Ruta-ruta-bo-buga

On yesterday's menu: rutabaga fries! ::crickets:: 
Yeah, it was hard for me to get excited about it too-- but I did-- because I'm trying new ways to get more veggies in, and this is a great one. 

Yes. It's ugly. 

 Fugly, perhaps?

 Got rid of the nasty protruding part... it's starting to look a little better...

 Took a basic vegetable peeler to the skin... starting to resemble a potato...

Chopped it up into 1/4 inch thick sticks, and I really couldn't tell the difference. Mind was sufficiently tricked in the visual department. 

I seasoned with sea salt, Adobo, and my new favorite: Penzey's Arizona Dreaming. 

Still fooled in the looks department!

Served them with a little ketchup, and felt my life changing with every nibble. The Mister liked them too-- they were gone in record timing!

My waistline thanks you, Mother Nature!

Now get going to your grocery store, peep this recipe or the million others, and get your rutabaga on! 

Did someone order the Mykonos Burger?

Next up on our trip through The Skinnygirl Dish is a stopover in Greece!

Recipe #2: Mykonos Burger

We love burgers. But we also enjoy fitting into our clothes, so 1) we can't have them all the time, and 2) we're always looking for healthy variations. The Mykonos is a turkey burger that calls up all the flavors of a hearty Greek meal.

The ingredients list looked a little lengthy at first, but once I realized I had all but 2 items, I was supremely happy. After a quick bop to the store for some parsley and feta, I was off...

I mixed all the good stuff above (minus the Greek yogurt) in with the ground turkey. When I'm making burgers I like to use 90% lean ground turkey breast. Turkey has a tendency to dry out, so a teensy bit of extra fat will help with moisture.

Mmm... feta. That's right kids, it goes IN the burger!

I made the patties the night before to give everything the chance to really settle in. I'm also pretty lazy by the time Friday rolls around, so I just wanted to be able to plop these suckers on the grill.

I'm a big fan of grill marks and deliciously seared in flavor. And our over the stove grill plate gets the job done beautifully. It's also a griddle on the flip side (Thanks, Mama Willi)!

The garnish in the recipe is Greek yogurt with some lemon juice and parsley (yum!) I also added a tomato and red pepper slice for some color...

The bun is an Arnold Bread Sandwich Thin® — whole wheat, and only 100 calories a piece.

Reasons it's healthier than a normal burger:

♡ lean turkey breast

♡ 100 calorie sandwich thin

♡ Greek yogurt instead of mayo

♡ less cheese in the burger than there would be ON the burger

The Mykonos burger was scrumptious! I loved the flavor combinations and how I could taste the different components in every bite. I also really enjoyed the Greek yogurt condiment as opposed to ketchup, mayo or mustard (and for those of you who know about my ketchup obsession, this is a BIG deal). Amwilli loved them, and ate a couple as a result— although something tells me he would have done this regardless :)

I was able to make six patties, so we have plenty of leftovers for a quick lunch sometime this weekend. I will definitely make these again!

Mykonos Burger: ✩✩✩✩½ (out of 5)

Now, Friday night just wouldn't be complete without a cocktail! And what better way to keep the healthy tone of the evening than with the Skinnygirl Margarita?

This version leaves out all the sugary calories that you usually find in mixes. It's a strong drink, but you can add lemonade or club soda to thin this out a little. I went for full fire power since this was my first time trying an SGM. I got through about 1½ before it was lights out.

Skinnygirl Margarita: ✩✩✩✩✩ (haha, of course)

Cheers!

Whippin up some Pad Thai

I thumbed through The Skinnygirl Dish with the idea that I'd stop when a recipe made my mouth water or tummy gurgle with delight. Thankfully, it didn't take much thumbing to find a winner.

Recipe #1: Pad Thai

I'm not sure what the rules are with reprinting recipes from books, so I'll refrain from doing that... BUT I threw a whole bunch of this:

...into this:



When it was all in there, it looked like this:



Not very appetizing, huh? After some serious whisking, it looked way more sauce-like (no pics, so take my word for it!) All the while I was preparing the lovely rice noodles:

I bought the noodles at Lotte, and the rest of the ingredients at Safeway. Note to self and other Asian cuisine novices: must spend some quality time in Lotte, loads of good stuff (and for way cheaper than the international aisle at other grocery stores).

Anyhoo... I drained the noodles, poured in the sauce, then stirred and coated. The final result is a beauty:

This pad thai is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. From start to finish it took about 15 minutes. I was really impressed with the flavor and that I didn't have that "so full I can't move" feeling I tend to get after a starchy meal. I didn't add meat because I was in a bit of a time crunch, but I think it would be incredible with shrimp or another meat that picks up other flavors easily. I also love that this recipe serves 4, because I survive on leftovers on class days.

Reasons it's healthier than regular pad thai:
♡ far less sugar, fat and starch than restaurant orders
♡ smaller portions
♡ no egg*

*I'm not as concerned with the egg as the other stuff, but I am glad I was able to knock out the additional 70 cals.

This recipe is definitely a keeper! My only complaint is probably attributable to user error... my noodles were a tad sticky, so it was difficult to get the sauce to coat the whole pot evenly. Other than that, I'm happily slipping this into the dinner rotation.

Skinnygirl Pad Thai: ☆☆☆☆ (out of 5)

Yum!

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Solo Saturday

In an effort to feel less wasteful—and maintain the shoestring budget I'm on this Summer—I've decided to start cooking with only the ingredients I have on hand (except for produce, of course).

Since tonight was a solo Saturday, messing up on a new recipe meant no one had to know... so to the cupboards I went! My baking cabinet never lets me down, so I started there. After about 3 seconds, I realized I had enough to throw together some bread...

Enter new recipe: Easiest Focaccia.

Focaccia instantly made me think of my latest obsession: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aioli and my mission was clear...

Take this stuff:

... and make something delicious.

Mix, mix, mix, knead, bake... stir, stir, stir, fold, grill.

In the end, success!

I seasoned the focaccia with salt, garlic powder and basil. The turkey burgers were finished off with sharp cheddar, tomato, red onions and a yummy side salad. I was a little afraid of the leftovers at first because burgers always reheat a little wonky, but I'm sure the toaster oven will get the job done.

Wonder what the cupboard has in store for tomorrow!