Fajita Burger and Pita Chips with Black Bean Hummus

Cooking a healthy meal doesn’t have to mean spending tons of money on groceries and endless hours in the kitchen. This quick-fix Southwestern meal is not only affordable and easy to prepare, but it’s also low in carbs and high in protein.

The fajita burgers are a blend of my favorite Southwestern flavors, but without the ensuing regret after a greasy, carb-heavy meal. I’m using black beans as the base for this creamy hummus dip, and I’ve left out the tahini (sesame paste) which is a high-fat ingredient found in most hummus recipes. This meal is a perfect example of how you can cut the fat, but keep the flavor.

View the NBC5 segment featuring this recipe.

Shopping List

For the fajita burgers:

• 16 oz. ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup red pepper, finely chopped
• ½ cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 cup reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Olive oil

For the black bean hummus:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1½ cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1½ teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the pita chips:

• 4 whole wheat pita bread pockets
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Recipe

Makes 4 fajita burgers, 1½ cups hummus and 4 servings pita chips.

For the fajita burger:

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, minced garlic, lime juice, chopped red pepper, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, reduced fat cheese, cumin and salt.

Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until well incorporated then split the mixture into four patties.

Thinly coat a sauté pan over medium heat with olive oil.

Place the patties into the sauté pan and cook for 5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes until cooked throughout.

For the black bean hummus:

In a food processor or blender, combine the black beans, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper.

Pulse the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. Serve with pita chips (recipe below).

For the pita chips:

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Brush the tops of the pita bread pockets with olive oil then sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Cut each pita bread pocket into 8 pieces by cutting the bread in half, then into fourths and then into eighths.

Spread the sliced pita bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the pita chips for 7 minutes until crispy.