Salsa Verde Burgers

Wow, these Salsa Verde Burgers are OFF THE HOOK! If you need a new burger idea that everyone will love, look no further. These burgers are lean with a mean, green kick topped with pepper jack cheese, salsa verde and avocado – delish!

I shared this delicious homemade salsa verde recipe for Better Homes and Gardens on Delish Dish and decided to make these burgers using the salsa for dinner last night. You can also use store bought salsa verde, but trust me, nothing beats homemade!

I made the burgers with both lean beef burgers and chicken burgers since I had both on hand, and I loved them equally.  My husband's not eating carbs this week so he ate two beef burgers without the bun. Whether you make them with lean beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo, black bean patties, veggie burgers... modify them however you wish!

I calculated these with 93% lean beef patties, with the bun and without and with the bun and no cheese. Any other variations you'll have to do on your own – enjoy!
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Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

It's 80° today, perfect day for grilling so I thought I would highlight this recipe from the archives. Turkey burgers with a cayenne pepper kick! Here's a fun way to turn boring turkey burgers into something with a little more exciting. If you're a buffalo wing fan, you'll love the flavors in this turkey burger topped with a broccoli slaw tossed with my very own homemade blue cheese dressing.

Someone recently emailed me and gave me this idea, she took my zucchini turkey burger recipe and dipped it in hot sauce after. I decided to add it to the turkey meat instead, and figured you can always serve more on the side if you wish!

And by the way, there's carrots in these burgers but I promise, you can't even tell. It's a great way to add more fiber and vegetables into your diet whether it's for yourself or your family.

I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so Frank's hot sauce is perfect for my taste, but if you really like it hot you could use Tabasco or your favorite cayenne hot sauce.

To make these burgers gluten free, you can sub the breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats.


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Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers

 

Leftover picadillo and brown rice makes a super easy second meal, all in the crock pot. Top it with melted cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and you'll have a delicious dinner without much fuss. Each pepper is a complete meal-in-one.
As I mentioned in my last post, we use leftover picadillo many ways in my home. Stuffed peppers are a great way to use leftovers and nothing goes to waste here –  the tops of the peppers get diced and are added to the filling.

The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for making stuffed peppers, I've also included oven directions below.

When buying bell peppers for the slow cooker, I look for peppers that have flat bottoms that can stand upright on their own.

You can double the recipe to make 6, which would fit perfectly in a 6 qt slow cooker.

BTW, we love stuffed peppers in my home and I've posted other variations:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

and there's even a stuffed pepper soup. Enjoy!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

Cheesy baked pasta made with Italian chicken sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, Pecorino Romano and spinach (but don't worry, no one will care about the green stuff). Perfect to feed a hungry family!

This is also easy to make ahead, then pop it in the oven when you are ready to eat. If you like to freeze meals ahead for the month, this freezes well after baking. To freeze, I like to cut it in portions when it's cold, then wrap them in plastic and freeze individually. When frozen you can put them in large freezer bags and label them so you can take out as many or few pieces as you want at a time.

If you don't want to make such a large amount, you can easily halve this recipe and make in a square baking dish as I did in the photo above. Italian turkey or chicken sausage works great, use whichever is available near you. For a meatless version, try this Baked Ziti with Spinach recipe.


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Warm Pasta Salad with Corn and Zucchini

This pasta salad is heavy on summer vegetables (corn and zucchini) and gets a bit of a kick from red pepper flakes. It's a great alternative to potato salad and will be a perfect meatless entree or side dish for your next picnic or family potluck. 

Please enjoy this guest post from my friend Olga of Mango & Tomato. Olga is a culinary wiz and I'm happy to have her share a recipe with all of you here on Skinnytaste!

Hi! My name is Olga and I'm the creator of Mango & Tomato, where I've been sharing my original recipes, restaurant reviews and food photography for the last four years. Through blogging I get to tell my readers about my childhood food memories, how travel influences the food I make today and my favorite places to eat out. Most importantly, though, I get to meet the other people who are passionate about food. Mostly, these "meetings" happen through social media, but in rare cases I'm lucky to meet them in real life. Gina, is one of those people: we met during a trip to the POM Wonderful orchards and have stayed in touch ever since.

I'm psyched to be able to share a recipe with you all on Gina's blog! 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Smoky Spice Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Black Beans and Corn

Grilled salmon steaks rubbed with a spicy blend of smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin and cocoa powder served with a quick side dish of black beans, grilled corn, cilantro and splash of lime juice.

You will love the spicy smoked flavors of the salmon paired with the sweet corn side with fresh lime and cilantro flavors. This is a complete meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids and a good source of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. When buying salmon, I look for fresh or frozen sustainable wild options such as Alaskan salmon which is raised in pristine waters - it costs a little more but it's leaner than farm raised because the fish are raised in the wild and get more exercise, the meat has a natural red color whereas farmed salmon is artificially colored. Coho, Chum and pink salmon have less fat than King and Sockeye varieties.

To make this quick side dish, I bought frozen grilled corn from Trader Joe's. I know many of you don't have a Trader Joe's near you so fresh grilled corn cut off the cob or regular frozen kernels would work fine too.

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Homemade Spinach Manicotti

The secret to irresistible manicotti is to make them from scratch with homemade crespelles, which are basically Italian crepes. These are filled with spinach, egg and three cheeses and topped with homemade sauce. Filling and delicious!

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Chicken Quesadillas

These chicken quesadillas are a meal in one! Loaded with chicken and veggies and very filling (I couldn't finish mine). I made these for dinner with my leftover avocado mango salsa but these are also great for lunch or you can even serve them as appetizers.

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Angel Hair with Shrimp and Tomato Sauce

Shrimp cooked with tomatoes, a touch of cream, white wine and a hint of lemon. This pasta dish is so simple to make and is ready in about 15 minutes, perfect for a weeknight meal.

The lemon juice adds a nice touch and compliments the shrimp. This is also great over spaghetti squash for a  low-carb or gluten-free meal.

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Skinny Turkey Cuban Sandwich

If you're craving a Cuban sandwich, this should satisfy your craving! I have a weakness for Cuban sandwiches, if you have never tried one, they are usually made with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, thin sliced pickles and mustard, then pressed with a sandwich press or a panini grill until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. Very popular in Miami Florida. I think leftover turkey breast makes a great, lighter alternative to roast pork and it's a great way to use your leftover turkey this Thanksgiving. I found this French bread in the deli section of my supermarket that was soft and perfect for a Cuban, and only 2 pts a piece. Have one of these for lunch or dinner and enjoy!!

Turkey Cuban Sandwich

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 1 • Size: 1 sandwich • Calories: 321 • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 10 pts

• 1 6" slice French Bread (fat free)
  
• 3 oz left over turkey breast, heated
• 1 slice of ham
• 2 thin slices of Alpine Lace Swiss cheese
• 3 slices of pickles
• mustard
• Pam cooking spray

Slice the bread open. Spread mustard on both sides. Place cheese and pickles on the bread. Add turkey and top with ham. Close your sandwich, spray the sandwich press with buttered flavored Pam and press down until the cheese is melted and the crust is a little crispy. Cut the sandwich on the diagonal and enjoy!