In my last post I wrote about the nice weather and the sun. I took a walk through the park near my house and explored some trails. All the deck furniture was reclaimed from the dust a cobwebs and placed out in the sun. Basically, I was pretending it was summertime.

I don't know how the weather is wherever you live, but it's sunny and almost 80 degrees today (which is more than 100 degrees warmer than it was 3 months ago - crazy, right?) As I'm writing this, I'm basking in the warmth of the sun as it spills through my window and pretending it's summertime.


Given the summer-like weather, I can't think of a better thing to eat than tzatziki sauce - the cool yogurt and cucumbers combine to make the perfect warm-weather dip. If you've ever eaten a Gyro, this is that creamy deliciousness that's inside. And like the infomercials say - but wait, there's more! The best part about this is its versatility. You can dip veggies or pita into this goodness, eat it on top of a sandwich, use it as a sauce with grilled chicken - endless possibilities!

Also, 1 serving of this is less than 65 calories. That means you can eat this creamy, delicious dip guilt-free! So go pick up some cucumbers on your way home from work and make this, you won't regret it!

Tzatziki Sauce

Yield: about 3.5 cups | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 24 oz. plain greek yogurt

• 3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 lemon, juiced (2-3 Tbsp.)

• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

On Friday, I ate lunch with a new friend at a Mediterranean restaurant. While we talked and learned about each others' lives, I gobbled down a delicious falafel wrap and more hummus than I feel comfortable admitting.


Then on Saturday, I ate an amazing falafel and portobello mushroom burger at a great whiskey and burger restaurant in Pittsburgh - yum (I had the burger "lettuce wrapped" to make it a little healthier/so I could eat more french fries instead).


The point of telling you this is to tell you that I ate a lot of falafel. So last night, while still craving more Mediterranean food, I decided to do a spin of a falafel wrap, using little turkey burgers in place of falafel patties (adapted from this recipe).


These turkey burgers are great - they stay so moist because of the zucchini (which you can't even taste, for those non-zucchini lovers out there). And the turkey zucchini burgers + homemade tahini sauce + a tomato and cucumber Mediterranean salsa = a delicious, colorful, Mediterranean-esque meal! Oh yeah, and it's only 350 calories per serving!

Mediterranean Turkey Zucchini Burgers

Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 40 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes (plus resting time)

Ingredients:

• 4 whole grain pita pockets

Turkey Zucchini Burgers:

• 1 pound lean ground turkey

• 1 cup (packed) grated zucchini, squeezed dry

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

Tahini Sauce:

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 Tbsp. tahini

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2-3 Tbsp. water

Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa

• 2 plum tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup diced cucumber

• 1/4 cup diced red onion

• 2 Tbsp. cilantro

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Turkey Zucchini Burgers:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients to make turkey zucchini burgers. Mix and form into 8 patties. Press patties to be about 1/2-inch thick and place on a plate or baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. When ready to cook, heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Grill patties for about 5 minutes on each side. Cook until patties are golden brown and no pink remains inside.

Tahini Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and garlic clove until smooth. Add 2-3 Tbsp. of water to reach the consistency of a dressing.
2. Cover and refrigerate.

Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients to make Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover and refrigerate.

Assembly:

1. Slice a small potion off the top of each pita pocket. Add 2 Turkey Zucchini Burgers, 1/4 of the Tahini Sauce and 1/4 of the Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa.

Nutritional information per serving (2 Turkey Zucchini Burgers, 1/4 Tahini Sauce, 1/4 Tomato & Cucumber Mediterranean Salsa):
Calories: 350
Total fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 36 grams
Weight Watchers points: 8



Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Since I returned from Israel, I have been craving the tomato and cucumber salad I ate nearly every day. I decided to make the salad a little heartier by adding quinoa.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) has its history rooted in South America. While we often consume quinoa in a way similar to grains (i.e. oats, barley, etc.), quinoa is not a grain. Quinoa is actually from the same family as beets, spinach and Swiss chard. The portion of the plant that we are eating when we eat quinoa is the seed, although the stems and leaves are edible as well. And in comparison to grains, quinoa is a good source of protein and calcium, while having a low fat content!

Quinoa salad with tomato, cucumber and feta

(Yields 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. parsley, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium cucumber, cubed
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer (Why? To remove quinoa's natural coating, saponin, which can make the quinoa taste slightly bitter)
2. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Add quinoa, cover the pot, and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes
3. Keeping quinoa covered, remove pot from heat and let stand for 5 minutes
4. Remove the lid and gently fluff quinoa with a fork, set aside
5. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until mixture is emulsified
6. Combine cooled quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber in a medium bowl
7. Pour lemon mixture into bowl and add feta. Toss gently to combine

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Although I did not receive cucumbers in my CSA "box" this past week, I had an extra cucumber in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten - and what better way to eat in than in a light and fresh cucumber salad?

While I'm sure most people have seen, if not eaten, a cucumber at some point, you would be surprised to know that cucumbers come in a variety of sizes and colors. Most commonly in grocery stores, you will find cucumbers that are long and dark-green with smooth skin. However, cucumbers can also be white, yellow, or even orange, and can vary in size and skin texture. Fun fact: cucumbers are the fourth most widely cultivated vegetable in the world (after tomato, cabbage and onion)!

Cucumber Dill Salad

(Yields 2-3 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped (from my garden!)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry cucumber and dill
2. Heat water, vinegar, sugar and shallots in a pot over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and shallots are softened - about 5 minutes. Set mixture aside and allow to cool
3. After peeling cucumber, CAREFULLY slice into thin slices on a mandolin. ALWAYS use the finger guard!!!
4. Place sliced cucumbers, shallot/vinegar mixture, chopped dill, salt and pepper into a bowl. Stir to combine.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Quick, easy and delicious! This was eaten with grilled chicken, roasted red skin potatoes and a mixed greens salad (from the CSA).


And here is a picture of the finished cucumber dill salad.


Enjoy and thanks for reading!