Healthy Turkey Burgers with Pita, Tzatziki and Salad Leaves

About three years ago I went to university, drank beer and ordered too much takeaway. I started a food blog and became addicted to recipe books and cooking. It was only a matter of time before I needed the intervention of a personal trainer. 

Last week I began a four week programme of exercising with Emily, and a healthy eating plan. Note that this is not a diet, it’s a nutrition plan, which sounds so much more inviting. Well, I’m loving it so far, slightly because I went home this weekend and broke all the rules, but mostly because it tells me to eat more then I usually do. Salads, seeds and oat cakes loom large, but so do lovely fresh vegetables, fruits and protein rich meat and fish. My shopping trolley was looking so good this morning I nearly took a photo of it. I’m not THAT cool though. 

One supper suggestion on the plan is grilled turkey burgers with pita and salad, and the recipe below is my interpretation of the brief. I used extra lean turkey breast mince which contains only two grams of fat, regular lean contains about six, which just don’t cut it I’m afraid. The tzatziki uses low fat Greek yoghurt, and the pita bread is of the extra groovy, crammed with seeds, wholegrain variety. The whole lot’s either grilled or raw. And most importantly, it was delicious and I don’t feel like I’m starving myself. Ben’s even requested it again, the ultimate seal of approval!! 

Serves 2 greedy people, or 4 calorie counters

- For the Burgers -

500g extra lean turkey breast mince

1 onion, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

- For Everything Else - 

salad leaves, I’ve used spinach

1 spring onion, chopped

1 tomato, sliced

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

2 small wholemeal pitas, halved

Tzatziki (my recipe can be found here, use low fat Greek yoghurt)

1. Preheat the grill. Mix all the burger ingredients together in a bowl, and shape into four burgers. Grill for approximately 8 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. 
2. Put together all the other ingredients on the serving plate, and serve the burgers on top, with plenty of tzatziki on the side.

Korean Keema

When I can’t think what I want to cook I tend to turn to a curry. Great for using up a whole host of leftovers, curry is a hearty, warming choice for cold winter nights. The Korean Keema is unlike curries I have made in the past, being less focused on a flavoursome sauce and more so on the marinated meat, and although there wasn’t a sauce the meat was wonderfully juicy. I was a little cautious having never cooked turkey before, but I found the results very pleasing, both price and taste wise.

Adapted from Nigella Lawson: Kitchen

Serves 2

150g rice

250g turkey mince

4 chopped spring onions

125g frozen peas

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 x 15ml tbsp rice wine

2 x 15ml tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the marinade:

2 x tbsp red curry paste

1 x 15ml tbsp honey

1 x 15ml tbsp rice wine

2 x 15ml tbsp soy sauce

1. Cook the rice and put a kettle on for the peas later.

2. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and stir in the turkey mince. Leave to steep for 5 minutes.

3. Heat a heavy based frying pan on the hob, and while this is happening, blanche the peas with the boiling water in a colander. When the pan is hit add the oil, peas and spring onions, and fry for 4 minutes.

4. Add the turkey and its sauce and stir fry for 5 minutes, until cooked. Rinse out the steeping bowl by adding the 2 tbsp rice wine and then pour this into the pan.

5. Stir fry everything for a further 30 seconds, serve over rice, and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.

Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: 500g TURKEY MINCE COST £2, BUT THE RICE WINE IS A LITTLE EXPENSIVE (MORE AN INVESTMENT AS IT’LL LAST A LONG TIME)

Kitchen Requirements: BASIC