On the blog a few weeks ago, I shared some examples of what I eat on a daily basis, a typical meal plan in the Whiteson household, if you will. I was overwhelmed by the feedback. In the following days, some of you sent me pictures of your grocery store hauls, so many of you purchased GG crackers with a side of dark chocolate (:)) and an overwhelming number of you reached out to me to ask for my turkey burger and vegetable soup recipes. Well, ask you and you shall receive!

The great thing about turkey burgers is that they are a great way to “beef” (or not!) up a boring old salad, up your fiber intake, add healthy, lean protein to a meal and fill you up without adding an overwhelming amount of unwanted fat and calories. Turkey burgers are a great option for having to eat and run, they store safely in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and freeze really well!

My own turkey burgers in my kitchen!

Janine Whiteson Turkey Burger Recipe (Makes 6 Burgers)


Ingredients

1 Ib ground turkey breast (free range if you can find)

1 Tablespoon orange marmalade

2 Tablespoons toasted wheat germ

1 Egg (organic if you can)

1 medium onion sauté in olive oil until brown

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Black pepper to taste

 

Directions 

Finely chop the onion, sauté in a small amount of olive oil until golden brown

Let onions cool then combine all the ingredients

Hand make 6 individual burgers

Place foil on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Place molded burgers on foil

Broil the burgers on HI for 8 minutes on each side or until brown on each side

Let the burgers cool and store in an air tight container up to 5 days OR freeze individually.

 

If you’ve been following me for a while now than you know that my love for soup runs deep! I dedicated a whole blog post to my favorite soups a few months back. If you missed it, check it out here. It’s a good one. I’ve shared the many reasons that I love soup before but I’m happy to do it again! Soup “flushes” out your system. It’s FULL of fiber so it keeps you regular, it really FILLS you up and keeps you satiated for hours, it’s rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and if you make it right, it contains a great amount of protein, no carbs, and lots of the greens we need.  One of my all-time favorite things about soup is that it’s a great starter to any meal. I start each and every one of my dinners with a bowl of soup. It’s filling so if you soup before you eat, you’re guaranteed to eat less. I received lots of requests to share my all-time favorite chunky vegetable soup with you again so here we go….

Making my soup. One of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the immersion blender

Janine’s Hearty Vegetable Soup (Makes 8 servings. 108 calories per serving)


Ingredients

2 large zucchinis

½ head of cauliflower

2 ribs celery

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium turnip

1 medium parsnip

2 gloves garlic

1 large Spanish (yellow) onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bag (1 pound) baby carrots

1 can (15 ounces) chopped or whole tomatoes. Must be salt free

8-10 cups of boiling water

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

I cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

A pinch of cayenne pepper

Ground black pepper to taste

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice. About a half of a lemon

Large bunch of fresh mint, chopped.

Directions

Chop the zucchini, cauliflower and celery into 1” pieces. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut into pieces. Set aside.

Peel the turnip and parsnip. Chop each into 1” pieces. Set aside.

Peel the garlic and onion. Chop the garlic roughly. Cut the onion into ¼” pieces. Warm the oil in a 6-to-8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the onion just starts to brown. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent burning.

Add the zucchini, cauliflower, celery, bell pepper, turnip, parsnip, baby carrots, tomatoes (with juice), water, cumin, paprika, basil, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up whole tomatoes. Immersion blend to break up for a smooth soup or simply leave chunky. More water can be added if the soup seems too thick. Top with fresh mint.

Serve hot. Transfer cooled leftovers into covered containers and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

 

Because these recipes are easy and inexpensive, delicious and nutritious, they have become family favorites in our household. I hope that they become staples in your kitchen. Happy, healthy cooking! Xx Janine