Memorial Day burger with a twist!

Happy Memorial Day! I don't about you, but after all the junk food I ate this weekend I was ready for a healthy meal today. Spent sometime on the water this weekend which was very relaxing but a lot of snacking. I wanted to grill but wanted it to be a healthy choice or at least on the healthier side. I got this recipe a couple years ago from a friend. 

At first I was really unsure since I am used to the normal American cheese burger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard etc.  This was definitely a twist to what I was used to but by far might be my favorite way to enjoy a burger. It is a salsa burger! I use Laura's Lean Beef, 92% lean/ 8% fat. Any kind of beef will do but this kind is on the leaner side. I seasoned the burgers very lightly with taco seasoning. Grill as usual.  

Once the burgers are almost done I add the cheese, I personally prefer provolone but any cheese of choice will do. I sometimes will use half of a bun, but today I was trying to cut back on as many carbs and calories as possible. Pretzel buns are very delicious paired with this recipe but unfortunately not for me today. You then layer the burger with tomatillo salsa verde. Don't let the green salsa scare you, it is very yummy and the best kind to use with this recipe. I before have added sour cream as an additional topping, which adds extra flavor but definitely not necessary. 

On the side I have shown blue corn tortilla chips, which go well with this kind of salsa or any kind of your favorite salsa. Also a healthier alternative to regular tortilla chips. This recipe makes for a perfect healthy twist for a burger, especially today when I feel like it is mandatory to grill on Memorial Day. Perfect start to kick off the summer! Enjoy!

Homemade healthy "Chipotle" burrito bowl!

Everyone loves the "Chipotle" burrito bowl but if you knew how many calories it contained you may not love it so much anymore. Right now in an actual "Chipotle" burrito bowl built exactly how I made my homemade healthier version, it has 500 calories if you were to order one at Chipotle. My homemade healthy version of a burrito bowl is non-greasy and only 297 calories. You don't feel heavy after eating and not nearly as guilty for indulging in this Mexican favorite. It is a little time consuming but well worth it. You want to grill the chicken for the best flavor. You lightly season each side of the chicken with the low sodium taco seasoning. While that is grilling you want to start the brown rice. I personally used a rice cooker which takes 22 minutes but any kind of brown rice will do. You then can start chopping the cilantro and lime while the chicken and rice are cooking. When the rice is done you want to squeeze the lime on the rice and add the chopped cilantro to the rice, mix together well. Chicken should be grilled 4 minutes on each side, 8 minutes total. I usually start the rice first since it takes the longest. Once the chicken is done cut up chicken into strips or cubes. Once everything is done you can start a little mini assembly line and start building your bowl. You want to add the rice first, then the chicken. Garnish with cheese and your favorite salsa. For extra flavoring you can add light sour cream or guacamole. The burrito bowl also pairs well with some Mexican beer or a margarita.

2-3 pieces of thin sliced/butterflied chicken. Season the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning and grill

Ingredients you will need: cilantro, 1-2 cups of brown rice, taco seasoning (40% less sodium), 1 lime and cheese

Pull the leaves off the cilantro and chop finely

Grilled chicken and cilantro/lime brown rice. Garnishments: cheese and your favorite salsa to keep it simple and healthy.

Healthy "Chipotle" burrito bowl, enjoy!