Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayonnaise

I'm not a big burger person.  I never order them at restaurants, and even when I was a kid I would order chicken strips over a burger any day.  I actually went through a huge chicken strip phase when I was a kid, where I refused to eat anything else if we went out.  We had a trip to Disney one summer and I proceeded to order chicken strips at every restaurant that we went to.  I believe this was the same trip where I was afraid of birds and would run for cover every time I saw one.  In case you didn't know, Florida has A LOT of birds.

Anyway, I was never a big burger person until I made these turkey burgers.  I literally ate them for every meal the week I made them, and it wasn't only because I made six and I was the only person in my apartment.  I actually looked forward to them.  I would count down the minutes until five o'clock, when I could make dinner without feeling like an old lady with dentures and hip issues.

I know I always say, 'You hhhaavvee to make *insert food here*!!!', but this time I'm serious.

You hhhaavvee to make these burgers!!!

They're moist and flavorful, and the basil mayonnaise is the perfect compliment.  And then you have the fontina cheese and some buns, and I'm just about ready to head down to the courthouse and marry the whole thing.  It's that good.

Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayonnaise

Ingredients:


For the burgers:
1 lb ground turkey
1 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp mixed dried herbs (basil-oregano-parsley)
salt/pepper


For the basil mayonnaise:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice


For assembly:
6 hamburger buns
4 oz fontina cheese, sliced
6 romaine leaves


Directions:


In a bowl, mix together the ground meat, bread crumbs, grated zucchini, herbs, salt and pepper.  Form into six equal patties and place on a prepared baking sheet.  Broil the burgers 8 minutes on each side.  Add the cheese and broil for 1 minute.


While the burgers cook, whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and juice.  


For assembly, spread the mayonnaise on the bottom half of the bun.  Add the burger, romaine leaf and the top of the burger bun.  


And enjoy!

Herb-crusted Pork Chops

Last night I watched Enchanted for the first time in a couple years.  That movie was HUGE when I was in high school.  My friends and I would listen to the soundtrack on the ride to and from school, and we'd sing along obnoxiously to all of the songs.

How does she know you love her?

How does she know she's yourrssss???????

I forgot how hilarious and absolutely delightful that movie is.  The whole concept of dropping fairy tale characters into contemporary New York is just brilliant.  LOVE.

Do you know what else I love?  Pork chops.  Especially when they're seasoned with a nice blend of herbs and sauteed to perfection.  Add a little squeeze of lemon juice and I'm gone.  Hook, line and sinker.

I made these with my Garlic Roasted Red Skin Potatoes a few weeks ago, and I promptly made another batch two days later.  The herb crust delivers a pop of flavor and the pork chops stay tender and juicy.  These are simple enough to make for a weeknight, but could easily be used for something more special, too.

Herb-crusted Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 thin-cut pork chops

1 tbsp mixed herbs (oregano-basil-parsley)

salt/pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.  Press the herb mixture onto both sides of the pork chops evenly.  

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook the pork chops six minutes per side, until they are fully cooked.  The juices should run clear when the pork chops are done.

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Pepper and Caper Salsa

Guys, something big happened this week.  SOMETHING BIG.  I, Liz-Tip-Top-Shape, made my first steak.  And I didn't ruin it or burn down my apartment.  I will accept applause at the end of the post.

Growing up, it was always a treat to have steak.  My dad would cook it up on the grill with a bunch of vegetables and his famous grilled tomatoes.  I never touched those tomatoes, but the rest of my family loves them.  I'd eat my half of a steak smothered in A1 sauce and salt.  To this day, I don't really know what's in A1 sauce.  The part of me that can no longer eat jello thanks to learning what's really in it thinks my ignorance is a good thing.

This recipe replaces the ubiquitous A1 sauce with a vinegary pepper and caper salsa.  It's a wonderful compliment to the meat, and I'd even go so far as to say you could eat it on its own.  I know I was picking at it while the steaks cooked.

If you like steaks, you must try this recipe.  If you like peppers, you must try this recipe.  If you like food in general, you must try this recipe.

Basically, try this recipe.

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Pepper and Caper Salsa

Ingredients:


4 sirloin steaks
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 jar roasted yellow peppers, drained
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 cup capers
salt/pepper


Directions:


Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, capers and parsley.  Add the peppers and stir to combine.  Set aside.


Heat a grill pan on the stovetop.  Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.  Grill the steaks 4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Thinly slice the steak and top with pepper.

Source:  Giada's Weeknight Meals

Chicken Salad...err...Salad

Remember that super easy chicken salad?  Well, I have an equally super easy way to use up the leftovers. You might be wondering what has me going all semi-homemade as of late.  What an I say, sometimes I like them easy.

All joking aside (seriously, though, when is the joking ever aside on this blog?) there is a beauty to having ready made food on hand for busy nights.  Or for the nights where I am just plain lazy and want to spend all night on the couch watching Grey's Anatomy.

I started re-watching the series, which always coincides with me trolling WebMD and thinking that my everyday maladies are life threatening illnesses.  There actually was a story line on one of the episodes where this guy with what appeared to be a simple runny nose ended up having fluid from his brain draining from his nose.  Every time I have the sniffles, I think of this.

Anyway, for the salad I mixed together the chicken salad and three bean salad with some chopped romaine.  The salad is filling and the mixture of the dressing from the bean salad and the chicken is pretty fantastic.  I ate this with a bun and large glass of lemon water.  The perfect summer meal.

Chicken Salad...err...Salad

Ingredients:


Romaine lettuce, chopped
Three bean salad
Chicken salad


Directions:


Combine all the ingredients.  Eat.  Eat.  And eat.

Ridiculously Easy Chicken Salad

So, this hasn't had a new post in a week.  I'd like to have some really cool explanation like I was absconding with the Avengers or aliens invaded, but the truth is that I'm back with my parents for a bit after graduation and I left my camera at my apartment.

Oh, and I also was in Virginia for half of last week.

Both of those in tandem are why all you voracious Tip Top Shape readers (the...let me count...three of you...or perhaps four) have been left high and dry this past week.  I'm back with a vengeance, though, and this site will return to its regularly scheduled programming.  

I actually missed blogging while I was in Virginia.  There's something nice about the routine of waking up, editing the post and immersing yourself in the genius of all those other blogs.  I even missed drafting the posts, something that I oftentimes find daunting when I'm planning what to post for the week.  My brother's girlfriend's sister (now isn't that a mouthful?) used to be a serious blogger, and my fingers itched after talking with her about blogging and food photography.

So, it's good to be back.

Today's recipe is so ridiculously easy that I almost didn't post it.  I'm not a big fan of semi-homemade meals, but sometimes any given night does not allow hours in front of the stove, or even twenty minutes.  This meal is for those evenings when you don't have time to cook but want to avoid the fast food trap or frozen meal quick sands.  It's nutritious, fresh and the leftovers can be used in a variety of ways.

Without further adieu, I bring you this ridiculously easy chicken salad.

Ridiculously Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Rotisserie Chicken, pre-cooked (2 cups)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cup almonds slivers

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Remove meat from the chicken and chop into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside with the almonds and celery. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and pepper.  Add the chicken, celery and almonds.

Eat any way that you like.  My recommendations are: mixed with salad greens, on a bun or in a wrap.

Source: allrecipes.com