It’s BURGER TIME up in herre.

by

This week’s guest chef has gone from blogger to business owner all in the time it took me to get her food musings posted.

Unfamiliar with the Duckey? Go check her out. (especially the Meringue Cake. Im just sayin’…)

Duckey’s Healthy Burgers!

Does all unhealthy food mean it has to stay unhealthy food?
My answer would be no, of course not. It is so important to feed your body with the correct fuel. With this fuel not only does it give your body an energy boost it also affects the mind and your mood.
I am not a big fan of unhealthy eating and I promote eating healthy on every occasion possible, however for some of us this proves more difficult that others. So there is one thing we can do.

Give the unhealthy grub a makeover!

I have my own blog which explores healthy living, making over unhealthy food such as pizza, to accompany my exercise routines and health tips at Duckeys Health Blog Below is my recipe especially for readers of ‘Mizfit’ to give your burgers a healthy make over today!

In this recipe to convert this to a healthy meal I have:

*Replaced a white bun with wholemeal pita bread
*Replaced burger sauces with natural homemade salsa and wholegrain mustard for added flavour
*Cooked meat on a George Forman (or grill)
*Replaced chips with salad
*Added extra healthy carbs to keep you full for longer with couscous
*Added extra vegetables for your 5 a day

RECIPE: Beef burgers in lettuce leaves, laced with homemade tomato salsa, pressed between warm whole meal pita slices on a bed of couscous salad.

For the salsa:
6-8 tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 lemon
2-4 basil leaves
Pepper
Chilli flakes (if you like it hot)

For the salad:
1 bag of prepared salad
Plain couscous (to save time low fat packaged couscous with added vegetables)
Pine nuts
Roasted vegetables (you can get great frozen ones)

For the burger:
2-4 beef burgers (try and use ones high in beef the bigger the percentage the better!)
2-4 whole meal pita breads
Fresh baby gem salad leaves
1 tsp whole grain mustard

To make the tomato salsa:
Chop all of the tomatoes in small slices and add to a bowl
Stir in the garlic crushed, ½ lemon juiced, basil pepper and chilli flakes and slightly mushing the tomatoes with a fork
Set this a side until your burger is ready for it!

To make the salad:
Fill a large pasta bowl with the salad leaves
Add 1 cup plain couscous to a bowl with 150ml of water and cover with cling film
In the mean time cook some frozen roasted vegetables and add with some pine nuts to the couscous after 5 minutes
Then sprinkle over the top of the salad leaving room for the burger on the side of the dish.

To make the burger:
Take the meat and place either on a George Forman (great invention!) or on the grill.
(Grilling meat is a great way to reduce the fat content, making this much healthier to eat.)

Cook for around 6-8 minutes to your liking.
Once cooked toast your pita breads lightly and cut in half.
Add a spreading of wholegrain mustard to the base.
Then add some lettuce leaves for crunch.
Dab any excess grease from your burger with paper towel (MizFit note: Im certain most of you are doing this already but it’s amazing how much blotting excess visible grease can really cut back in calories. Studies show that blotting a slice of pizza one can remove approx. 50 calories/5 grams of fat. If you’re one who is oft trying to make good choices in notsohealthyplaces (waves at self & fastfood emporiums) blotting can make that almostnasty grilled chicken a tad better.)
Add your burger on top of the leaves.
Season with pepper and spoon on your salsa.
Lastly apply the top (you can secure this with a cocktail stick if need be).
Add the burger to your plated salad and you have a healthy alternative to fatty burger and chips.

This meal contains a balanced amount of vegetables, carbohydrate and protein so it fits in the food pyramid to a perfect meal *and* you can feel less guilty about eating it as you know it was homemade and you have saved calories! I always find it is much more satisfying preparing a meal like this rather than blasting one in the microwave. (MizFit note: see? that’s why other people guest chef. I fall prey to the microwave far too often. Anyone else out there (be honest) who struggles to embrace the ‘satisfaction’ of cooking when the call of the microwave is so loud & lovely?)

