Lean Hamburgers

Kevin and I buy very lean meat, but without a little help, this makes for some dry burgers. This is our go-to hamburger recipe. We love it! We never go 'out' for burgers.

1 lb 94% lean ground beef (or for the adventurous, ground buffalo)

1/3 of an onion, diced

3-4 T Worcestershire sauce

Mix ground meat with onion and sauce. Form into patties (3 or 4) and grill about 4 minutes on each side, or until meat is medium to medium-well. Wrap the patties in foil until you are ready to serve.

I usually buy fresh whole wheat buns from sprouts. Our favorite toppings include jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and your traditional, ketchup, light mayo, and mustard.

Carrot Cake

Yes, another carrot cake! My mom made this one for us for our birthdays--best I have ever had! Very moist and lots of texture. Much better than my 'light' version.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Buttermilk Glaze (See Below)
Cream Cheese Frosting (See Below)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk Glaze

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Source: Southern Living

Cowboy Caviar

Okay, so I admit I haven't actually made this one, but there is no way this tastes bad. I'll let you know what I think once we give it a taste test.

15 1/2 oz can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
11 oz. can corn, drained
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 green onions, minced
1 large or 2 small avocado , diced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup prepared salsa
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve on a bed of greens or as a dip with tortilla chips.

Source: delish.com

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

I make a big batch at the beginning of the week so that there are easy, go-to lunches in the fridge. This would also be a good pot-luck dish. Great for hot summer days. Add other veggies and seasonings to make it your own.

1 box (16oz) whole wheat rotini pasta
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 chopped red onion
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Cook pasta according to directions on the box. When there are two minutes left on the pasta, add the frozen peas to the boiling water. Once pasta and peas are cooked, strain and rinse with cold water to cool the pasta down.

Dump pasta and pea mixture into a large bowl (preferably one that can be sealed for refrigerator storage). Add onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. I would guess I use ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 t salt, 1 T pepper, and 1 T garlic powder, but we really like our seasonings!