paleo-style burgers {recipe of the week}

So, my husband is into the Paleo-diet these days. We’ve just ‘dipped’ our toes ever so slightly into the new craze, but I believe in the premise and research behind it, and know that whole and healthy food is the key to optimal health and defeating chronic disease. The Paleo-diet has been described as the cave-man diet because the diet consists of meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. I’m all for it…I have a hard time with all the meat {I tend to lean more to the vegetarian-side}, but sign me up for the veggies, fruits, seafood and nuts. If you haven’t heard about the whole Paleo-diet craze, read more about it here.

I visited PaleOMG – it’s a great site and a wonderful resource…plus Juli is a fellow Colorado gal and you gotta love that!! This recipe caught my eye. I made a few changes because I didn’t have some ingredients/changed to my liking…and it was DELISH. The whole family loved it, and wanted round 2. It’s been added to my recipe book. I hope you give it a try. Buon Appetito.

Spinach Turkey Burgers
recipe adapted from PaleOMG
*makes about 5-6 patties

Ingredients
1 pound ground organic turkey
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
avocado, sliced

Garnish/Salad Ingredients
spinach
arugula
baby kale
carrots {any vegetables of your liking}
olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dressing {I made my own dressing with olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper and pressed garlic}

How To
1.  Add all the ingredients for your burgers in a medium size bowl and use your hands to mix well
2. Form balls with your hands
3. Place a non-stick large skillet OR warm a griddle {and add olive oil to prevent sticking patties} on medium heat. Once hot, place the balls onto the skillet/griddle, then press down with a spatula to flatten out
4. Cook on both sides for at least 8-10 minutes until turkey cooked through
5. Once done, add to the top of your salad, top off with avocados and devour!
NOTE: for the kiddos, I made the burgers traditional-style, topped with cheese in between buns…and they {most impressively, my incredibly picky son who turns his nose to everything green} LOVED them.

If you have any other delicious Paleo-diet recipe you want to share, please send them to trejsorelle@gmail.com. We’d love to try more recipes.

{images via Tutto Bella}