grill – Page 2 – Recipes that Fit

Ground turkey makes a special appearance today, paired with bacon and cheese. My family was sure excited about trying this recipe from Roni at Green Lite Bites. The (very real) bacon bits are mixed right in to the turkey mixture along with rolled oats and shredded zucchini. The zucchini provides moisture, and the oats help to stretch out the meat. And of course, both ingredients add some nutrition. I chopped a small onion into the mixture as well, for a little extra flavor.

But the truly unique part is that half of a Mini Babybel Light cheese wheel is tucked inside the burger. When the burger is grilled, the cheese melts perfectly inside. This was a really fun way to make cheeseburgers, and of course you could use the idea for a homemade veggie burger as well. Thanks to Roni for posting this recipe, it was a crowd pleaser!

One of my favorite meals this weekend was Mediterranean Chopped Salad, which I made by loosely following a recipe from Oprah. I love that we served it salad bar style, and everyone could pick and choose their own salad ingredients. The choices included chopped Romaine, grilled zucchini, eggplant, and red onion, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese. Everything looked so pretty on an antique tablecloth from my grandmother.

The salad bar was great, but the basil dressing stole the show. I used a smoothie maker to blend everything together, and the result was incredible. I was a bad blogger and didn’t document the exact measurements, but the dressing roughly contained:

1 chopped shallot

1 spoonful of minced garlic

1 spoonful of mustard

1 spoonful of sugar

1 cup basil leaves

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1 c. olive oil

1/4 c. water

Here is a shot of my Dad’s (first) bowl, ready to be enjoyed with a glass of wine on the deck. We may have to make the Mediterranean salad bar a Fourth of July tradition!