I am always trying to make over various dishes, I call it “Duckeyfying” them as I need dishes that are going to give me energy to accompany all my exercise routines.

Thanks Duckey.

Now, you got anything you wanna throw Duckey’s way? A challenge (ala this.) to see if she can D’fy it?

Hit her (and us all) up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. Ooh, love the tips. It’s amazing how much of a difference small changes can make!

    The blotting tip is priceless – it’s one of those things I KNOW but somehow manage to always FORGET.

    And last but not least, LOVE the Foreman grill. There’s something really gratifying about watching all the fat collect in the little tray…it makes you feel virtuous sort of around the nausea that builds from actually seeing all that ook in one place…

    🙂

    V.

  2. I don’t buy meat because I have a mortgage (times are hard), but I like the idea of using wholemeal pitta instead of a bread bun! Yoink.

    I love doing meal makeovers too, and often veganify meaty meals to surprise and delight my boyfriend (more often than not this makes them super-healthy too).

    Very interested to see what tricks Ducky uses so I can STEAL them and wow my friends.

    No shame.

    TA x

  3. Man, I totally miss my George Foreman. I had one in Montreal and it was totally the best thing ever.

    I haven’t gotten around to buying one here yet, but I might ask for one for my birthday or something.

  4. Christine… If you can’t use your George Forman then use your grill and go “Old School.”

    I have lots of Duckey “tricks” tokaiangel especially making meaty dishes veggie as I am not a huge meat eater myself!

    And Valarie keep blotting!

    There’s a little bit of Duckey in everyone… see what you can come up with!

    Duckey x

  5. and the blotting? sort of embarrassing but works huh?

    the only time I ever remember to use this really is at Fudruckers.

    Love the ‘Ruckers but shudder as my ‘grilled’ chicken practically slides out of the kitchen in its accompanying pool of grease.

    Blot, toss bun, plop on salad, love.

    WELCOME DUCKEY!!

    M.

  6. Yayy for this post! First off, great blog Duckey! I am always up for making meals a little more healthy! Last night, I “Itzyfied” (if I can steal your terms :)) a taco casserole!

    How do you make Mac and cheese healthier? I have been loving Ellie Kriegers makeover with squash macaroni and cheese, but would love to try something new!

  7. three words:
    yum. yum. yummy.

    I love burgers. I never thought to put couscous in the salad or eat the burger with salsa. Duckeyfying sounds good to me. I guess I shouldn’t try to Fattify food, because that’s jus not cool.

  8. Ren Man is back from his business travels and just read this post (he never reads MizFit. kinda freeing that way :)).

    his thought?

    Your readers are so lucky you dont MizFitify anything and they dont even know it.

    me: why???

    R.M.: you’d slap tuna on anything and declare it made over.

    NOT TRUE—-but kinda true.

    M.

  9. Great burger ideas from Duckey, thanks! And appreciate the blotting reminder.

    And too funny about the tuna. I wish I liked tuna more! By the time I throw in enough mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish to make it palatable, it’s no longer a health food.

  10. Nah, RM, she’d sprinkle Chia and Flax over it THEN it would be made over! LOL.

    When I use beef or sausage for a casserole, after I brown it, I dump it in a colander and rinse it with hot water. Greasy food is only good when you have a hangover…

    There are many whole grain, or at least a few steps up from white, breads in the store now a days. They do cost more, but I’m guessing not as much as a co-pay on insulin?

  11. I routinely blot bacon, but not burgers. I commonly take the frozen burger (I buy big packs of ground beef then make burgers, and freeze then individually) and cook them in water. But sometimes, I tells ya, I have to finish them in oil.

  12. We do whole wheat buns — but maybe it’s worth trying the pita bread…

    And I love salsa, but I’ve never had it on a burger – I’ve GOT to try that!

