Get Your Grill on for the Summer

Its Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to the summer season.  Time for lazy days of lounging by the pool, trips to the beach, kayaking in local lakes, and of course cookouts.  This summer I challenge you to try out some new things with your standard burgers, veggies and potato salad.

I really like turkey burgers, however,  when I make them I often get the complaint that they are dry and lack taste.  This past week I did some experimenting with mushrooms, onion flakes and Worcestershire sauce.  I feel I came up with a delicious burger that is full of flavor, high in fiber, and most of all juicy.  The best thing about my turkey burger is that it has 30% less fat and 23% less saturated fat when compared to a burger made with 80% lean ground beef.

Another thing I love about summer is the endless combinations of fresh grilled veggies.  Any combination works.  The key is to add a variety of veggies that all of your family loves.  For example my daughters love grilled red peppers, onions and carrots. While my husband and I enjoy mushrooms and zucchini in addition to the girls’ favorites.  By combining all the veggies together, I save time in grilling, because when it comes time to serve, I simply pick out the favorites for the girls while my husband and I still enjoy all of the veggies in the mix.  The great thing about grilling veggies is that you do not have to use a lot of oil.  This helps keep calories in check.  When you do season your veggies, consider using combinations of various vinegars and oils in a ratio of 2:1 (vinegar:oil).  You’ll be surprised by the flavors you can create.  A favorite of mine is using a mushroom and sage infused olive oil with a lemon white vinegar.

Potato salad is one of the staples of summer cookouts.  I love potato salad but I am not a big fan of all the calories from fat.  So this past week, I experimented a bit in the kitchen to come up with a potato salad that is full of flavor, creamy and 20% fewer calories than your typical potato salad made with full fat mayonnaise.  The key ingredient is plain, non-fat Greek yogurt.  I simply substituted the Greek yogurt for the mayo in an old family recipe and then added only 3 Tbsp. of light mayo to achieve the desire taste.  Not only is my version lower in total calories (by 21%), but it is also 10% less in total fat, 30% less in cholesterol and 45% less in sodium compared to the original recipe.  The substitution of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt boosts the protein content of the salad, which will help you feel more full for a longer period of time.  It also boosts your calcium intake too!

Last but not least, don’t forget about the burger bun or roll.  When shopping for the ideal hamburger bun look for ones that are 100 calories with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.  I paired my burger with a whole grain sandwich thin style of bread.

Again, this summer I challenge you to get creative with your grill.  You too can make your cookouts healthy, high in fiber, and full of flavor while cutting back on total calories, fat and salt. Happy grilling!

Recipes:

Mushroom and Onion Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. onion flakes
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. oatmeal flour

Preparation

Tips: to ease the cutting of the mushrooms, consider using a mini-food processor.  To obtain oatmeal flour, simply use a food processor to grind oatmeal into a fine “flour”.

1. Place all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients are evenly combined.
2. Form into 6 equal sized burgers
3. Cook on lower fire until thermometer shows internal temperature of 175º
4. Serve with Dijon mustard, red onion, lettuce and tomato on a whole grain sandwich thin round bread.

Reduced Fat, Full Flavored Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of red potatoes
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 6 ounces plain, non-fat Greek Yogurt
• 3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp salt  (Start with this amount first.  Then add additional salt to mixed salad if needed to achieve desired taste)
• pepper to taste
• paprika (optional)

Preparation:

• Clean potatoes, leave the skins on them and place into large pot filled with water
• Bring potatoes to a rolling boil and cook for 20 minutes, then drain water and allow potatoes to cool
• Chop two of the boiled eggs; the remaining two discard the yolks and chop the remaining egg whites.
• Combine the celery, green onions, yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, pepper into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Set aside.
• Chop the cooled potatoes into bite sized pieces, and place into large mixing bowl.
• Pour Greek yogurt mixture over top of the potatoes.
• Fold until all ingredients are evenly combined
• Sprinkle with paprika if desired and serve.