Day 166 here and feeling better about my food choices this week.  Last night I ran into a recipe (on the back of a package of frozen turkey burgers no less) that I think a lot of people would like.  AND it uses ingredients that may already be in the house from making the avocado salsa chicken!  I did some tweaking, as usual, and came out with a recipe that makes frozen turkey burgers into a gourmet meal.  I call them... wait for it...

TEXI-BURGERS (As in Mexican flavor turkey burgers!)
makes 4 servings

4 Jennie-0 All Natural Turkey Burgers - Made from Lean White Meat
4 slices reduced fat cheese (American or cheddar recommended)
1/2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh salsa (such as Natures Promise medium organic salsa)
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp taco seasoning

Grill turkey burgers according to package instructions.  While grilling, mix together sour cream and taco seasoning.  If you dont have pre-packaged taco seasoning on hand, heres a great recipe that I used to make it from scratch (except I left out the crushed red pepper flakes because I dont like them):  All Recipes Taco Seasoning I Recipe.  When turkey burgers are fully cooked, add 1 slice of cheese (approx. 1/2 oz) to each burger then remove from grill when melted.  Top each turkey cheeseburger with taco sauce, sliced avocado & 2 Tbsp salsa.  Voila, Texi-Burgers!  Can also be served on a kaiser roll for those not concerned with carbs. 

This is a great recipe for using up the other half of an avocado and some of the salsa leftover from making the avocado salsa chicken.  I guess Ive been on an avocado kick lately!  Last night I made these with Land O Lakes American cheese slices because we always have it in the house for my husband (and the dog).  So mine last night was 160 calories from the burger, 50 calories from the cheese (would be less using reduced fat or 2%), <5 calories from salsa, ~40 calories for <1oz avocado, and ~25 calories for the taco "sauce" - making my whole burger a total of 280 calories.  Of course, I counted the avocado toward my "healthy fat" for the day and since I had my burger on lettuce instead of a bun, I counted the two lettuce leaf pieces and salsa as one of my vegetable servings for the day.

I actually cant wait to have these again!

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Since Ive had the money to develop a taste for it sushi has been both my comfort food and the meal Im most likely to splurge on for a special occasion. It was definitely the food I was most worried about losing to the French diet, necessitating a pricey sushi binge the day before the diet began. Fortunately weve been making so many meals that have either been so delicious or so odd I havent had much time to lust after sushi. Much.

This next best thing for next time the overwhelming urge for sushi appears and made totally diet friendly by substituting brown rice for the traditional sticky white and using only good low carb fats and veggies Its also good for sushi when youre feeling lazy and cheap because the ingredients are readily available and there is no rolling or Japanese food artistry necessary.

Im not a big fan of the texture of tofu however so we substituted a nice firm tasty tempah for tofu which made preparing this even easier. And the fella dislikes avocado with a passion so he used cucumber on his portion. Overall he just wasnt that into this faux sushi experience, the real thing isnt his favorite but its a sign of his niftyness that he acquiesced to a meal he would never eat on his own just for my love of sushi. It was glorious, I may eat nothing but this when the fella goes out of town in May.

Sushi Bowls


2 cups short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 (4-inch) square sheets nori seaweed
6 ounces extra-firm tofu


grated zest and juice of one orange
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons fructose
2 tablespoons shoyu sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons (brown) rice vinegar


4 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted


Rinse and drain the rice two or three times. Combine the rice, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.


Toast the nori in a preheated 300F degree oven or a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes. Crumble or chop coarsely.


Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise through the middle to make four 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick sheets of tofu. Two at a time, cook in a dry skillet or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high for a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip gently, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Let cool, enough to handle, then cut crosswise into matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining sheets.


To make the dressing, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and fructose in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minute, the add the shoyu and vinegar. Return to a gentle boil and cook another 1 or 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the zests.


When the rice is done, stir in 1/3 cup of the dressing and add more to taste. Scoop the rice into individual bowls and top with the toasted nori, green onions, tofu, avocado slices, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.


Original recipe from 101 Cookbooks Blog.

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