Greek Style Turkey Burgers

Greek Style Turkey Burgers

Foodie for the Soul

 

 

This recipe I came up with when I was searching for a fun spin on the typical American burger. I didn't want to do lamb, but wanted to do Greek and healthy. In this recipe I figured out how to give the ground turkey authentic Greek flavor and used some other quick buys at the whole foods to make it all come together.

 

Ingredients:

1 package of Ground Turkey

Store bought Tzaziki Sauce - I love the CAVA one from whole foods

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/2 white minced onion

1 tablespoon of Worshestire sauce

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon of Pub Burger seasoning McCormick GrillMates

Whole Grain Burger Buns

Fresh sliced Tomato to have on your burger

Crumbled feta or sliced thin from a block of fresh Feta

 

Directions:

Season your ground turkey meat with lemon juice, salt, pepper, pub burger seasoning, turmeric, yellow mustard, minced onion, worshestire sauce and parsley. Note: Ground turkey absorbs flavors easily so easy on the salt.

 

Once the ground turkey is mixed well, start forming round 1/4 inch thick patties. Remember they shrink when you cook them. If you are going to grill these guys, make sure your grill is greased very well, turkey doesn't hold up as well as beef on an outdoor grill. I use my indoor stove top grill. (Open the windows when grilling indoors or turn your kitchen ventilator on.)

 

GRILL:

Once your patties are shaped, heat up a grill pan nice and hot with some olive oil. When you place  your burger on the grill pan and it sizzles, you know it's ready. Sear your turkey burgers on each side for 2 minutes and lower the heat to medium. You want to make sure the burger is no longer pink in the center, each burger will cook for about 5 additional minutes after the sears on each side. The fatter the burger, the more time it needs to cook.

 

-- OR --

 

BAKE:

You could also bake the burgers in a greased glass pyrex under 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.  

 

Serve your burgers with all the fix'ins, i.e. the feta cheese, the tomato, the tzaziki and I also served with the salad below and some baked sweet potato fries!!! Enjoy this healthy version of an all American favorite!!!

 

Crisp Cucumber Pickled Salad Ingredients:

Cucumber sliced thin

1/2 red onion sliced thin

1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

A pinch of salt

 

Mix all of these together in a bowl, cover with plastic and store until ready to serve. Serve with a slotted spoon to avoid from all the vinegar getting on the plate.

 

Chicken Taco Chili

This dish was completely made up and I was incredibly surprised with the flavor and hearty satisfaction I got from the meal! It's great to put into tortillas or to serve over rice or quinoa but I had it "chili" style. If you do not like heat, I suggest taking the jalapenos out of the recipe.  

Ingredients:

2 Full Chicken Breasts

2 Jalapenos, seeded and sliced (USE GLOVES)

1 red bell pepper julienned

1/2 White Sweet Onion sliced

2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

1 small can of Rotel cilantro, lime, and tomatoes

1 16oz can of LaPalmas Green Enchilada sauce (Mexican Food Aisle)

1 can of Goya Black Beans (Mexican Food Aisle)

1 pouch of Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce (Mexican Food Aisle)

 

Directions:

 

1. Prep your veggies, slice them all up as shown below.

2. Pour your fajita skillet sauce in the crock pot, followed by the rotel tomatoes (as shown below).

3. Remove your chicken breasts from packaging, rinse in cold water to get rid of slime, and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each side.

 

4. Heat up a round skillet to high. You want the pan nice and hot because you want to sear your chicken about 2 minutes on each side. (See below)

5. Once your chicken is seared on each side, place your chicken on the bed of the tomatoes and fajita sauce in the crockpot. Then pour in the enchilada sauce, the veggies, and the black beans. Stir the contents on the top and place lid on top.

 

6. Set your crock pot on 6 hours and 30 minutes LOW. 

 

 





 7. After the time has elapsed, all the yummy flavors have come together as such. Grab your chicken out and start pulling it apart with two forks to shred it.

 

8. Place your shredded chicken back into the crock pot to absorb all those delicious flavors!

 

9. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole (I used wholly guacamole homestyle) and slice of lime!!! Soooooo good!

 

 

Enjoy! Post your comments below and oh...YOU'RE WELCOME! :)

 

 

Blackened Salmon Salad

Blackened Salmon Salad

Inspired by Chef Conway from the Old Brogue Irish Pub

Foodie for the Soul

This salmon dish is not only healthy but delicious. It has an Asian flare to it but you can certainly make it Cajun style and add 2 tablespoons of "Tony Chachere's" cajun seasoning instead of the ground ginger and the chinease spice seasoning. Don't let this dish intimidate you. It's very easy!

You will need a cookie tray with a sheet of foil on top greased, a baking dish for the salmon fillets, a large skillet to get that gorgeous "blackened" smoked look on your fish, and two bowls (one for your salad and one to toss the veggies in a marinade). 

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Fillets or 1.5 lbs of Atlantic Salmon

Store bought pre-sliced vegetable kabobs (I know for a fact they have them at whole foods in the produce section).

