5 Healthy Recipes for Your Summer Cookout

Serves: 8
Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey (or ground chicken)
• 2/3 cup apple, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley or cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Spritz of fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, apple, onion, parsley or cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Wet hands and form into eight evenly sized patties.
2. In a saute pan, add just enough oil to coat. Saute patties over medium heat for around 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add a tablespoon of water and cover to steam until the meat is cooked through; the meat thermometer should read 165 F in thickest part of patty.

Serves: 8
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (smaller potatoes cook faster)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats if avoiding gluten)
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked black beans)
• Half a small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Avocado oil

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center. Place the sweet potatoes cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 30 to 40 minutes or longer. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and roughly chop the insides. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Use a food processor to grind the oats until they are broken up, but not as fine as flour.
3. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa, black beans, onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, chipotle or paprika, and salt. Use a potato masher or big mixing spoon to mix well. It’s OK if the black beans get smashed in the process.
4. Sprinkle the ground oats over the mixture and mix well with a big spoon until the mixture holds together well enough to be shaped into patties. If possible, cover and refrigerate the mixture for best results.
5. Using a 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time, gently shape it into patties about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Use your hands to gently flatten the burgers and smooth out any jagged edges. Repeat the process for each patty; you should end up with 8.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook until browned and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 2 cans of organic cannellini beans
• 1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bunch rosemary, minced
• 1/2 small bunch basil, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces chunk Parmesan, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 brightly colored bell pepper, diced
• 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1 pint organic cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh pitted olives, halved
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Place the first 10 ingredients in a bowl and toss together.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss until combined.

Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:

• 4 rounds of pita bread
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil and seasonings; stir to combine.
2. Cut pita bread into triangles. Put pita bread in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil mixture. Toss with your hands until evenly coated.
3. Arrange pita chips in a single layer and bake at 400 F for 8 to 12 minutes. Flip halfway through. Bake until crisp, golden, and firm.

Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients:

• 3 cups chickpeas, cooked
• 1 small red beet, cooked and peeled*
• 2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
• Garnish: za’atar, paprika, sumac, or fresh herbs

Steps:

1. To prepare the beet, leave it a little wet and wrap in foil. You can either steam it in a steamer basket or roast at 425 F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce through. Let it cool. The skin should easily peel off.
2. In a food processor, blend the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the tahini and blend again.
3. As the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the ice water until the tahini becomes lighter in color, with a saucelike consistency. Add the chickpeas and beet and blend for a minute, or until the beet is smooth. Salt to taste.
4. Garnish with preferred spices or herbs. Serve with vegetables or crackers.