And Now For Something Completely Different

For fear of talking about only pastry, and for the sake of fairness, I should throw in some ideas from the more savory end of the spectrum. I am always trying to come up with healthful and yummy meals, with the hope to inspire the fast food nation that is my family and friends (you know who you are). So first up is my favorite version of a burger, served with roasted zucchini. Continued...

(By the way, it is even harder to come up with a "recipe" for this kind of cooking, so if this is confusing, it isn't your fault. Just try to figure how much zucchini or turkey will feed one person, and multiply accordingly)

I start by heating the oven to 425. Next I prep the zucchini by cutting each of them twice lengthwise, leaving long skinny quarters. I lay them skin side down on a cookie sheet, spray them with spray olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and throw them in the oven. They will shrink way down, and be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

For the burgers, start by roasting some bell peppers (any color but green). After the skin is removed , set aside. Now take your good ol' ground turkey meat in a bowl, and add some salt, pepper, minced garlic and chopped fresh parsley. Mix, then form into patties. Cook over medium-high heat with some olive oil. While they are cooking, toast some buns (I love the Trader Joes "Honey Wheat" buns. Wheat just works better here). Spread a little mayo* on the buns (May also be a Trader Joes product "The Ojai Cook Lemonaise") add a few layers of romain lettuce to the bottom. Add your burger, roasted bell pepper, and some thinly sliced red onion. Serve with the zuchinni.

I think this meal is great as is, but if you feel the need to "round it out" you could throw in some roasted potato or some fruit, or a cup of soup. OOooo. That sounds good. Also, avocado plays well with the burger. Actually, avocado is good with just about anything. But that is another post altogether.



*When I say something is "healthful" it does not mean "low fat," "low carb," "low cal," or really "low" anything. I just try to have more poultry and fish, less meat, lots more veggies, whole grain instead of white, less butter, more olive oil, moderation...yada yada. More a "healthy choices" kind of thing. So admittedly, not the healthiest person ever, but come on, would you ever trust a skinny cook?