    To the microwave – I live by it. Thankfully I have a wife who is much more talented in the kitchen than I am…actually I think my kids are more talented in the kitchen than I am…

  14. which all brings to mind, Leah, when a friend said to me:

    YOU LOVE THE STEAK AT RUTH CHRIS!

    me: um, yes? I do.

    her: (dramatic pause) they douse them in butter (dramatic looong pause) that’s why they are so good.

    me: (short pause) makes sense. they awesome! (thinks to self: and I go there once a year. your point?)

    —-

    my point? sometimes things just *need* to be finished in oil.

    my question: if I do that will I have the same way with words that you do? Im all about the oil finishing then…

    Miz.

  16. Sniff…this brings back sad memories of the day the Silver Dinner restaurant chain removed their delicious veggie burger from their menu. I use to go once a week for my healthy burger treat – since they’ve removed it, I haven’t really been back.

  17. Great ideas!

    Of course, this made me remember back to when my sister owned a taco stand in a mall food court, and I worked for her as a cook – we must have been the only “restaurant” in the world who drained the fat off our ground beef after we cooked it……and did NOT use meat extender.

    I am totally going to try this with my home-grown beef and home-made (canned) salsa…. Am making a batch of salsa either today or tomorrow because it looks like there are enough ripe tomatoes (finally!)

  18. Great healthy tips! I am so robbing these, and scouring the site for more!! :o) Thanks Duckey!

    And thanks for showing me yet another great blog Miz! My blog-watching time has doubled since I found your site!! :o)

    Also, LOVING the new banner btw – “fitness isn’t about fitting in”…. so true.. SO true!

  19. **cue YOU NOTICED confetti**

    Thanks Shivers.

    Fun things a’coming up in the MizFit.

    New tag.
    Twitter.
    Oprah tidbits.
    Who can say what’s next? (NeedAGiveAwayTeaser? CLICK HERE)

    Miz.

  21. The George Forman Grill!! Ha Ha !! I never know whether to laugh or cry about this guy What can I say about a father who named all his kids GEORGE! Well, SIX of the TEN anyway!

    If I substitute some kind of vegi frankenburger for the meat, I could do this burger. I”ll call it the “Dr. Jeorge” after the man 🙂

  22. I KNOW, Dr J! and the worst part is methinks he ripped off Dr. Seuss (was emulating? who can say) to boot.

    Remember Too Many Daves? (CLICK HERE).

    love the Daves although Im more a Starbellied Sneech myself.

    (literally & figuratively)

    and Gena? If you lived here you WOULD oft have burgers for breakfast. That’s all Im sayin’…

    M.

  23. That sounds yummy. I will have to try it for sure. I can’t find couscous in my area. Any suggestions on what I can use as an alternative?

  24. There is nothing I love so much as homemade salsa. I can eat my bodyweight in the stuff. My current love is tomatillo (or green) salsa. My secret is to add a ton of jalapeno so noone in the family will eat it but me;)

    Thanks Ducky, for the ideas!!

  25. deborah, I’ll leave it to the Master (aka Duckey) to give you substitution ideas (I’d just use brown rice) but no couscous?

    Even the boxed kind in the rice aisle?

    That’s where I find mine.

    Perhaps stage a one woman protest outside yer grocers.

    I shall make you a sign.

    WITH NO COUSCOUS WE ALL LOSELOSE!

    Please to chant that while you march.

    Miz.

  26. Great tips and now I am hungry for a burger. I am a big fan of using ground chicken in place of beef when I make burgers! Also am partial to making pumpkin burgers and wrapping them in whole wheat tortilla for a spicy burger alternative, yum!

  27. Are you going to *nail* me if I admit to having a prepackaged boca burger last night? Made pot. fries for kids but had veggies myself!

  28. Great tips! I tend to do most of them, including the blotting of pizza, but I never thought to do grilled chicken and other meats! (why?? i wonder…) I try to be discrete, but whatev! (i felt i needed to use whatev, but it’s not something i would say… what are you doing to me miz?) the microwave? well, i use it all the time, most recently for quick eggs (why dirty the pan… it doesn’t go in the dishwasher but the bowl can!).

