Gobble it up

I am sure everyone is tired of reading about my troubled tibia, cause Lord knows I'm sick of talking about it. Ha! So, I thought I'd focus on something else that starts with a "T"...turkey! Last week, I strayed from the beef and filled my plate with tilapia, tuna, turkey and chicken. And like those meats, I feel a lot leaner! Yeah!

So when I went on my weekly grocery run yesterday, I filled the cart with all things white and pink, including 99 percent fat-free gobbler. I'm usually weary of using ground turkey in anything other than spaghetti, due to its dry reputation, but since I was craving "comfort" food after a VERY long day at work, I thought I'd make a healthy version of a big burger and fries.

To make the burgers, I pulled out my trusty green bowl and mixed the pound of ground turkey, a few squirts of mustard, a couple of shakes of hot sauce and a Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch packet. I am originally from Arizona, so spicy food runs in my veins! Ha Ha! I molded the patties, and into the pan they went for about 15 minutes. Halfway through, I put the top on the cooker to try to keep the moisture in. While the turkey broiled, I cut up a big sweet potato into chips, drizzled a little olive oil over the top and completed them with a generous helping of one of my favorite spices -- Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. It may seem a little strange to not use the traditional cinnamon and sugar on sweet spuds, but this Cajun creation really is delish! And, according to my new friend, WebMD, spicy foods have chemical compounds that boost the metabolism...HOT!

My sweet potatoes (which I baked in a 400-degree oven for 20 mins) were nothing to frown at, and a bit of ketchup was the perfect sauce for this side! Nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked the sweet potato #1 in nutrition for all veggies. Brown spuds have almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, and when eaten with the skin, more fiber than oatmeal. Who'd want to eat a regular potato after hearing that?!

In the end, I have to say I was very impressed with my kitchen skills tonight...those burgers were top notch, if I do say so myself. Burger King may have some stiff competition. :)