Chipotle Salsa Turkey Burgers

Whew! It's time to dust off the cobwebs around here. We've had a busy summer and I took some time to focus on my family, friends, and home. I'm excited to get back to blogging again, especially with fall just around the corner and a new season of Glee and Glee Cupcakes!

Part of the reason for the slow down around here is that I wasn't really making new recipes. To keep things simple in the kitchen, I fell back on things I've made before and knew we loved. This recipe is one that I made many times over this summer. The inspiration came one day when there were a few odd ingredients in the fridge that needed to be used up. This is one of those recipes that, now, I can skip the recipe card and go based on memory - and I love that!

These turkey burgers are a great choice when you are looking for something different than your run-of-the-mill burgers. The chipotle and adobo sauce provide a great smokiness, and the red onion is bright punch of flavor. We love them!

Chipotle Salsa Turkey Burgers

Yield: Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 chipotle pepper with about 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• juice from one large lime, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili or taco seasoning
• 1/2 an avocado
• burger buns, lettuce, sliced tomato, cheese, and whatever else you like to put on burgers

Instructions

1. De-seed and mince the chipotle pepper.
2. Add all ingredients except avocado and half of the lime juice to a large bowl.
3. Mix gently just until thoroughly combined; do not over-work.
4. Shape into four equal burgers. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the center.
5. Mix avocado and reserved half of the lime juice in a small bowl. Spread avocado mixture on burger bun. Build the burger with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Turkey and Chickpea Burgers

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I started eating clean. (For anyone that's new, take a look back at my introduction to clean eating post.) I haven't been perfect - pregnancy did have an effect on my diet, and I did the best that I could during the few months when not much seemed appetizing. Obviously pregnancy throws a kink in one's weigh loss plans, but I am happy to say that renewing my commitment to eating clean after the birth of our son helped me reach my pre-pregnancy weight. I feel great and am happy to be back on track towards reaching my ideal weight.  Sure, I still bake some decadent desserts and a few non-clean meals and side dishes, but overall, adapting recipes to be a almost, if not totally, clean is second nature. I don't miss much about full fat and over processed foods. I rarely enter the aisles at the grocery store; most of my time is spend in the produce section! I have come to a place where clean eating is easy. It's our lifestyle now, and I am so happy to have over 100 clean recipes on this blog to share with you! 



One of my favorite recipes sources is still, two years later, Clean Eating Magazine. I'm not with it enough to know when the next issue is supposed to arrive in the mail, so when it does, it's like Christmas. I have to flip through right away, and check out the newest ideas.  Spring has finally made its way to New England, and that means only one thing to my husband: it's grilling time!  I went back through some old issues for any recipes that were overlooked, and rediscovered this recipe for turkey and chickpea burgers.

Turkey burgers are my favorite, and this is a great twist on them. These are quick to throw together and taste great!

Turkey and Chickpea Burgers

Source: Slightly adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, Jan/Feb 2009
Yield: Serves 5
Preparation time: 10 min
Total time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (15 oz)
• 1/2 cup scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin (we use coriander)
• 1 teaspoon fresh black ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• red onion, tomato, lettuce, and buns, for serving

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, scallions, cumin, pepper, salt and worchestershire sauce. Pulse until smooth.
2. Transfer chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add ground turkey and mix until well combined.
3. Divide mixture into 5 equal portions and shape into a patty. Grill burgers over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
4. Serve burgers on buns with your favorite burger toppings.

Turkey-Jack Burgers with Mango Salsa

This recipe combines a super simple turkey burger with a flavorful mango salsa. The magazine didn't give a recipe for mango salsa, but I knew where I could find a great one, so I wasn't deterred. As I noted in the recipe, I prefer to stuff the burgers with cheese rather than cook it on top of the burger. Whatever you like best will work!


Turkey-Jack Burgers with Mango Salsa
Source: Reworded from Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2010
Serves: 4

1 lb extra lean ground turkey breast
1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 ounces reduced fat pepper jack cheese or Monterey jack cheese, sliced
4 Romaine lettuce leaves, stems removed
2/3 cup fresh mango salsa (recipe follows)
4 sprouted grain (or whole wheat) hamburger buns

Mist large skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium (or prepare grill at medium heat).  In a large bowl, combine turkey, chile powder, and salt.  Shape mixture into 4 equal patties, each 1/2 inch thick*.  Add patties to grill or skillet and cook until undersides are deep golden brown, 4 to 5  minutes.  Flip and place 1/2 ounce of cheese on each burger.  Continue cooking until undersides are browned and patties are firm to the touch, 4 to 5 more minutes. 

To serve, sandwich one lettuce leaf, one burger, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of salsa between each bun. 