  29. Great ideas. I’m generally making anything and everything healthier (I even put cinnamon and protein powder in my coffee: the cinnamon helps stabilize blood sugar so you don’t get as bad spikes and drops)

    I’m pestering BK to let me get another tub of protein powder (unflavored, so I can mix it with ground flax and try to get rid of the flour).

  33. This looks delicious. I have always loved couscous although 3 toddlers eating it can make for a intense workout under the table after dinner 😉

    I am embarrassed to say, I haven’t been blotting! Slap me now 🙁 I promise from this day forward to blot my grease 😉

  34. random mizfitmusings:

    yep on the quinoa (why did I assume if no couscous no quinoa. now Im curiouscurious :)).

    just_kelly— does depend specifically on the pita but for the most part YES.

    Tricia2? I DO THAT TOO 🙂 the cinnamon. it makes me feel better about my cup o’day vice. now the powder? I havent tried that and Im gonna. chocolate sounds DIVINE!

    ttfn300? thank you THANK YOU for normalizing my ‘wave addiction.
    blot away. the Fudruckers peeps think Im insane. please to join me. (if not? whatevs (rimshot!))

    rachel? NAIL YOU? no. ask you to invite me over next time? YES. the premade is how I roll.

    Molly? PUMPKIN BURGERS?! do tell!

    would you be a guest chef fer that?

    and yeah, Annette. Get thee a’blotting and STAT. a little feeling awkward is good for the soul.
    Miz.

  35. If by “falling prey to the microwave” you mean those frozen dinners from the freezer section at the grocery store – No! I grew up on my Mom’s excellent home cooking, and being used to that I expect food to taste good. 😉

    I do however cook up batches of soups, etc, and freeze them for future meals. It makes life much easier.

  36. but the microwave steamers? (the item not a frozen veggie thang)

    the ease of those?

    not alluring at all JavaChick?

    M.

  37. Great healthy food makeover idea – except I don’t eat meat so I would use a Morningstar veggie burger or make pinto bean burgers. Is there any way to make mac & cheese healthy? I’m thinking no…

  38. LOVE this. Never heard of Duckey before but its all bookmarked up:)

    I’m big on the blotting. Somewhat discreetly (people get a little weirded out by it).

    And I also am super big on the transforming junk food so that its a healthier version. We have to eat what we enjoy


  39. Debra? this noncook does highprotein pasta and laughing cow cheese and tosses in some veggies.

    not really mac & cheese any longer—-but does there trick (here anyway :))

    and Sagan? you are the Queen of Transforming.

    (please to clickclickclick on Sagan if you dont read already.)

    M.

  40. I have two lovely Paderno Steamer inserts that fit in my Paderno pots (two different sizes of steamer) so I can steam veggies on the stove. Works just fine.

    I like my microwave for defrosting and reheating, but that’s pretty much it.

  41. Deborah, couscous is really just semolina pasta that has been processed into bits. Whole wheat couscous is better. If, like tokaiangel says, you can’t find quinoa I would a) move, or b) try bulgur or how about polenta? Granted polenta is not fluffy, but it is easy to make and yummy… or maybe grits if you roll that way. You can get couscous from nutsonline.com. I have bought stuff from them in the past, and it was high quality and reasonable. Except for the Chia. That was not reasonable. It was naaaaaaaaasty…. LOL

  42. My husband thinks if the box of mac & cheese says ORGANIC then it is therefore healthy- he has been craving baked mac & cheese because? I have no idea why. Miz – your suggestion might work – thanks!

  44. oh my dear, sweet Marianne.

    We’re so alike and so different.

    *sigh*

    That said, you foodwise.

    Lasange help?

    (Please to click on Marianne. She knows food.)

    M.

  45. Erica, You can make Mac and Cheese Healthier by using low fat cream cheese or a low fat cheese such as mozzarella. As you are substituting the cheese you can spice this dish up in other ways true Italiano style with fresh Basil, Oregano or even chilli!

    I agree Eliie Kreiger is great! An inspiration to Duckeys blog!

