Loaded South Western Turkey Burger & Some Soap Box Time

Confession...BURGER = my weakness!  I LOVE a burger!  I love any and all toppings, bun or no bun...I just LOVE a burger!  But, ground beef isn't your cleanest red meat generally, and really you shouldn't eat red meat everyday...I try to remind myself, lol.  Ground turkey is much leaner and cleaner option.  But does it really stand up to a good 'ol burger?  I kid you not...I literally made this for the third time this week, just so I could blog it ;) And, it's only Wednesday! lol....

So, I have been trying to cut down on our red meat consumption, and while chicken is a great choice...sometimes you just want that burger!  This is so awesome, a fabulous stand in, and really pretty easy!  Plus, it is FULL of healthy veggies!  Not to mention, when I saw that it was on such crazy deal at Harris Teeter this week, I was pretty sure it was a burger omen!

*There's tons you can do ahead here!  Chop those veggies, patty out the burgers...and really, a quick rough chop on the veggies is fine!

What you need...
1lb. organic ground turkey
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced (peppers are a member of the dirty dozen so I would recommend organic)
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 pint cremini/baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (totally optional, but it's so good for you I add it to everything)
a generous handful of baby spinach (also organic;))
a couple slices of your favorite cheese, my recommendation is Pepper Jack ;)

Optional:
buns
sweet potato fries

Add the ground turkey to a medium bowl.  Dump in the ancho chili powder, cumin, cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil, about 1 tsp. Mix all that yumminess together until well combined.  I know that no one loves to use their hands, but really they are the best tool!  

Once combined, dived into 2-3 equal portions and pat out those rounds!  I like to let them rest on parchment until the grill is hot, or even stick them in the fridge until we are ready for them! Remember, turkey won't shrink much because there's very little fat!

Get your sizzle on!  Place all the veggies, except the spinach into a sauté pan, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and turn to medium high heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring/tossing frequently.  Move all those yummy veggies over to one side of the pan, and add the spinach to the other side. Cover and remove from heat! The steam from the veggies will wilt the spinach after a few minutes! 

Meanwhile, back at the grill...Heat your grill to medium high heat, make sure it's clean!  The olive oil in the burgers helps to keep them from sticking, but it never hurts to hit the burgers with a touch of olive oil spray before placing them on the grill!  Grill about 3 1/2 - 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature hits 165F. 

Remove from grill and place on a baking sheet, top with veggies and spinach.  Add a slice of cheese and place into the oven for about 5 minutes, just to get that nice smoother going!

Add to your bun with a little chipotle mayo or just leave it Naked!  Serve it up with some sweet potato fries and Enjoy!!!

*Chipotle Mayo, just add 1/2 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce to 1/4 cup mayo! (see Q & A)

Smothered and Cover and ready for Action!

The Q & A:

Organic vs. Conventional?!?! (Totally my personal guidelines)

• You know...if I had the option to live on a farm and grow or raise everything we ate, I totally would.  We have considered a farm, truthfully.  Today's food in the US and the lack of regulation on it absolutely disgusts me.  And the worst part is, the crap "food" availability has driven the prices of the "healthier" option to a practically unattainable level for most people, especially those with families of 6 or more!  It would be entirely impossible for me to feed my family 100% organic. Hence, I focus on what I believe to be the most important items.  This is a personal opinion, but the items I try to buy exclusively organic are: all dairy items, as much meat as possible, ALL the dirty dozen (which changes year to year!).  You can read more detailed information on that here.

• Look out for GMOs...they like to hide!  Practically anything that contains corn or soy has them these days.  This makes it tough to get truly clean meat because that stuff is usually in their feed!

• Absolutely NO Farm Raised fish/shellfish!  In many instances, farmers feed them corn/soy which is always contaminated with unhealthy pesticide levels.  Most of it comes from other countries, ones which have no regulations of dumping hormones, drugs, chemicals into the ponds to increase harvest!  And, there is tons of issue with contaminated holding tanks there! Buy Wild Caught, buy Local where you can!  I know it can be expensive, but today stores have to list if fish is farm-raised/wild caught and the country of origin!  Check!!

• $$$ But, make sure you pay attention!  Many times, organic sweet potatoes, cauliflower and other items are actually less expensive because they are locally sourced!  Certainly try to buy local whenever, wherever possible!!!

• Mushroom tip - I like to purchase whole mushrooms because they are easier to clean!  Most people don't realize that you should rinse your mushrooms!  The are a sponge and soak the water up if you rinse them!  Grab a good quality paper towel, wet it well, squeeze out the water, and give them a good wipe down!

• Yes, I like to make our own sweet potato fries and butternut squash fries, when I can....but many times I am too busy, so we love the Alexia Sweet Potato Fries, both the  original and the spicy! ;)

• Chipotle in Adobo - get it!  This is something that I use ALL the time!  Just one little can will last you months!  Grab a freezer safe ziploc bag, open the can and pour it into the bag.  Then squeeze out the air and seal it up.  Lie it down and the counter and press it flat.  Now freeze!  Whenever you need some, just break a piece off!  It is a quick way to add HUGE smokey, spicy flavor!  I use it in my chili, enchilada filling/sauce, mayo, greek yogurt dip!!!