*Alternatively, divide ground turkey mixture into 4 equal portions.  Working with one portion, shape half into a round patty.  Top with 1/2 ounce of cheese, then with other half of portion.  Seal around the edges of the patty to hold in the cheese.  Repeat with remaining 3 portions of turkey mixture.  Cook as directed above, omitting cheese on top of burger.

Mango Salsa
Source: Good Things Catered
Yield: 3-4 cups

• 2 large ripened mangoes, peeled and flesh cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced extra fine
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced fine
• 1/2 large red pepper, seeded and diced small
• juice of 1 lime
• a teeny pinch of salt
  

In large bowl combine all ingredients and toss to combine.

Lime Marinated Chicken

I know I have said this before, but we eat chicken so much that I try to keep some variety in our meals. This is yet another delicious marinade for grilling chicken. Very easy to throw together and doesn't need a really long marinating time.


Lime Marinated Chicken
Source: The Grilling Bible via Domestic Pursuits
produces enough marinade for 4 butterflied chicken breasts

1/2 cup lime (or lemon) juice
4 tablespoons honey mustard*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper


Whisk together all ingredients. Pour over chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.

*don’t have honey mustard? use 2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp mustard

Sausage and Grilled Vegetable Penne

After describing last week's grilled sausage and pasta dish to my husband, his reply was "and then you are going to add pasta sauce?" I explained that no, I wouldn't add pasta sauce, but that the lemon juice/pasta water would create a light sauce. He seemed disappointed by this prospect, although he ended up enjoying the dish.

This weekend we were having some guests for dinner, so when looking for inspiration, I found another sausage/pasta/vegetable dish that would take the addition of some red sauce quite well. The meal turned out great and I was happy to prepare my husband what he had really wanted!



Sausage and Grilled Vegetable Penne
Source: Slight adapted from Melissa d'Arabian
Serves: 4

• 1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise and then into strips about 3/4" thick
• 1 red bell pepper, cheeks and seeds removed, sliced into long strips about 3/4" thick
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced in half
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed, dried, sliced in half
• 4 sweet or hot chicken Italian sausages, thinly sliced or casings removed
• 12 ounces whole-grain penne
• about 16-20 ounces pasta sauce 
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

Preheat the grill and a grill pan to medium, about 400-450 degrees F. 

In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add vegetables to grill pan and cook until caramelized, turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, and warm the pasta sauce. 

Add the sausage to the grill and cook until heated through, for fully cooked sausage.  Uncooked sausage will take longer, about 20 minutes.  Once the vegetables and sausage are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add vegetables, sausage, pasta and sauce to a large bowl and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve topped with Parmesan.

Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich

My husband was on his own for dinner one night, and rather than do the usual BBQ or Franks-doused grilled chicken, I was impressed to find that he branched out and tried something new. My first clue that this had happened was in the sink when I got home - dirty measuring cups. My heart nearly stopped at the sight of them, because my husband never, and I mean never, formally measures anything when cooking. His inspiration came from none other than the bottle of mustard in the fridge. Combining two things he loves - mustard and ranch dressing - he knew he would love it. I was surprised, yet again, to find that I liked it just as much! The next time he wanted to make it, I suggested we change up the recipe a little, and turn it into honey mustard chicken sandwiches. He loved the idea and we both loved the results.



Tangy Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwiches
Source: Adapted from French's mustard

2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup classic yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
4 medium boneless chicken breasts
rolls of your choice (we like Arnold sandwich thins)
sliced tomato
lettuce

Mix dressing, mustard, and honey. Pour 2/3 cup of sauce over chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Grill chicken over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve chicken on rolls with lettuce, tomato, and reserved mustard sauce, as desired.

Grilled Sausage with Olives, Capers, and Summer Vegetables

I love keeping tabs on Cara's blog for great healthy recipe ideas, tips, and tricks. Last week this recipe came up, and seemed perfect for us since we had lots of basil, summer squash, and green beans to use up! I wanted to add a grain to the dish, and ended up going with our favorite pasta - Barilla Plus (that stuff is awesome). This result was a fantastic dinner - bright from the touch of lemon, with plenty of briney goodness from the olives and capers (I found that it didn't need any additional salt). As an added bonus - it was quick to throw together, with the pasta cooking in the same time as the sausages and vegetables.



Grilled Sausage with Olives, Capers, and Summer Vegetables
Slightly adapted from Cara's Cravings

1 pound summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
3/4 pound fresh romano beans or green beans, cut into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces
1 pound (4 links) Italian turkey or chicken sausage
about 1/3 cup chopped basil
4 ounces pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
1 tablespoon capers
juice of 1 lemon
8 ounces of your favorite pasta
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine the sliced squash and beans on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Also spray the sausages with cooking spray.

