Chicken Caesar Burgers

I've been sitting on this recipe for a good nine months now. Why? I have no idea. I made them, photographed them, did out the nutritional information and then...nothing. I was looking through my draft folder and there it was. I decided to make them again and take new pictures. So, finally, here it is.

A note about these burgers: they are...tricky. Chicken burgers have a tendency to dry out because there is not a lot of fat in them. These definitely do not because they are kept moist by the dressing and Worcestershire sauce (side note: I love what Worcestershire sauce does to meat). That being said, these burgers are pretty sticky and don't hold together as well as a traditional burger. I ended up making them on my contact grill. I originally started them off on my regular indoor grill (another side note: I am terrified of the gas grill and I am convinced that if I use it, it will blow up), then ended up converting it to the contact grill midway through because they were too difficult to flip.

Don't let that scare you off, though. They are quite tasty. To serve, I like to put an extra dollop of dressing on the burger and also pile on lettuce, red onion and an extra sprinkling of Parmesan. Delicious.

Chicken Breasts with Dried Cherries

Earlier this month, I celebrated my (25th!!?? how did that happen) birthday. As part of my present, my dad took me to a knife skills class at Williams Sonoma. It was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed spending time with him. This class is definitely not something he would have done on his own.

This is one of the recipes that we made that night. It was totally delicious, and I had been thinking about it ever since I took the class. I made a few modifications to the recipe that they handed out to us in the end, but the same great flavor was there.

The recipe calls for dried cherries, but when we got to the end of class, we realized that we had used cherry flavored dried cranberries. Oops. That's what I used in this recipe, even though I'm keeping the name.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Happy 2013! I'm really looking forward to sharing new recipes with you this year. For me, 2012 was a great year, despite the major surgery that kept me from blogging for several months. I am having part 2 of the surgery this spring, but hopefully I will be a little more prepared and have some recipes scheduled to post while I am away. Also, since I know what to expect, hopefully this surgery will go a lot smoother!

Also this year I got into and started nursing school! I absolutely love it, but it keeps me on the go all the time. The new semester starts in a couple weeks, but hopefully I won't completely disappear like I did last semester!

This recipe incorporates one of my favorite foods: buffalo chicken! I love it, but I don't eat it all that often. For the hot sauce in this recipe, I uses sriracha, because I love it. It is loaded with sodium, though. Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce in this recipe!

Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

What screams comfort food more than chicken and dumplings? This recipe if perfect for a cold wintery night. Unfortunately we haven't had any of these days yet in MA. Now that I am on break until mid-January, I could go for a nice big snowstorm because I don't have anywhere to go! Knowing my luck, we will probably get one as soon as I go back to school and they won't cancel!

I got this recipe from Cooking Light and had some trouble with figuring out the points. On the Weight Watcher's site, they have chicken thighs as being way higher in Points+ than the nutritional information states. I know there is no way boneless skinless thighs have almost 19 grams of fat and decided to ignore the nutritional information in the tracker and use the information everywhere else. I normally figure out the nutritional information independent of the points and then enter it in the tracker to see if they match up. I skipped that part because clearly something is going on in the tracker!

Couscous with Pan Seared Chicken

Hello!

Well, my blogging break lasted a lot longer than I expected. Here is what I have been up to over the past few months. In June, I had surgery on my leg that involved the breaking and realignment of some of my bones. I was non-weight bearing for six weeks after that and then I was put into an air cast boot. Today I got permission to start weaning off my boot, but the past few months have been really difficult for me mobility wise. I was not able to get into the kitchen with my crutches, and even the past couple weeks that I haven't needed crutches, I still needed to be off my feet when it was not necessary.

To complicate things, I moved into an apartment a couple weeks ago and started nursing school. All of this resulted in an "overuse injury" of my leg, so standing up to cook was out of the question. Nursing school is also a lot of work, so trying to figure out my schedule with that has been a little difficult.

With all that aside, I hope to get back into the blogging groove now! This first recipe reminds me a lot of my Brown Rice with Chicken and Broccoli  and my Turkey Picadillo. The mix of flavors may seem a bit strange, but trust me, they work.

Chicken Paprikash

I was actually kind of nervous to try this recipe out. I'm not sure why, it is actually really simple to put together. I have had this on my "to make" list for a few months and finally decided to go with it. I think my hesitation came from being completely unfamiliar with Hungarian cuisine. Absolutely no experience. But I like chicken, paprika and onions, so I figured I would like this. And I did! I love how the chicken nearly falls off the bone after it is done cooking. Also, the sauce over the egg noodles was delicious. It kind of reminded me of Swedish meatballs, which is another favorite of mine.

Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish of meat slowly grilled over a spit all day and then shavings are cut off and eaten. Rumor has it that this dish is mentioned in the movie The Avengers, so this post is timed very well on my part. I already knew I was posting this today before the movie even came out, so it is a happy coincidence. I have yet to see The Avengers, but that will be fixed tonight!

Unfortunately, I don't own a spit and fire pit, and I don't have the time to sit and watch my meat grill all day. So regular grilling will just have to do. I actually grilled these on my George Foreman grill to cut back even more on time and because the weather has been way less than optimal for grilling. I also used my favorite Joseph's Whole Wheat, Flax and Oat Bran pitas to assemble these on. They are only 2 Points+ for one pita and they are delicious.

Bistro Chicken and Pasta Salad

I've always seen the title "bistro" on menus and such, but I'm not quite sure what qualifies something as such. A quick Google search of "what is bistro" offers up many different interpretations, so this still remains a mystery to me. But, when I saw this recipe on Kraft I knew I had to try it. All the flavors blend really well into each other and I found it to be plenty filling. I'm normally not one to eat raw tomatoes but I decided to try them in this recipe and I am glad I did. I thought about making it without them, but then I think the recipe would not have turned out as well.