Mesclun lettuce mix

Grape Tomatoes sliced in half 

Any other veggie you might enjoy in your salad

Crumbled Feta cheese or Blue Cheese

2 tblsp Real Lemon Juice

1 tblsp of Butter

Salmon Dry Rub:

1 tsp of black pepper

2 tblsp of paprika

2 tblsp of garlic powder

1 tsp of 5 chinese spice seasoning

1/2 tblsp of ground ginger

1 tblsp of salt

1 1/2 tblsp chili powder

Vegetables for Salad:

Pre-sliced veggie kabobs

1 1/2 tblsp of worshestire sauce

1 1/2 tblsp of balsamic vinegar

2 tblesp of olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Dressing (courtesy of Chef Conway):

1 tblsp Brown Sugar

3 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Ground dry Ginger

1/2 tsp Chinese 5 Spice

1 tsp onion powder (or as original recipe which is 1 tblsp minced shallot)

1 tsp garlic powder (or as original recipe which is 1 tblsp fresh cut minced garlic)

1/2 cup olive oil

***Tip: For  the base of any dressing, always remember 2 parts oil to 1 part acid (such as vinegar, lemon juice, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Take apart the veggies on the kabob sticks and place in a bowl. Take out a cookie sheet out and place a sheet of foil over it (makes for easy clean up) and spray it with PAM or olive oil. In the bowl with the veggies, drizzle some olive oil, worshestire sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Arrange veggies on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Combine the rub in a small bowl. Rinse the fish fillets with cold water. Pat dry, and sprinkle the 2 tblsps of lemon juice on the fish. Season each piece of fish with the dry rub. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tblsp of butter and 1/2 tblsp of olive oil.  Once the butter has melted, add the dish and cook about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to safe small baking dish and cook for another 4-6 minutes. 

While fish and veggies are in the oven, get the salad together and make the dressing. Let veggies cool before placing on top of salad, so greens do not wilt. Serve salmon fillet on each individually served portion and salad dressing in a gravy boat, leaving it to each individual's discretion on how much dressing they'd like to use. 

You will very much enjoy

Healthy Spicy Pork Korean-Style Lettuce Wraps

Healthy Spicy Pork Korean-Style Lettuce Wraps

Foodie for the Soul

Ingredients:

1 package of pork tenderloin (2 come in a package)
1/2 white onion chopped into small cubes
Salt & Pepper
2 tblsp Garlic powder
2 tblsp minced garlic
2 tblsp Lemon Juice (Real Lemon)
Korean kalbi sauce (Asian foods section of giant)
Kim Korean chili sauce (Asian foods section whole foods)
2 tblsp Sesame oil
Boston bib lettuce
1 cucumber - peeled and sliced
1 red onion - sliced thinly
Apple cider vinegar 3-4 tablespoons
Light brown sugar 2 tablespoons
Green onion and cilantro for garnish

Directions: Take the tenderloins out and cut into small bite size pieces with scissors on a cutting board and squirt two tablespoon of lemon juice on the cut up pieces. Season pieces with salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of garlic powder. Throw all the pieces into a ziploc bag and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1/2 cup of the Kalbi Korean sauce, add a squirt of the chili sauce (KIM) and then you will also add some later once the pork is actually cooked. Add two tablespoons of brown sugar into the bag, and a splash of apple cider vinegar which you will also use to pickle the cucumber and red onion.

Close the ziploc bag and make sure all the air is out. Take a meat mallet and begin to flatten the pork pieces. This will ensure the marinade gets in there and will also speed up cook time.

Now in a small bowl add cucumber, red onion, a teaspoon of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar to pickle the veggies. Mix and store in fridge until just before serving time.

Heat a large wok or regular round deep pan to high heat, add a dash of sesame oil and bring down to medium heat and add chopped white onion, and minced garlic. You do not want the minced garlic to burn so keep stirring it and put down heat to low if necessary. Add the flattened pork meat and cook on medium high to high for about 10-15 minutes, flipping the meat over and stirring it every 3 minutes. I like my pork to get a little browned on the edges like BBQ style. So 20 minutes might work best for that browning. At the very end of the cooking process add the chili sauce to your taste of spicyness. Taste it first on its own to gauge your desired threshold of heat.

During one of the 3 minute intervals that you are waiting for pork to cook, wash the boston bib lettuce and peel away the leaves from the white stem center to create your little lettuce wraps. Arrange on a plate.

Serve the cooked Korean pork on top of the lettuce wraps with the pickled cucumber and onion on top. Feel free to enjoy with fresh avocado too! :)

Enjoy!

Tropical Shrimp Tacos

Tropical Shrimp Tacos

Foodie for the Soul

The most delicious shrimp taco you will ever put in your mouth! This recipe comes from my cravings to combine spanish and asian flavors! You have to let me know what you think when you try this at home! This is easy and some of the ingredients you just purchase at the store, so all you gotta worry about prepping are the peppers, onions, shrimp and cilantro!
















Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
Pita tortillas (healthier option- Sahara pita pockets are my favorite) or corn tortillas (the soft kind - I like the "La Banderita" brand.)

