Picnic in the Park

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, it was perfect for a nice little picnic in the park!  Of course I made us something delicious to eat!  I made us some roasted eggplant and white bean spread with some Stacy's Pita Chips for dipping!  And then I threw together a very yummy hearty sandwich with grilled chicken, arugula, tomato slices, mashed avocado, and spicy light mayo served on a whole wheat baguette!  Doesn't that sound amazing??  I think so (and so did my friends)!

What's your favorite picnic sandwich???

Tex Mex Burgers

My friend makes these burgers and I thought I'd adapt it a bit and share it with everyone!  They are healthy, full of protein, and very tasty!  You don't even need to add salt! 

Turkey Tex Mex Burgers (serves 6)
1 pound ground lean turkey or chicken
1/2 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
3/4 cup canned corn (drained and rinsed)
4 tablespoons BBQ sauce
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (red or white)
1 cup finely chopped cilantro

Combine ingredients together in a bowl and divide into 6 patties.  Mixture will be sticky so wet your hands before making the patties.  Grill, pan fry, or broil burgers for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Enjoy with some more of your favorite BBQ sauce with some roasted or grilled veggies for a delicious healthy meal. 

Calorie Count per burger: about 220 calories
Protein Count per burger: about 18 grams protein

Tex Mex Turkey Burger, roasted zucchini, and sauteed spinach

Tomato Pine Nut Salad

I love this salad!  My mom created this salad years ago and it's always been one that my family loves very much.  My siblings and I get super excited when we see that my mom prepared it for a Shabbat dinner. This salad is so easy to make yet so delicious!  It's one of my favorite salads and I make it a lot when I have company over.  Everyone loves it and they look forward to having it when they come over!  I actually get requests for it!  It only has 4 ingredients plus extra virgin olive oil. If you are one of those green herb haters you are not going to love the salad so stay clear but you can always make it without the greens!  I prepare a side bowl of salad minus the greens for one of my friends and she still loves it.

Tomoto Pine Nut Salad (serves 6)
2 containers of grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
2 bunches of flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 cup toasted pine nuts (NOT ONES FROM CHINA, see risk of eating pine nuts section)
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

To toast the pine nuts, place the nuts in a dry pan and turn heat to medium.  Toast pine nuts until golden brown, be sure to keep a close eye on them because they can burn quickly.  Once pine nuts are toasted place in a large salad bowl.  Add the halved tomatoes and chopped parsley to the bowl.  Drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper into the bowl. Mix to combine and serve immediately.