Chicken Burgers & Couscous

So I know that the title of this post may not draw you in (chicken burgers, really?), but it is a seriously good meal. Seriously. We just ate it tonight and were both very pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. The flavors were so different than what we usually eat (couscous, for one, and dried cranberries, for another), but we loved them. And did you notice -- not one ounce of cheese in either recipe! Ha!

I found these recipes the other day I was flipping channels and saw Giada on Food Network. I stopped and watched for a while and this is the meal she was making. At first I was a little leery of chicken burgers, but like I've said before, we're fans of burgers, and I am always on the hunt for something new to try, so I figured we'd give it a whirl and see how we liked it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Well, Giada, you've done it again. The chicken burger was moist and full of flavor, and the couscous was nutty, hearty and flavorful. We had never eaten couscous before, but we both loved it. Patrick and I kind felt like we were eating California food ... I don't really know what that even means, but it's how we felt!

We've eaten regular beef burgers, turkey burgers and now chicken burgers. I'm thinking next might be bison burgers. What's your favorite burger, and do you have any non-beef burger recipes you like?


Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns (we used whole-wheat buns)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup arugula, divided

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.
For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.
Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.
To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Israeli Couscous with apples, cranberries and herbs
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 medium green apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, see Cook's Note

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before using.

I've read that Israeli couscous is different than regular couscous, but I couldn't find it at Publix so I just used the regular, plain, boxed couscous, and since I don't know anything different, I thought it was great! I also used dried herbs instead of fresh cause I was being lazy and cheap. I pretty much used 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe a while back while looking for another pasta recipe, and just tried it tonight. I'm kicking myself for taking so long to make it - it's so good! It's definitely on the spicy side, but the kick of heat was a nice change for us. We both really enjoyed it and I'll be making it again.

Oh, and I was just too lazy to take a photo. Sorry. Maybe I'll take a pic of the leftovers.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
From Southern Living 2007
12 ounces uncooked linguine
2 pounds chicken breast strips
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning*
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced**
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced*
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms
2 green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced**
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Garnish: chopped green onions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle chicken evenly with Cajun seasoning and 1 tsp. salt. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Remove chicken. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions to skillet, and sauté 9 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates. Return chicken to skillet; stir in half-and-half, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add linguine; toss to coat. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

*To make your own Cajun seasoning, combine 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper.

**1/2 (16-oz.) bag frozen sliced green, red, and yellow bell peppers and onion may be substituted.

Weight Watchers Wednesday - Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

So, yeah, it's not Wednesday anymore. Whoops. But better late than never, right?

Living in the South, fried chicken is a big deal. It's everywhere. And it's mighty tasty. But not healthy. Not at all. But sometimes you just get a craving and want that delicious flavor. When the mood hits and nothing else will do but fried chicken, here's a yummy and guilt-free alternative to the artery-clogging and button-popping original.

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken
Courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
5 points
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds chicken, skinless
4 teaspoons canola oil (it's important, flavor-wise, that you use canola oil)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving (about two pieces): 229 calories, 10 g. fat, 2 g. sat. fat, 0 g trans fat, 64 mg chol, 295 mg. sodium, 11 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 23 g protein, 49 mg calcium.

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti

Last Wednesday, my mom and I enjoyed a wonderful day of mother-daughter shopping at St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville. Being pregnant, I was hungry pretty much the moment we got there. We both love Italian food, so we made a beeline for Maggiano's. Mom had a delicious dish of veal marsala while I had a tasty meal of chicken and spinach manicotti. I enjoyed it so much that the next day I got online to look for the recipe. Although it isn't exactly like Maggiano's (I actually had to cook this myself, but Patrick did serve me AND clean up the mess I made), it's a really good version, and a nice change from my typical plain cheese manicotti. We had it for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it; hope you do, too!

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti
Recipe courtesy www.recipezaar.com
Filling
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 manicotti noodles, cooked until al dente

Sauce
16 ounces Alfredo sauce
16 ounces marinara sauce
Approximately 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Dice the chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly. Arrange precooked pasta sheets on waxed paper and fill with filling mixture. Combine Alfredo sauce and marinara in bowl and mix until well incorporated. Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 ovenproof baking dish. Place the cannelloni, side by side, into baking dish. Pour remainder of sauce over cannelloni, covering completely. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for approximately 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Click here for the original recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Potatoes

Sorry for the lack of recipes lately. Patrick and I were out of town for a while (as in 10 days) to welcome my brother home from Afghanistan. Good excuse, eh? We drove to Illinois with my parents (and their lab) and stayed with family there. We had a great time. And, I only cooked once. The other nights we were treated to delicious meals by my aunt Susan, and we also went out to eat a few times (Italian Village pizza ... heavenly).

The one night I did make dinner -- for 17 family members -- I made two pans of baked spaghetti. I think it was a hit.

But now we're back to the real world where I cook.

