Tex Mex Burgers and Kiwi Watermelon Kayaks
Monday Night is Roomate Date night, which means an evening filled with a yummy dinner, wine, and The Bachelorette.
I was responsible for the yummy dinner portion, the roomate bought the killer wine and I don’t know who is responsible for this shameless reality TV show. It is the only 2 hours I spend watching television a week so I feel no guilt. Some of it is hilarious, some of it is actually kind of touching, and some parts are amazing, such as the (unreal) dates that the cast goes on (for instance) in Fiji … I mean … Fiji ?! 
One day I will be blogging about Fiji, and Costa Rica, and all the other destinations that The Bachelorette has explored… Fantasies do become reality on occasion and this gal is never giving up hope! I won’t give away the end since some of you may not have watched it yet but I was totally pulling for the guy that she ended up choosing! He was a winner… and this dinner was a winner as well!
Last month I grabbed some extra lean ground beef and extra lean ground turkey on sale, knowing that it would be great to have on hand in the freezer since I travel frequently for both work and leisure. Being able to freeze is essential and a time saver for any busy schedule. I’m not a huge red meat fan and I think we can get most of what we need from plant-based nutrition rather than red meat. However, when a craving for a burger hits, I will fulfill it no doubt with actual red meat as opposed to some sort of filler or substitute! Lean red meat does offer high value protein and iron but there is a good and bad to everything, like high saturated fat content. Since I have been posting for the Thrive in 30 campaign series, I have been trying to make more of an effort to cut out processed foods and consume healthier foods in general but one in particular is lean sources of protein. Check out more information on protein and Thrive in 30 on this post. I wanted to incorporate minimal ingredients too but still make a juicy burger “Being Healthier” style. When you crave a burger and fries, it is useful to have a healthy go-to when the craving hits!
Tex Mex Burgers (Makes 4-6 Burgers)
Ingredients:
1 lb, extra lean ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, pork, non-animal substitute ?)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 small jalapeno, minced
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 Tbsp taco seasoning ( I used Ortega Brand taco seasoning because their ingredients are slightly healthier than other mixes)
4-6 buns (whole grain)
Suggested Toppings: nonfat greek yogurt, salsa, avocado, slices of red onion and tomato
Preparation:
Chop and mince cilantro, red onion, avocado, garlic and jalapeno. (Caution: It will not be The Bachelorette that is making your eyes swell up in tears if you touch your face after chopping the jalapeno! Wash the knife/board after the jalapeno!). Mix all ingredients together, blending and mashing avocado well into burgers. Shape evenly into desired size burgers.
Chef Note:
I would make for 4 burgers next time even though I made 5 while simultaneously thinking “These are huge!” … I ended up eating 2 burgers, yep, they were that good!
Kiwi Watermelon Kayaks
(Makes 4 Kayaks with extra Salsa)
Ingredients:
2 kiwi, diced
1.8 lb seedless watermelon, diced
4 stalks celery hearts, chopped
1/4 cup red onion diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 small jalapeno, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime ( ~ 2 -3 tsp)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Chop cilantro, watermelon, kiwi, and celery. Dice onion and mince jalepeno. Mix all ingredients together, adding juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Cucumber “Kayak” or “Canoe” if you prefer:
1 cucumber, cut in half, then quartered. Seeds removed. Fill with 2-3 tablespoons of Kiwi Watermelon Salsa.
I guess it is technically a canoe because it was more of an open ditch as opposed to a one or two seater kayak shape. The title of the post was easier as “Kiwi Watermelon Kayaks” though. I will redo this for sure and make the appropriate shaped boat next time.
Being Healthier:
I used the extra lean beef but it could easily be substituted for ground turkey or other meat if you prefer. One note of importance is to check the label on the ground turkey because sometimes, it can have an even higher saturated fat content than ground beef! Most people just assume turkey is the healthier option and that is definitely not the case.
I added the avocado to the mixture as a binder. Avocado is a “superfood”, high in unsaturated fats and vitamins. It is creamy and flavorful and pairs well with cilantro & red onion. I was hoping it would work well instead of breadcrumbs or cheese and guess what, it did! Check out more on Superfoods from the post I did as part of the Thrive in 30 campaign. These are foods that high in net gain nutrition and offer powerful benefits like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!
The cucumbers were a great vehicle (pun intended) to hold the salsa, which contained no fat, preservatives or added sugar (just seasonal produce & herbs)! I got the idea from an Epicurious recipe email that had Zuchinni Canoes and I thought cucumbers would work even better!
Working Out Wednesday:
My workouts this week have gotten ridiculously better each day. I think it was from the “rest” I had this weekend on thursday and friday. The “100 Workout” was such a fantastic way to get in activity at home and doesn’t require any equipment! The circuit took me 36 minutes to complete and I burned 208 calories.
My only suggestion is to change up the types of squats, leg lifts and crunches! Repeating crunch after crunch gets boring so I did sets of 20′s or 10′s but did 3-4 different exercises to get to the right number (i.e 90 or 80). Incorporating some Insanity style moves kept it interesting too (like the 180 squats and 1,2,3′s, lunging squats, jump squats, crunches, v-ups, etc.) for different ab work. This workout left me sweaty and sore in that “I forgot I have muscles there” kinda way! Here is the weekly recap:
(7-28) Thursday: Travel Evening!
(7-29) Friday: Beach Day- Yoga (Dave Farmar Power Flow Podcast) & Walking (Beach & Outlet Mall)
(7-30) Saturday: The 100 Workout! Also went to the driving range!
(7-31) Sunday: Gym- Strength (Lat Pulldowns, Rows, Bicep Curls, Hammer Curls, Abs) and Elliptical 30 minutes
(8-1) Monday: Gym – Strength (Bench Press, Tricep Extension, Tricep Pull Downs, Shoulder Raises, Planks, Bosu PushUps, Crunches, Triceps) and Elliptical Level 8 55 minutes
(8-2) Tuesday: Brewery Running Club- 5.11 miles ( 36 minutes 38 seconds)
I crushed my time last week and it was 10* hotter (98* F)! 36:38 for an 8k is my PR. I got a free beer after the run (courtesy of Raleigh Running Outfitters racing team) AND was asked if I ever thought about joining the competitive team! I’m so pumped to sponsor a great organization, have a coach and people to run with on a regular basis! Plus, I hear that there is some deals on running gear, etc. ( Thanks Win!) I am really excited because it seems like performance has gone up and time has gone down since starting this Thrive in 30 series too!
(8-3) Wednesday: Rest! My friend is taking the RD Exam!
(8-4)Thursday: Hip Hop Dance Class!
(8-5) Friday: Travel Day
Saturday/Sunday: Visiting family and friends but incorporating one long run to kick off training (10-12 miles).
What was your favorite workout this week?
I think my favorite quickie workout was The 100 because I will be able to do that anywhere without any equipment but I felt like Monday was a kick-bootie workout that reminded me of training for the marathon! On that note, Tuesday running club was INSANE- I had the best time, I am joining the RRO racing team AND I exceeded my goal for 5.11 miles in 36 minutes!!
