Cooking My Way: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Guacamole

It's recipe Wednesday! I just love sharing recipes with you all and I love getting and trying new recipes as well. Cooking has been a lifesaver for my healthier lifestyle. In the past, when I tried to "diet" I failed mostly because of what I was eating. I thought eating healthy meant eating stuff that I didn't really like. I even tried doing a program through a local gym once and I had to eat the same things every day and none of them was anything that I looked forward to. So eventually, I would give up and give in and head to the nearest McDonald's for a double cheeseburger, large fry, and a large diet coke! I would then eat every bite and go looking for something sweet to follow it up. I would officially be off the wagon again!

But this time has been different. It started back in January when I decided to clean up my eating. I added fresh fruits and veggies to my diet. Once I got used to eating that instead of chips or fries with a meal, I got a little more courageous in the kitchen. A big help was Jillian Michael's Mastering Your Metabolism Cookbook. She has lots of really great and tasty recipes to try. And like I've said before, my granddaddy Strickland is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to eating healthier and he creates some of the yummiest, healthiest recipes that I know. He was the first person that I ever heard of that ate quinoa and now it's a staple in our home. We eat it at least once a week. Right now, I have Mexican chicken and quinoa cooking in the crock pot. It's sort of a made up recipe that supposed to be similar to Arroz Con Pollo but with quinoa. I sort of took this and that from other recipes and made it my own. Look for that recipe coming soon.

Below you'll find the recipe to the turkey burgers that Ryan and I made last week. It was a meal that I was looking forward to because a cheeseburger is my ultimate go to, comfort food. I was excited to try a healthier version of a favorite meal. Several months ago when I was visiting family, my brother made burgers with fresh guacamole on top. It was so yummy and guacamole is good for you in small portions so we decided to add that to our turkey burgers. It was a delicious and satisfying meal and I'm sure it will be on our meal plan again in the near future.

Here you go:

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Guacamole
(Makes 4 burgers)

1 lb of lean ground turkey
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder

2 ripe avocados
1/2 packet of guacamole seasoning
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
Onion, finely diced (I used about a handful but you can use more or less depending on what you want.)
Tomato, diced (I used about a handful but you can use more or less depending on what you want.)
Cilantro, chopped (I used about a handful but you can use more or less depending on what you want.)
1/2 lime, juiced

Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese
Fresh baby spinach leaves
Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds or hamburger buns (We used the sandwich rounds because they were thinner and had less calories and carbs.)

Mix in salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder with ground turkey. We did not measure the spices. Use to your liking.

Pat out and shape into patties. Because the sandwich rounds are wider than hamburger buns, we made them fairly thin so they would be about the same size as the round.

While the patties are on the grill you can make your guacamole. Cut avocados lengthwise and remove the pit. Using a spoon, scoop out avocado and put into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 packet of guacamole seasoning, mix together, mashing with fork. Add in jalapeno, onion, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until ready to use.

Cilantro and lime are not pictured below. Sorry!

 Abigail loves to help in the kitchen!

Just before your burgers are ready to come off the grill, add a slice of reduced fat pepper jack cheese. Place burger on bun and top with a spoonful of guacamole and fresh spinach leaves. The guacamole is creamy and flavorful so you don't really need any other condiments. Serve with baked sweet potato fries.