Today I branched out of my comfort zone and pulled the never-been-used-in-two-years-0f-marriage Crock Pot down from the pantry. As I was flipping through the latest issue of Southern Living the other day I came across a tasty looking slow cooker recipe and decided that I'd give it a whirl. Now, the reason I have never used a Crock Pot before is that frankly, none of the recipes I've seen look too tempting. I'm not a huge fan of stew, and why would I want to brown meat before putting it in the slow cooker? Isn't the entire point of the appliance so that I don't have to do that?

This recipe, however, looked easy (no browning meat!) and had two of my favorite cooked veggies in it - potatoes and carrots. And, I didn't even let the fact that it called for chicken thighs (dark meat, never cooked/eaten before) deter me. So, today I gave it a try and folks, we have a winner.

The prep took all of 20 minutes, and six hours later we had a tasty, fall-ish meal in front of us. We declared it a keeper.


Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes
Courtesy of Southern Living
1 medium onion
4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 lb.)
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs*

Halve onion lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place onion in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots.

Combine broth, next three ingredients, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over vegetables.

Combine paprika and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub over chicken. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

*I apparently have a poor memory because I came home from Publix with skinless, boneless chicken thighs, not the bone-in kind. I don't think it affected the taste at all, and was probably easier to eat.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. Burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, queso dip ... pretty much all Mexican food is my friend (as long as it's the fresh Tex-Mex kind and not the kind from Orlando's ... I am not a fan of Orlando's-type food for some reason. Patrick, however, is a fan...). Plus, when you cover something in cheese, it's bound to be good!

My mom sent me this recipe from her Barbara Jean's cookbook. Now, Barbara Jean is known for her AMAZING crab cakes (the best I've ever tasted), but she has a cookbook chock full of seafood and non-seafood recipes alike. And come on, when it's from Barbara Jean, you know it's going to be tasty!

In addition to tasty, these enchiladas are so, so easy. They're the perfect weeknight meal. You can also easily cut the recipe in half, which is what I did for Patrick and me. This was definitely rated a "keeper" in our house.


Barbara Jean's Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from Barbara Jean's cookbook
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
4 cups shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)
2 cups heavy cream*
8 flour tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the chicken and picante sauce. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Warm tortillas briefly (I microwave them in wet paper towels for 30-40 seconds). Place 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of cheese down the center of each tortilla. Roll and place in pan seam side down. Pour the heavy cream on top and cover with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 (8 enchiladas).

For an extra kick to your taste buds, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

*I actually used half-and-half because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.

Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food

Chicken pot pie is such a comfort food. I love the flaky crust and the hot chicken-y goodness. (Really, anything baked in a crust sounds good to me.)

If you have never made chicken pot pie before, or if you've been making it with a concoction of cream-of-something soups, this recipe will rock your world. (I can say that cause I didn't write the recipe.) Never again should you make chicken pot pie with soup! This recipe is way too easy not to make. It's become a staple at our house, and it's often what I make and give when taking dinner to a friend who has just had a baby.

Oh, and if you live here in Coastal Georgia and are looking for the best pie plate ever, look for a pottery pie plate made by local potter Debbie Craig. It makes the best pies, hands down. My mom and I swear by them (and they're beautiful, too, which is a nice bonus). If you want contact info for her, lemme know. She works out of the St. Simons pottery studio. Debbie's stuff is awesome (she makes lots of stuff - bowls, casserole dishes, cups, baskets, etc.); they also make great birthday and Christmas presents.


Kara's Chicken Pot Pie
Really, my mom's recipe, adapted from the red-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
1/4 cup butter
2 shakes of onion powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed*
1 cup vegetables or 1 can Veg-All (optional)
Pastry for double-crust pie

Place bottom pastry crust in bottom of 9-inch pie plate; trim edges as needed.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two shakes of onion powder and stir. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add water, milk and chicken bouillon granules all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in cooked chicken and heat until bubbly. Add vegetables, if desired, and heat until bubbly. Cool slightly and pour into pie plate. Place top pastry crust on top of chicken mixture, trim as needed, and flute edges. Cut slits in top for ventilation. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*Okay, so I feel sort of ... less of a real cook for divulging this bit of info, but if you want to make this an even easier and quicker recipe, use two large cans of chicken (the all-white meat chicken). It's totally what I do. (Cause y'all know how I feel about cooking chicken. And it's even worse when it comes to boiling it. I just haven't mastered that yet.)

Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

Y'all know what a fan I am of fast, easy, and delicious meals. This recipe has it all, folks, plus veggies, too! A hometown friend of mine, Dawn, created this fab dish and was gracious enough to share it with me.

The first two words I saw in the recipe were "goat cheese." SOLD!! I love goat cheese, but rarely have the opportunity to eat it, much less cook with it. The rest of the recipe could have included sardines and sauerkraut (two foods I wouldn't cook or eat), and I would still have made it, just for the goat cheese. Thankfully, Dawn's recipe included yummy ingredients like sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and mushrooms. Mmmmm!! And did I mention this takes no time at all to make? 30 minutes, and you're sitting at the table, enjoying a scrumptious meal!




Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta
Recipe courtesy Dawn Norris
2/3 box of penne rigatte (must use the rigatte…it soaks up the sauce better)
1 package of broccoli-in-the-bag
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
½ of medium onion, diced
1 package of sliced mushrooms (if you're like my husband, you can pick these out or omit them. I happen to think mushrooms are quite yummy)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jar (or more if you love sun dried tomatoes) of sun dried tomatoes, julienned (I couldn't find a jar, so I just used the package from the produce section)
½ of roasted chicken, cut up in big chunks, or 1 package of the precooked Tyson chicken strips
1 jar of Sun dried Tomato Alfredo pasta sauce (Classico is best)
Salt
Pepper
Container of goat cheese crumbles
1/3 cup of parmesan (optional)

Boil your pasta. Use about 2/3 the box of penne for about six people.

While pasta is boiling (that is literally all the time it takes to make this dish), put “broccoli in the bag” to steam.

Put butter and about two turns of olive oil (I always use some of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar) in LARGE sauté pan on medium to high heat. Begin sautéing onions. Once onions start to soften, place the mushrooms into the pan and begin cooking. When mushrooms are beginning to brown, add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, broccoli, and jar of sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Add salt & pepper to your liking. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Lower heat to very low.

At this point, the noodles should be done. Add the noodles to the sauce pan directly from the pot using a slotted spoon or strainer (you want a little of the pasta water to get into the sauce mix—it helps the sauce stick to the pasta better).

Pour into a big pasta bowl (this feeds at least 6 people). Mix in the container of goat cheese crumbles and sprinkle on parmesan (optional).

Enjoy!

Quite possibly the best meal I have ever made. If I do say so myself.

After last week's success with the chicken parmesan, I decided to give chicken another whirl this week. I've had this recipe in my files for about a year but it's just sat there, intimidating me. Had I known then how EASY and OH, SO TASTY it was, I would have brushed aside my chicken fears and made this long ago.

Oh my goodness. If tooting my own horn wasn't looked down upon, I would toot away. This was, quite possibly, one of the best meals I have ever made. It was beyond delicious, in my oh-so-humble opinion. The meat was tender and juicy, and so, so flavorful. The rosemary, lemon and garlic all came together to make this a company-worthy meal. It will definitely be a staple on our menu rotation. I'm telling you - do not wait a year to make this - try it tonight!!

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary, and Potatoes
Recipe from www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan. In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine. With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly. Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken.

In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts. Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees. Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil. Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove potatoes and serve with chicken.

Don't be a chicken

I am fairly skittish when it comes to cooking chicken. I have a fear that my husband, whom I love dearly, will die a slow and painful death of salmonella poisoning. (That, or the chicken will be tough and rubbery and dry, which although not nearly as tragic as death-by-salmonella-poisoning, it runs a close second.) Thus, I usually steer clear of recipes that call for cooking chicken, roasting chicken, boiling chicken, and the like. Unless, of course, I can use the ever-popular rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, Purdue Shortcuts, or something of the like.

But y'all make me adventurous and want to live life on the edge.

Last week, I cooked us some chicken. And lived to tell about it. (Patrick is alive and well, too.)

I have to say, it was good. (My photo doesn't do it justice - it tasted much better than it looks. I need to work on my photography skills.)


Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 large chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups of bread crumbs (I used Panko bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups pomodoro/marinara sauce (make your own, defrost what you have or store bought is just as delicious)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooked pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a shallow dish mix together egg and milk.
In separate shallow dish mix together bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry.
Pound to tenderize chicken breasts to about 1 inch thickness throughout.
Preheat olive oil in a oven proof skillet over medium heat.
Dip chicken breasts into egg/milk mixture and then cover in breadcrumb mixture.
Place coated chicken breast in hot oil and saute each side until lightly browned (about 1 minute per side).
Place skillet directly into oven.
When internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees, carefully remove pan from oven and place a spoonfull of sauce and 1/4 of the cheese on top of each.
Place skillet back into the oven and bake until internal temperate reaches 170 degrees (about 15 minutes total).
Remove from oven and serve on top of pasta.

An identity crisis

One of the new favorite meals in the Witherow household has an identity crisis; it can't decide if it's Italian or Mexican. Whatever it is, we love it. And, it's one of the fastest, easiest weeknight meals ever. Gotta love that! I'm eating leftovers now ... so yummy!


Mexican Chicken Penne Pasta

1 package (16 oz.) penne pasta
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (if you want to be really speedy and easy about this, like me, use the Purdue Shortcuts chicken)
1 1/4 cups salsa con queso dip
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, queso dip, milk and salt together. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Top with black beans, tomato, onions and cheese.

If you try it and like it (ohmyfriend, you will love it), I can't take credit for the recipe. Thanks to Suzanne and Carter for the goodness; Thursday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week because of them and their family! Plus, they have introduced us to some wonderful meals!