Food For Thought

I may have mentioned before, I am a personal trainer and lifestyle coach. I teach and coach people to move and perform to beyond their expectations. I also teach and coach them how to lead healthier lives. I do so in many cases, by example. It comes to no surprise that one of the most frequently asked questions is, "What do You eat?"
Instead of listing everything I eat I have decided to give a few recipes for you to try at home. They are simple, NOT all mine and delicious. Hey, healthy and good for you do not have to be synonymous with bland!

For starters, I am a big fan of turkey burgers. Now, I make my burgers from 99% lean ground turkey. Which can be a bit dry if not done right. I recently found a recipe that uses beans as a binder and keeps the burgers moist. I wanted to change it up because I ate these burgers for 2 weeks straight!! This is what I came up with.
Southwest Turkey Burger:
Makes 4 6oz patties
15oz Black Beans (home made or canned), rinsed
-if using canned go low sodium
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2TBSP low sodium salsa OR pico de gio
12oz 99% lean ground turkey

Step 1: Mix all ingredients except turkey in a food processor. Pulse until smooth
Step 2: in a large bowl, combine the black bean mixture with the turkey. Mix by hand till combined
Step 3: Divide the mixture in to 4 equal parts. form each part into a 1/4 inch patty
step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. coat it with cooking spray. Cook patties for 4-6 minutes a side.

Serve on a whole grain bun with fresh spinach, sliced tomatoes and onions. No mayonnaise or ketchup required!
**This recipe was inspired by one I followed in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Clean Eating and also, by a client of mine. Thank you Laura!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme
serves 4
1lb cubed butternut squash (this can be found precut and packaged at Trader Joe's or Jewel!)
1TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1-2TBSP fresh or dried thyme plus extra
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated parmigiano-regiano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375
In a large bowl toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil and thyme. Spread the mixture over a large baking sheet or roasting pan
Roast for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender and golden. Turn the squash occasionally to get even browning.
Remove from the oven. Transfer to a heat safe serving bowl. Toss with sea salt, pepper and extra thyme if desired. Add the fresh grated parmigiano-regiano and serve!

**I have no idea where I got this recipe but I would like to thank whoever inspired me to make and share this!!

A Yummy Mustard Glaze for Salmon (or other proteins):
4tsp of dry mustard powder
4tsp water
1/2tsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp wheat free tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/2tsp of stevia (a calorie free sweetener 3x as potent as sugar!!) OR 3/4tsp of real sugar
1TBSP dark maple syrup

In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the maple syrup. Once combined whisk in the syrup. Brush on top of your prepped salmon or chicken or what ever, bake or grill and enjoy!
This will keep one week in a tightly covered container in the fridge
**Inspired by a recipe from March 2009 Food and Wine


Bon Appetite!