Toppings:
Fresh guacamole (I buy the one already made from Whole Foods)
Sour cream
Shredded Mexican cheese or feta cheese
Black bean corn salsa (whole foods or trader joes)
Shredded lettuce

Shrimp recipe:
Soy sauce
2.5lbs of shrimp (raw, peeled, and deveined)
1 can of pineapple chunks
1 diced orange or yellow pepper
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons Fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Chipotle tobasco or KIM Korean sweet and spicy sauce (Available at whole foods)
1/2 tblsp Sesame oil
1 teaspoon Cumin
Kalbi Sauce (Chinese section of Giant) or minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, honey and rice vinegar mixed together
Lemon juice

Instructions:
Rinse shrimp under cold water, remove tails. With scissors cut one shrimp into three pieces (this makes them in perfect bite size for tacos). Place shrimp in a bowl with garlic powder, garlic, cilantro, a squirt of lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, sprinkle some chipotle tobasco or KIM sweet and spicy sauce, salt and pepper, add cumin, 1/2 cup of the Kalbi Korean BBQ sauce or the Asian marinade. Toss shrimp in seasonings and marinade and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if you have pita pockets as your taco tortilla.

In a wok or large deep pan, add another 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, add chopped onions, diced bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Stir fry until onions are translucent. Add shrimp. Cook shrimp on high for 6-8 minutes or until whitish orange. Towards the end add a splash of some soy sauce. Stir around one more time.

Place pitas spaced apart on a sheet of aluminum foil to heat them up in the oven for the tacos. Or if you have the banderita corn tortillas simply wrap them in a damp paper towel place on a plate and microwave for 40 seconds.

Use the guacamole, sour cream, black bean corn salsa, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese or feta as your taco toppings. :)

Enjoy!

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Foodie for the Soul

So I needed a hearty veggie entree that wasn't going to make my latina steak loving self miss MEAT! So this is how I did it! I served these with some NearEast red pepper quinoa and a spring greens salad with avocado, tomatoe and corn with some S&P, olive oil, and lemon juice!

Ingredients:
6 large mushroom caps - tear the stems off and set aside1 package of chopped frozen spinach warmed following the instructions on the package3 tablespoons of worchestire sauce1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes4 tablespoons of olive oil1 tablespoon of minced garlic1/4 cup of onion which is really four slices of onion1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese6 tablespoons of feta, one for each mushroom cap.

Directions: preheat oven to 380 degrees. Line a pan with foil. Spread a splash of olive oil on the pan and line the mushroom caps with stem side facing up at you. In a food processor put the sundried tomatoes, stems of the mushroom, 2 tablespoons of worchestire sauce, olive oil, onions, and garlic.

In a bowl combine the spinach, Parmesan cheese, and the processed mixture. Drizzle a little worchestire sauce over the mushroom caps and add salt and pepper. Now spoon the spinach mixture evenly on the mushroom caps.

Put into oven for 20 minutes sprinkle feta on top and cook an additional 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Foodie for the Soul ~ Soul Searching Starts Here ~

Bienvenido! Welcome! 

Foodie for the Soul

A lot of those who know me, will be saying, "well it's about time she started a blog! I am sick of going back in time on her facebook page for her recipes!" and yes you are absolutely correct. Enough people finally convinced me to actually start a blog. With a 3 month old in one arm and a laptop in the other, here I am frantically typing my first post before he wakes up. So no more searching for my recipes through my posts on facebook people, I am bringing all the deliciousness here to this very page! A one-stop shop for all your healthy eating needs that are quick and easy to make any day during the week but will still carry out that wow factor through to your dining companions! 

For those of you who have never met me before, here's a brief introduction. I am the most passionate when it comes to food. I am 100% Nicaraguan but born and raised in Washington, D.C. I have three brothers, I am the oldest. They all love my cooking. :) I married my highschool sweetheart three years ago and my first baby and son in June. I work as a budget analyst for the government by day but look most forward to coming home and cooking at night. Currently still on maternity leave, I am getting back into my cooking "groove" which is not only therapeutic for me but keeps me incredibly happy!! 

Now for my culinary resume, it's not professional or impressive but here goes: I auditioned 3x for the MasterChef show on FOX and almost made it the last time to LA. I am saying it's totally their loss! Now with a 3 month old, I find it very difficult to go to NYC and audition again. Anyway, I also took advantage of the "Chef for a day" event that a local D.C. restaurant sponsors here which was tons of fun! I had a small cupcake business for a little bit as well and did Groupons and a wedding but that soon ended when my partner herself started a family. Funny how children complicate our lives, huh? But now I am in LOVE with being a mom especially because I am also cooking and looking ways to get my pre-baby body back! 

After doing a 30 day cleanse and re-teaching myself how to eat healthy without compromising in flavor, I have totally devised tons of recipes to share with anyone who needs a good meal to look forward to at the end of the day but doesn't have the time to marinade overnight etc.! I never have time to marinade over night so you won't find that kind of recipe here. All you need is 30 minutes to 1 hour to cook my food. 

So enjoy reading and check out my first recipe I ever posted on Facebook. More pictures will be included for future recipes and blogs! :)

Chef for a day at Mio Restaurant in Washington, DC

Making "pastelitos" or mini chicken pies.