Chicken Parmesan Burgers

This is another recipe I’ve seen floating around the blog-o-sphere before with rave reviews.  We often keep ground chicken or ground turkey on hand in the freezer because when I catch a sale, I like to stock up.  It’s great because ground chicken is so versatile, and pairs well with lots of flavors.  Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf, Chicken Sausage Breakfast Patties, Caribbean Spiced Chicken Burgers, and now Chicken Parmesan Burgers.  Each with a different flavor combination!

This recipe comes together so quickly, and easily, with a really tasty payoff.  I found them to be super moist & juicy, with lots of flavor coming through in every bite.  Most of the ingredients are always on hand for me, so this is a great recipe for us.  The Boy loved them too, but he loves just about any burger, so I knew this was an easy bet!

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Chicken Parmesan Burgers

from Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:

Burgers:
1 lb. ground chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 shallot, finely diced
salt and pepper

1/2 cup pasta sauce
4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded)
4 buns (brushed with a little garlic butter, they are even better)

Directions:

Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make them about 30-40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.

Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes. Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through. Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

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Chicken Sausages with Kale and White Beans

I must admit, I’ve been rather lazy with my CSA this year.  This is my fourth year doing one, and I’ve become more knowledgeable about unfamiliar vegetables.  I now know what works, and what doesn’t work.  So, with the last three bunches of kale I’ve gotten, I’ve mainly been making kale chips, because they are ridiculously easy and surprisingly tasty.  But, The Boy isn’t a fan of them.  And, I want to cook with kale in a way he will enjoy it.  So I browsed my favorite recipe sources, and quickly discovered a recipe I already had all the ingredients for.

Not only did The Boy enjoy this dish, he called dibs on leftovers!  He also insisted I make this again.  I know he likes greens, I just don’t get around to cooking them, mainly because I never know what healthy main course to serve them with.  This recipe solved that problem by pairing the cooked kale with spicy italian sausages.  If it involves the word spicy, I know he’ll like it.  It’s hard to describe this dish, except to say it just pairs well.  The wilted greens are accented by white beans, and a tang of white wine vinegar.  The broiled italian sausages make for a no-work main course, and are the perfect savory addition.  Best of all, this dish really fills you up, without a lot of carbs.  I’m just mad I don’t get the leftovers!

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Chicken Sausages with Kale and White Beans

adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds)
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian chicken sausages (about 8 links)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Directions:

Remove thick stems from kale and discard. Coarsely chop kale; wash and dry. Peel and thinly slice garlic.

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. With a fork, pierce sausages all over; place on a broilerproof rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

While sausages are cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add kale, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until kale is wilted and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse beans; add to skillet along with vinegar. Cook uncovered, tossing gently, until beans are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slice chicken sausage and serve atop kale & beans.

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Linguine with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto

If you follow my blog somewhat regularly, you will know I’m not a fan of cilantro.  So you might be shocked to discover I made a CILANTRO PESTO.  I can’t say why exactly my tastes changed, but it appears they have.  Now this doesn’t mean I’m going to start throwing it in everything, but I have found I can more than tolerate it.  I still find it can be overpowering in some recipes, but surprisingly, it wasn’t in this.  If someone like me, who has a history of cilantro-opposition liked this dish, then imagine what the average taster would think!  This was a rich and flavorful dish.  I was drawn to this recipe because I had a whole bunch of cilantro leftover, and I had most of the remaining ingredients on hand.  Oh, and there’s tequila in it.  WIN.

For the record, The Boy preferred it with parmesan cheese as opposed to feta, and he added in red pepper flakes, at my suggestion.  I thought the feta tasted great in this.  Next time I have a surplus of cilantro, I think I’ll be making this again!

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Linguine with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto

from Bon Appétit, July 2010

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 chopped
1/4 cut (scant) chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno chile
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound linguine
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tablespoons tequila
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese
red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Blend 1 1/4 cups cilantro leaves and next 4 ingredients in processor until coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup oil. Season generously with salt. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add tequila. Return skillet to heat and stir until sauce is syrupy, about 30 seconds. Add pesto; stir to coat. Remove from heat.

Add pasta to sauce in skillet; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta and shrimp among 4 plates. Sprinkle dish with Cotija or feta cheese, chopped cilantro, and red pepper flakes (if you choose) and serve. Adapted from Tejas Texas Grill & Saloon.

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Banana Cinnamon Chip Blondie Bars

There are three things you need to know about me:

#1 I am scatterbrained.

#2 I am forgetful.

#3 I already forgot what #3 was supposed to be.

(I’m not kidding either.  I drafted this entry in my head, then a couple hours later I am finally writing it, and I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say.)

Oh, WAIT!  I just remembered.  #3 I am indecisive.

Ok, so… A while back I bought some cinnamon chips.  I’ve previously used them in Cinnamon Fudge, which… I am just now realizing I never blogged.  Hmmm…  (I probably never blogged it because I wasn’t crazy about the recipe.  I just don’t like the consistency/texture of fudge made with marshmallow creme.  And I won’t blog something if I don’t recommend it, or at least if I had learned something making it.  Here’s the recipe if anyone is interested.  The flavor was good, it’s just the “mouthfeel” I didn’t like.)

See the pattern of forgetfullness & scatterbrainedness?  Anyways.  I’ve had a bag of cinnamon chips in my pantry for a while.  I’ve considered baking scones or cookies, but never really settled on anything.  Well, I also had a banana that was going brown on me, along with a couple that were REALLY brown frozen in my freezer!  I kept forgetting about these ingredients, knowing I’d do something with them eventually.  And then, I got the itch to bake.  So… with those weighing thoughts, my mind began to turn.  I could make banana bread, using the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe in my blog.  But I didn’t want to do something that was just one step away from a previous post.  So I pondered some more.  (This is where you can observe my indecisiveness.)  And I remembered something I made way back before my blogging days… Banana Bars!  They were sort of blondie like, and I began to wonder if I could make banana blondies and add cinnamon chips.

And so… Cinnamon Chip Banana Blondie Bars it is!  I clicked the very first link that came up in my Google search, a New York Times recipe, printed in 1983, for Banana Blondies that included chocolate chips.  I did some adapting to the original recipe, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep “blondies” in the title, because they aren’t as thick and rich as say… these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies, but they are definitely denser and richer than banana bread.  In the end I kept the long name, because I just like the way it all sounds together!

One things that I can decide on, and I won’t forget, is the way these taste.  Oh, wow!  They are good!  I’m really glad I decided to combine the banana and cinnamon flavors.  I already knew it was a combo I’d like, because I LOVE these waffles.  These bars are the perfect union between banana bread and blondies.  They are just rich enough to know you can’t pass it off as breakfast.  You know you’re eating dessert.  But, you don’t have to feel too guilty, because there’s only 6 Tablespoons of butter, as opposed to 1/2 pound!  I love how the cinnamon chips somewhat melted, but didn’t dissolve completely, as chips sometimes do in bread.  They were so good I opted not to share with anyone other than The Boy & I.

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Banana Cinnamon Chip Blondie Bars

adapted from the NY Times
YIELDS: 16 bars

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup banana puree (for me, this was about 3 bananas)
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or 1/2 cup white & 1/2 cup whole wheat; or hell, just throw healthy notions out the window and do all white all-purpose if you want!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a nine-inch-square baking pan.

Cream butter, add sugar and beat in egg. Stir in banana puree & vanilla. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet until just combined.

Add cinnamon chips and walnuts and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares. (SERIOUSLY! Let these bad boys cool ALL THE WAY before you cut them!)

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