Recipe of the Week: Pesto & Mozzarella Turkey Burger

Hola Readers!  Lately I don't know why, but I've been in a rut.  Well, I do know why.  I did something I knew was against my body and spirit, but I couldn't help it.  The prizes were tempting!  Let me explain.  It seems that every year, at my new employment, an event is held.  More like a competition.  A competition enticed with very nice awards if you win.  The staff is divided into groups of 9-10.  The event is for 3 months, January 18 thru April 30th and the winner will be announced on May 5th (the day right after my birthday).  I thought I could celebrate my birthday as I accept the awards, a win-win situation right?.  Anyway, there is a group winner and an individual winner at the end of the event.  I'll get to what the event is, but let me share the prizes first and you tell me if you'd be tempted too.  I promise you there is a recipe here somewhere ;)

Group Awards

Steak and lobster dinner at New York Prime

$1000.00 each!  That's ten Benjamin's people! 

2 hour massage

1 week paid vacation

Plaque

Personal trainer for 3 months.

Individual Award 

1 year membership to Gym

1 week paid vacation

Extra pay check (2 weeks)

Winner gets to be their supervisor for the day

$618.00 toward a new wardrobe

Aren't these amazing prizes!?  I thought so and I was determined to win no matter what!  I was claiming to be the winner before the competition even started!  I was claiming to be this years new Biggest Loser!  Yep, the competition is a race to see who puts off more pounds.  Meaning diet! Diet! Diet!  Something I just do not do because I know very well that diets just do not work!   I admit I was blind-sided by the prizes so I was convinced to start the Atkins diet, which mind you for the first 2 weeks consists of all meats!  Yuk!  Yes yuk!  It had been over 3 years I had not consumed any red meat and over 6 months with no chicken (by choice), only fish.  At one point I considered vegan and even tried raw vegan.  But I did it anyways, sadly to say, I did it (gosh I can't believe I did that).  Not that I mean you have to become a vegetarian or vegan or that you shouldn't eat meat, what I mean is that for me diets do not work, I've experienced that way too many times.  I believe in loving and accepting yourself as you are and being happy!

Nonetheless, it only lasted a little over 1 week.  The headaches started.  I was constipated, but more importantly my spirit was down, I literally felt disgusted.  I felt down because I knew what I was doing was totally against my morals and beliefs.  I promote healthy!  I believe in healthy!  And diets are not healthy!  Okay, so for one week I faltered, I'm human.  But no more!  I learned my lesson.  I am back to my senses.  I am back to eating healthy as best fits for me, indulging from time to time as I please.  I feel so much better already and my spirits are high!  In celebration, here is another delectable recipe from my favorite chef Dani Spies of Clean & Delicious.

Clean Eating Pesto & Mozzarella Turkey Burger

Image Source

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs extra lean turkey burgers
• ½ cup of C&D pesto (or whatever pesto you’ve got!)
• 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
• 6 slices mozzarella cheese
• Kosher salt black pepper
• Olive oil
• 6 Sandwich thins (or whatever you like to serve your burgers on)

Directions:

Combine turkey, pesto, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Using your hands, combine until all the ingredient are well incorporated.
Score the meat into six fairly even sections and then free form six burgers.
Heat a grill pan over a medium high heat and lightly coat with olive oil.  Cook the burgers for 5 minutes on the first side and then flip the burgers and cook for another five minutes or until just cooked through.
*Two minutes before the burgers are done, pop the cheese on and a nice big lid so the cheese melts over the burgers by the time they are done cooking.
Place on top of your favorite burger bun with an extra dollop of pesto and enjoy!!

Nutritional Analysis

Calories: 368; Total Fat: 13.7g; Saturated Fat: 4.7g; Cholesterol: 75mg; Carbohydrate: 27.2g; Dietary Fiber: 6.2g; Sugars: 4.1; Protein: 39.9g

Hope y'all enjoy trying out the recipe and the sandwich even more!

D e l i c i o s o !

Tootles!