/> Clean Convenient Cuisine: Redesigning An American Classic!

Clean Convenient Cuisine

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Friday, July 30, 2010

Redesigning An American Classic!

American restaurants usually have a staple people love: burger and fries. Sometimes, even if you're a healthy eater, you crave a burger, fries and a milkshake. Almost every fast food chain is based on the assumption that people like burgers and fries. McDonald's has made billions on it.

So, what if you like this type of food but want to "clean" it up a bit? Try turkey burgers, sweet potato fries and a healthy strawberry milkshake. There are numerous restaurants who offer this now (Feast in Chicago being one of my favorites), but you can make this quick and easy meal at home.

First, look for ground turkey that is at least 93% lean and isn't pre-salted. Buy 4 medium size sweet potatoes, or Whole Foods sells sweet potato fries in the freezer section (and many other grocery stores do as well). Decide what toppings you want for your burger (and forgo the bun if you can, as the healthy carbs from the sweet potato fries are enough).

Ingredients

1 package ground turkey
lettuce
tomato
onion
4 medium sweet potatoes
olive oil
ketchup made with AlsoSalt (no sodium and it tastes the same!)
1 package strawberries
greek yogurt
bananas

1. If you are going to make the sweet potatoes, get those going first. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel your sweet potatoes and then cut them in half and then into fat wedges to form steak fries. Put them in a large plastic tupperware dish and sprinkle them with spices, such as paprika, cumin, cayenne, etc. Pour 2 tbs. of olive oil on top of them, put on the lid and shake them until they are spiced evenly. Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes until they are nice and crispy.

2. Prepare the lettuce, tomato and onions for your burger.

3. When the potatoes have about 10-15 minutes to go, form the ground turkey into patties and add spices of your choice (paprika, cayenne, a little chili powder, garlic, etc). You can cook the burgers in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil, on the grill or on a George Foreman. You want to cook the burgers on medium to medium high for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until done through the middle.

4. Pile your burger with healthy toppings, scoop a serving of sweet potato fries onto the plate and enjoy!

Want something sweet after? Here's a healthy take on the strawberry milkshake:

1. In a blender, combine 5 ice cubes, 1/3 c. water, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 scoop vanilla or strawberry protein powder, 1/2 cup fresh cut strawberries and 1 banana (optional). Blend together, adding a dash of cinnamon. Pop in the freezer for about 5 minutes and have a sweet, healthy treat at the end of your American meal!!

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