    Duckey x

  47. rhodeygirl wants Lasange… well ok instead of mince you can use Quorn great stuff gave it to my boyfriend and told him it was mince (biggest meat eater around) and he fell for it! Check out my post about it! It is high in protein like meat but less calories.

    Then I would use wholemeal pasta it doesn’t bloat you so much, use homemade tomato sauce.. simple… canned tomotos herbs and mushrooms.

    Layer Quorn and Pasta with sauce and top with Spinach and some low fat mozzarella or Ricotta!

    Ta da Healthy Healthy!

    Duckey did it! x

  48. I’m thumbtyping on handheld so I can’t check the spelling but what about neufatel cheese?
    Thoughts?

    M.

  49. Miz – that cheese has the wrong texture, would make the lasagna heavy.

    My take on lasagna? I use super lean ground beef and mix it with superlean turkey italian sausages, and, of course, rinse in hot water.
    Use a good quality jarred sauce if you don’t want to go the make your own. Nice time to mince up veggies that are languishing in your ‘fridge.
    Whole wheat lasagna noodles are hard to find, so I either deal, or use layers of whole wheat egg noodles drained on a towel). Sure makes slicing easier.
    You can get skim ricotta, but you gotta spice it up with pepper and garlic and italian herb blend. You can loosen it with broth or skim milk.
    I don’t actually put shredded cheese between the layers, and I use an italian blend, or, I chop up whatever is in my ‘fridge and top with that, and then a sprinkling of parmesan.
    This makes my father cringe. HIS lasagna has 1197 calories per square. Give new meaning to “to die for”

    Migraine is keeping me from gym and pissing me off.

  50. Okay, it’s the crack of dawn here in CA and those ideas are making my stomach growl big time.
    I’ll be back after my bran muffin.

  51. As if it isn’t hard enough being a vegetarian who craves beef, I have to see this tantalizing improvement upon hamburgers?

    **But. I CAN make the salad. Yum. Didn’t know about frozen roasted veggies. (It’s always too cold in that aisle for me to explore fully.) And the pine nuts sound like a yummy addition.**

  52. If she is up for a challenge then I love Cheesecake and ice cream. If she could Duckyfy those two treats then she would be my hero! I might even build her an alter by which to worship her likeness.
    Most likely her alter would end up in the kitchen, although I would have a hard time explaining the rubber duck on a pedistal to guests.
    I think they would forget all about it however once they where served the ducky cheesecake!

    Jenn

  54. Tricia 2: I like the protein powder in coffee idea. Does it get clumps? I tried making hot cocoa with some vanilla whey protein powder for the kids once, but it clumped nastily. Tips for preventing this much appreciated.

    Healthier mac & cheese: I agree with Miz about using neufchatel. We also put in veggies (diced frozen mixes work great for this…even the Lima bean bits are tolerable with cheese sauce…what isn’t?

  55. marianne? I feel for you & your head.

    I, too, would be in for high protein icecream (I make a version at home which I could share but you’d throw up a little in yer mouth accoring to Ren Man).

    I do have a number of recipes for low carb cheese cakes but these, as I’m sure you know, are veritable fatbombs.

    (Not that there’s anything wrong with that….)

    M.

  56. High protein ice cream!?! I’m afraid to ask. Do you pull a Michelle Tanner and put tuna in it?

    Next question would be, am I the only one who remembers that?

    As for the low carb cheesecake, I have those recipes too but they are still way loaded with fat and besides, I love the crust!

    I know, I’m a baaaddddd girl!

    Jenn

  59. I could go for everything here even the salsa and salad instead of chips, but pita bread????

    I guess I gotta try it before I knock it.

  62. but of course I recall michelle tanner (and no. I dont. it’s just not fattycreamy enough for most people.)!

    vickie Im *sort of* green as well. although my hollywood goto woman for BFF shall always be Sandy Bullock.
    Love her. Love her attitude. (ok, love her hubby.)

    and G.O.T.? I so used to do the blot surreptitiously until I didnt.
    Ive given up caring and just blot wearing my best look of:

    SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE? You wanna mock me? Go ahead! I mightcould shock you & join in!

