar (or Red wine vinegar

or even Light vinagrette salad dressing)

A dash of garlic powder

salt, pepper to taste

1.   Cook the pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
2.   Chop the spinach into small pieces, removing stems.
3.   Slice the baby tomatoes.
4.   Place the spinach, pasta and tomatoes into a salad serving bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar (or dressing) and other spices in a separate bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

You can also add black olives or Parmesan cheese on top (only one person in my family will eat it that way so I leave it plain). All we had in the house was this Sweet Light Raspberry vinagrette dressing so I added more vingear for a zing.  Lately, my favorite dressing is Paul Newman's Light Balsamic Vinagrette and this is what I usually use if I do not have any good vinegar. I've also been known to substitute chopped red pepper if I do not have tomatoes, which works well too. I love red peppers.

This is a good start for me and hopefully soon I'll be walking a little more now that my knee is slowly healing. If I can learn to push myself away from the table, that is. Sigh. I think I need a personal trainer.