What's for Dinner This Week...

My apologies to Oprah, but I just didn't find her Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burgers anything to write home about. They were alright, but I didn't think the effort it took to prepare them was worth the end result, frankly. I may have mentioned that I'm a bit of a turkey burger connoisseur, and I really like my tried-and-true recipe best. I'm not making turkey burgers again this week, but I'm going to post the recipe below. Oddly enough, the recipe is called "Best-Ever Turkey Burgers." I'll let y'all be the judge of that.

Monday: Baked Chicken, Rice, Corn and Apples

Tuesday: Cherry Pepper Chicken, Brown Rice, Green Beans

Wednesday: Dinner out

Thursday: Turkey Meatloaf, Salad, Brown Rice

Friday: Thai Chicken Wraps, Edamame

Saturday: Beef Taquitos with Salsa and Sour Cream, Fruit, Salad

Sunday: Creamy Sausage Tomato Pasta, Peas, Fruit

(If you're looking for an easy, downloadable menu planner, you'll find a great one here.)

For more menu-planning tips, head over to Laura's place!

Best-Ever Turkey Burgers (courtesy of Tufts University Health Newsletter)

Turkey burgers can be a healthier alternative to beef only if you choose 99% lean ground turkey breast. The "regular" 93% lean ground turkey is not really much different calorie and fat-wise from ground round. Just note that this recipe only calls for 8 oz. of ground turkey, so if you use a whole package of turkey breast, you'll need to scale the recipe accordingly. You can always make extra burgers and freeze them for grilling at a later time.

8 oz. 99% lean ground turkey

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 cup grated zucchini (1/2 small)

1/3 cup finely chopped onion (1/2 small)

2/3 cup whole-wheat Japanese-style breadcrumbs (panko)

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Tbsp. prepared barbecue sauce

4 whole-wheat hamburger rolls

Preheat grill. Combine ground turkey, egg white, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, zucchini, onion, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in large bowl; mix well. Form turkey mixture into four 1/2-inch thick patties.

Lightly oil grill grate by rubbing a piece of oil-soaked paper towel over the surface (use tongs to hold paper towel). Grill patties, covered, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side, brushing cooked sides with barbecue sauce. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center of patties should register 165 degrees. About 1 minute before patties are done, place buns, cut side down, on grill grate until lightly toasted. Place patties on rolls and garnish as desired. (If you prefer to cook patties indoors, you can broil them.

Calories 270 (13% from fat)

Total fat 4g

Sat fat 0.5g

Cholesterol 25 mg

Sodium 700mg

Fiber 5g