    M.

  64. Great tips!! We live in a gloriously small town with ZERO fast food places. Love it! I cook a lot and try to keep it healthy, so these tips are helpful! Love the pita bread idea for a hamburger.
    I’m all for blotting and tossing the bun at a restaurant, though! I like to stack it back up like I didn’t eat anything…throws the waitstaff!

  65. Seriously, how does one leave the 65th comment? I love cooking, so I pretty much just store bread in the microwave. Some nights, you just cannot avoid the ease of popping in something super easy though!

    The whole boxing punching thing…way fun, I totally would recommend it. I’m lucky that I live in a rural area with uber cheap personal trainers though. Anyone hungry for some burgers?

  66. fast thought:

    Josha? Im so gonna start doing that. I love when places KEEP the bun as I hate the waste and usually take it with me for the birds (nerd alert. I know.)

    and Amy? you store what in the where?!
    Id say I aspire to be you but Im all about realistic goal setting and it’s just not happening.

    and Ive gotten a bunch of emails about yesterdays Oprah which I havent watched yet. tonight.

    I cant wait as, from what Ive heard, Gwynnie works out two hours a day?

    huh.

    M.

  67. What great ideas!!! I’m fond of the turkey burgers myself (me and beef don’t seem to get along.) Thanks for having the guest chef (as always.)

  68. Yum… that burger sounds like heaven… and the salad too. I think I might have to make me some of that for dinner tomorrow night.

  69. Whenever I used ground beef, in a casserole or tacos, I always put it in a strainer and rinse it will hot water – a lot of the grease goes down the drain then!

    Never thought of blotting burgers though – thanks!

  71. Sounds fabulous. I don’t mind having the occasional burger with the “normal” trimmings – but I do replace the french fries or potato chips with fresh cut veggies or a simple salad.

  72. Here’s me, bonking myself on the side of the head. Blot! Why don’t I blot?!?

    I used to blot — back in my 20s — and I guess I forgot about it. Such a simple tip. I am back on it! THANKS!!!

  73. anyone recall the TARTLET episode from Friends? (” the words lost all meaning.”)

    that’s blot for me today.

    Ive read and typed it so much that now it no longer even looks ‘right.’

    blot. blot. blot.

    M.

  78. Lasagne: Switch some of the pasta layers for a grilled veggie layer – I grilled flat sheets of aubergine (eggplant) and courgette (zucchini) and replace half of my pasta layers for veggie layers.

    Swear down, you won’t notice the difference.

    Awesome if you’re watching carb intake.

    Also sub cheese for fat free cottage cheese or 0% Fage – lower fat than mozarella. And just as tasty.

    TA x

  79. thanks TA. Ive heard that so often about the eggplant and yet, not surprisingly, Im a skeptic.

    when I come visit that’s what youll make for us? yes??

    *woo hoo*

    M.

  80. SO YUM!! This all sounds delicious! However, I’ve always wanted to know what to do with couscous, you know, how to cook or prepare it. I’ve been told, just like you said, that it’s great and leaves you feeling full longer, but I have yet to try it as I don’t know where to begin! Pine nuts eh? Obviously I need some direction! LOL!

  82. Thanks so much for your comment on my blog! Nice to know there are other fit girlz out in cyberspace. Rather slim pickings out here in rural Virginia. Love the burger recipe, will try this weekend.

  84. I loved Duckey’s Healthy Burger and would like to share Rowie’s Healthy Chicken. To cut heaps of the fat from our weekly roast chicken, I remove as much of the skin as I can and cut off all excess fat in sight. The best way to do this is to use tissues and pull the skin off. Tissues or kitchen paper gives you a better grip and stops the slippery chickie from ending up on the kitchen floor! Pat the chicken with a little flour and roast in tied oven bag to keep moist. So much better and healthier than KF you know who….

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