Here’s a recipe for basic burgers made with ground meat but with other good things added.  I like to “cut” meat with veggies, and if it is ground meat with ground nuts also.  Whenever you can add vegetables to your dishes do so–people just do not eat enough vegetables.  Make enough for leftovers–they are great with a salad the next day.

6 burgers

12 ounces ground organic turkey or beef

1 large onion, chopped fine, about 1 cup

1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup ground walnuts or sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp. ground clove

1 tsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

salt and black pepper as desired

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. oil.  Place all ingredients including the sauteed onion in a bowl and mix well.  Form into patties.  Brown in a skillet with remaining oil on both sides until cooked through.  Serve with mustard or ketchup.

Smoothies are usually sweet but they can be refreshing and light without being sweet which is especially appealing in the summer months.  We have an abundance of cucumber from our garden now so I am being creative with them.  We add them to our vegetable juice and I will make some pickles but this smoothie is quick and makes a good light breakfast.

1/2 of a med-large cucumber chopped in large pieces

1/2 of an avocado

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp. Great Lakes Collagen powder (optional)

Place cucumber in a blender and blend until pulverized and liquified.  Add other ingredients and blend again.  Drink immediately.