I ate this salad at room temperature and it was delicious. For leftovers, I would not reheat it, but just eat it out of the fridge. Or if you have time to let it sit out for a bit, get the chill taken off. It makes a fabulous lunch or dinner.

This recipe calls for grilled chicken. I used my George Foreman Grill to grill up some chicken tenders that I seasoned with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Using pre-cooked grilled chicken will work or cooking the chicken any other way will as well. I just like the slightly charred taste that grilling gives it.

Thai Ginger Chicken Burgers

 

This recipe was supposed to post last week but due to technical difficulties, it never did. I went out of state for a graduate school interview and had posts scheduled, but they never did. My internet access was too spotty for me to publish them myself while I was away. Oh well, now you will get them this week.

Also, how do you like the new website design???

I found this recipe in my Weight Watchers PointsPlus Cookbook and knew that I had to try it. I didn't make any changes to the recipe and t turned out really well. They are really satisfying and packed with flavor.

The cookbook recommends that you top the burgers with sambai olek if you want them spicy. I had never heard of that before, but I wonder how they would taste with some sriracha on top?

Brown Rice with Chicken and Broccoli

This dish comes together quickly so it is perfect for a busy weeknight. It is especially good because it can be cooked in one pot making clean up very easy. I always have the problem that I love to cook but I hate to wash dishes, so I am always on the lookout for recipes that don't require many. This also did not require many ingredients, and I had most of them on hand.

I found this recipe on my Whole Foods Recipes app. Here is a link to it online. I love all the cooking apps you can download because then I don't have to haul my computer into the kitchen every time I try out something new.

Packed with fiber and protein, this meal kept me satisfied for a while. I ate it as is, but I'm sure a salad on the side would be a nice addition to keep you fuller longer.

Chicken Tikka

Here is another recipe that was a little bit adventurous for me. I have always loved Indian food, but I never really thought to make it myself. I started looking at Tasty Appetite and it totally had me craving Indian food. One of my good friends bought me the Reader's Digest Great Chicken Cookbook for my birthday a while ago and I found this recipe in it. I thought it was the perfect recipe to start with
 
This chicken is packed with flavor. It takes a little preparation the night before, but it is definitely worth it. I served it with brown rice and mixed veggies and it was a very satisfying meal. The serving size is about three ounces. I cooked it on skewers and divided them up so that there would be about 1.5 oz per skewer. However you want to do this is fine.

Chicken and Chickpea Stew

This is a great comforting dish on a cool fall night. Not to mention the protein and fiber will keep you satisfied for a while. This dish also smells great while it is cooking. I adapted this recipe from Epicurious.  This can be served over brown rice or couscous, or it can stand on its own.

Make sure that you rinse and drain the peas before adding them to the dish. This helps rinse off a lot of the salt that is put on during the canning process. The nutrition information is without rinsing and draining the peas.

Sausage, Peppers and Onions

These sandwiches are absolutely delicious and taste just like the sandwiches you would get in the ballpark. Since you make these at home, you can be sure of where your sausage and other ingredients come from. Baseball season is over, but you can enjoy these sausages year round and without the guilt.

I used sweet Italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods and it came out wonderfully. Feel free to vary the sausage - hot or mild turkey or regular Italian sausage will work fine as well. Next time I make it I will probably use a mixture of mild and hot sausage.

I served the sausage mixture on top of Portuguese rolls, which added 4 Points+. Any type of bread will work, or you can serve over pasta. I'm sure a nice crusty baguette to soak up all the juices would be really tasty.

Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken

I absolutely love my slow cooker, especially as the weather turns cooler and all you want is a nice big plate of something to warm you up. This recipe blends many different spices and ingredients into something warm, filling and delicious. Served with some couscous, this is the perfect fall meal. Some of the ingredients sound a little unusual, but trust me, it turns out well.

I adapted this recipe from Parents Magazine. No, I do not have any kids or plan on having kids for a while but I look everywhere for new and interesting recipes to try out. And, if they happen to come from a magazine geared toward moms, so be it. :)

When I was calculating the nutrition information for this recipe, I got a few discrepancies between the calorie calculator and the Points+ calculator. I am not sure why, but if you are following Weight Watcher's, I would recommend using 8 Points+, instead of the 7 Points+ that the nutritional information would result in.

Chicken Parmesan Pasta

All the deliciousness of chicken parmesan, just with more pasta. I got the inspiration for this recipe from Creative Kitchen. It is delicious and super filling, the perfect meal. I do not have a problem with whole wheat pasta at all, but I know a lot of people dislike the taste. Feel free to substitute regular pasta. I also used thin spaghetti, but regular spaghetti, or really any other shape, would work as well.

Ginger-Lime Sesame Chicken

This was a kitchen experiment that went surprisingly well. I always liked the combination of ginger and lime, and decided to throw in some sesame seeds just for good measure. The result was the slightly tart taste of the lime and ginger mixed with the crunch of the sesame seeds. Delicious.

I served this recipe with a simple side of green beans and almonds, but anything will pair well with it.

Slow Cooked Chicken and Rice Soup

I have been a bit under the weather the past couple of days and we have been in a string of rainy, gray days. I thought a nice, slow cooked soup would be perfect to both help me get better and also be the perfect comfort food for the bad weather. I looked up several different recipes for this dish, and in the end I decided to just wing it. I took the parts I liked best from each recipe to come up with my own. I hope you enjoy it!