You read that title right. Taco burgers.

These are a few of my favorite things: juicy beef patties, chips and salsa, avocado on anything, rice and beans. I asked myself the other evening: why not combined these things? It could be… healthy. Okay, hamburgers can be pretty unhealthy, but if you use the right ground beef, the right toppings, and the right hamburger bun, you can have yourself a reasonably healthy meal.

I also wanted to include a recipe that wasn’t good for just one or two people, but something that you could make when you invite your friends over to your summer apartment.

When making hamburgers, I like to start with high-quality, lean ground beef… not the burgers that come in the freezer section pre-shaped. You can always talk to the butcher in the grocery store about the best kind of ground beef to use; they’ll be able to point you towards something leaner and higher quality.

When it comes to burger toppings, I used to be a traditionalist. Cheese, lettuce, ketchup and mustard, maybe pickles… Plain and simple. But in the past year, as I’ve tried to eat healthier, I’ve found that I love a lot more toppings than I thought I did. For these burgers, the two stars are avocado, beans and homemade salsa.

Avocado is one of the healthiest foods out there. It’s high in vitamins K, C, and E, folates, potassium and fiber. Perfect? Yes. However, avocados are pretty high in fat, even if it’s a good fat, so you don’t necessarily want to sit down and eat four avocados by yourself. Probably not a good plan. I’ve written about beans before, but they are a great source of protein and fiber, and a great way to add an extra something-something to a dish. Salsa is, of course, a great way to include fresh tomatoes into your diet and making it yourself isn’t just easy, it’s a great way to cut out unnecessary sodium and preservatives.

Ready to cook!? As a warning, this recipe is a little more involved than other ones I written… but if you try it, you’re in for a definite treat!

Taco Burgers

Serves 6-8 people

You’ll need…

⦁       1 lb of lean ground beef

⦁       Pepper

⦁       About 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning

⦁       6-8 hamburger buns (if you can buy these handmade from a local market, do so!)

⦁       1-2 avocados

⦁       1 onion

⦁       4-5 tomatoes

⦁       1 jalapeño

⦁       2 limes

⦁       1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

⦁       1 can of corn, drain and rinsed

⦁       6-8 slices of pepperjack cheese

How to make it…

In a bowl, mix ground beef with a pinch of pepper and your tablespoon of taco seasoning. Mix with a spoon or your hands. Divide the meat into 6-8 equal servings and form into patties. You can cook these on a grill outside or a grill pan inside. Either way, you’ll want to use medium heat and a nonstick cooking spray before you start. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until well done in the center.

Halve avocados on a cutting board and twist apart. Use a spoon to scoop out the pit. Use the same spoon to gently remove the avocado flesh from the skin. Slice into about ½ inch thick slices. Set aside.

Halve and squeeze the tomatoes to get rid of the excess water. Chop up tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno (be careful of the seeds!). Combine in a large bowl with the juice of 1-2 limes. Set aside.

Rinse and drain your cans of black beans and corn. Combine in a bowl and set aside.

When the meat is done, assemble the burgers. On the bottom bun, add some corn and bean mixture and the cheese, then the burger, followed by avocado, salsa, and the top bun. Enjoy!

When I think of Taco Bell, I think of the time I got really drunk and woke up with a chicken soft taco in my bed. And then ate it for breakfast.

I think about their sweet, delicious churros. And how everything there is smothered in ooey, gooey delicious processed cheese. Then topped with sour cream. I think about how I learned my first Spanish phrase from their little spokes-dog.

What I don’t think about is diet or weight loss. I mean, it’s Taco Bell – who would?

Well, someone did. 

Apparently some lady with a deep love for burritos lost 50 pounds eating Taco Bell (from the drive-thru – homegirl couldn’t even get out of the car). And now, thanks to her tremendous success, the head honchos over at Taco Bell HQ are trying to make us all think about Taco Bell in a new way. As in a healthy-after-workout option and not in a only-when-you’re-black-out-drunk sorta way.

I don’t know about you, but I just don’t buy it. I want to lose my muffin top (which has made its way to Costco-size) just as much as the next girl who spent her first three days of 2010 eating some variation of noodles and cheese, but at Taco Bell? Let’s be honest – any weight lost  “thinking outside the bun” will be lost on the toilet. I know you know what I’m talkin’ about. And I know for a fact that’s not the way any of us want to spend our 2010.

I applaud Taco Bell for their attempts to introduce vegetables to their loyal Gordita-guzzling patrons, but pushing the Fresco Fourth Meal as a weight loss option? That’s just insulting.

Stick to what you’re good at, Taco Bell: low grade meat smothered in fake cheese and gobbled up by drunk people who’ve long abandoned their dreams of weight loss.

And now for the news with Kandy Korrespondent:

All eyes are on North Carolina and Indiana as Democrats head to the polls today. The New York Times’ Adam Nagourney analyzed the three different scenarios that could possibly emerge out of today’s race. Briefly, here they are:

1. Clinton wins both states: This will demonstrate that her campaign has continued momentum and may serve to win some superdelegates over to her camp. It will also reflect the extent to which Obama has been hurt by the Rev. Wright debacle.

2. Obama wins both states: The death bell will ring for Clinton’s campaign. Najourney notes that several of her advisers have actually said that they will counsel her to quit at that point.

3. Spit decision: The Clinton campaign’s uphill battle to catch up with Obama’s delegate count will continue. After today’s election, only 217 delegates (excluding superdelegates of course) will be up for grabs. Najourey As democratic consultant Ron Klain states,

“The math still favors Senator Obama, no matter what happens Tuesday.”

Even though I’m so done with this whole Obama-Clinton endless fight, I’m hooked– I have to see it through to the end. For that reason, and because I have no life, I’ll be posting exit poll updates throughout the afternoon and evening–so stay tuned!

In Other News:

On Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake urged Congress to take all steps possible to prevent home foreclosures. He warned that if left unchecked, the alarming rise of foreclosures could have “substantial spillover effects on the housing market, the financial markets, and the broader economy”.

A congressional bill is in the works that, according to its authors, would help 2 million homeowners avoid foreclosure. The Bush administration opposes the measure on the ground that it exposes taxpayers to too much potential risk.

Last Tuesday, April 29th, President Bush placed the full blame for the current governmental inaction on the shoulders of Congress.

Angelinos (aka residents of Los Angeles, CA) are taking to the blogosphere to protest a new country ordinance restricting the area’s iconic taco trucks. Under the new ordinance, proprietors would have to relocate every hour or face fines and misdemeanor charges. This will harm the truck owners’ customer bases and also tear apart a gathering point for the neighborhood.

According to local officials, the change occurred at the demand of local residents, claiming the trucks were ‘eyesores’, and restaurants, who feel undermined by the generally lower prices of the taco trucks. For many, this is simply another illustration of the divide between the fashionable side of LA and the city’s dire poverty. In LA, like many cities, officials tend to cater to the former at the expense of the later.

As Jose Naranjo, an East LA taco truck proprietor since 1989, states, “We are hard workers and we pay taxes […] we are poor people feeding other poor people.” Check out the online petition at saveourtacotrucks.org.

And Now for Something Completely Different…

Visters to Legoland in UK over this past weekend have constructed what is believed to be the world’s tallest Lego tower—100ft high. In celebration of Lego’s 50th anniversary the park welcomed thousands of families to help construct small sections that were then hoisted into place by a crane. Park officials are still waiting for confirmation from the Guinness World Records judges.

That’s the news. See you tomorrow!