Place the vegetables in a grill basket and the sausages right on the grill. If you are using pre-cooked sausages, you won't need to leave them on their very long. Just grill until they are hot throughout and have some nice grill marks. For uncooked sausages, cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and browned. Stir the vegetables every so often, until crisp-tender and lightly charred and beginning to caramelize in spots.

Meanwhile, chop the basil and slice the olives and add both to a large bowl. Also, cook pasta according to the package directions, and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta.  When the sausage is done, let it rest for a few minutes and then slice into 1" chunks. Add the sausage pieces, vegetables, cheese, and pasta to the bowl with the basil and capers. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything, toss, and add pasta water a little at a time to achieve desired consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Barbecue Chicken Burgers

This summer we moved to a relatively rural area, and I was excited about that because I knew there would be great opportunities for a variety of fresh, locally grown produce. I couldn't wait for the Farmer's Market to start up in June, and I've been loving the things I find there.

One of my favorite stands is Wayne's Organic Garden. Attaining organic certification from the USDA is no small task, and on my first visit to the stand I let them know how much I appreciated the effort they put into maintaining their farm.

On one recent trip, they had gorgeous bunches of green onions that I couldn't pass up. I knew I wanted to make something with them as soon as I got home, to enjoy the fresh onion flavor. We already had planned on burgers that day, so I did a quick search and found this recipe for barbecue chicken burgers that sounded delicious. I liked that it incorporated another vegetable (carrots) right into the burger! A great way to get a few more vegetables in our diet.



We really enjoyed the contrasts in these burgers between the smokey, spicy cayenne and chili sauce against the sweet molasses. These are unique burgers that are worth a try!

Barbecue Chicken Burgers
Source: Good Housekeeping via The Daily Green

• 1 pound ground chicken breasts
• 1 medium carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon light (mild) molasses
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 hamburger buns, warmed
• Sliced cucumber, lettuce leaves and green onion (optional)

1. In medium bowl, with hand, mix ground chicken, carrot, green onions and garlic until evenly combined.

2. On waxed paper, shape chicken mixture into four 3 1/2-inch round patties (mixture will be very soft and moist).

3. Place patties on grill over medium heat and cook about 12 minutes or until juices run clear when center of burger is pierced with tip of knife, turning over once. (If you have a grill with widely spaced grates, you may want to place burgers on a perforated grill topper to keep them intact.)

4. Place burgers on warmed buns. Serve with cucumber slices, lettuce leaves and green onions if you like.

Chicken Caesar Burgers

We have finally upgraded our grilling equipment! We were chugging along with a lava rock grill, but it's small and cooks slowly (not necessarily a bad thing), and now that we have a home and are closer to family, we wanted something a little larger. We decided on the Weber Genesis E-320, and love it!

It's pricey, but built to last, so we are very happy with it (unlike the aforementioned lava rock grill, which after 1 year is spewing rust out the bottom every time we light it).  Of course, I think my favorite part is the side burner.  This means I now have a total of ONE gas burner at my disposal.  ::shoots evil side-eye at electric stove::

We couldn't wait to use it, and decided on these Chicken Caesar burgers for the inaugural run. We've made them before, so we already knew they were great.  These burgers fabulously present that classic combination of flavors, and I especially love the dressed greens on top. 




Of course, my husband generally takes things a step further, and implored me to post a photo of his version:



Chicken Caesar Burgers
Source: Rewritten from Rachael Ray

• 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken breast (the average weight of 1 package)
• 3 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped, 1 cracked from skin
• 4 anchovies, finely chopped (optional, but recommended)
• A handful of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Salt and coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• A handful flat leaf parsley, chopped (I omitted)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 4 crusty rolls, split in half

In a bowl, combine the chicken, finely chopped garlic, anchovies, a handful of cheese, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and lemon zest. Mix the meat and form four burger patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with one tablespoon of EVOO, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Alternatively, grill burgers over medium high heat, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Pre-heat the broiler and toast the bread on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. Alternatively, toast bread on the grill.  Once lightly golden in color, remove from oven and rub the breads with cracked garlic. Drizzle bread with the EVOO. 

Combine Dijon, lemon juice and 2-3 tablespoons of EVOO with salt and pepper, and toss the greens with it.
Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top them with a pile of romaine, sliced tomatoes and bun tops.

Mustard Grilled Potatoes

I was looking for a different way to prepare potatoes on the grill (we typically do rosemary potatoes). This recipe intrigued me with the suggestion to parboil the potatoes first.  The original recipe calls for rosemary to season the dish, but since I was trying to get away from rosemary, I switched out the seasoning with Mural of Flavor from Penzeys.

The first time I made these, I boiled them for too long and had sliced them too thin. The results, while delicious enough to try the recipe again, were less than photogenic. Second time around, I paid closer attention to the parboil, and made sure the coins were sliced correctly. The mustard/mayonnaise bath provides a lovely crisp coating around the finished potatoes. They are crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. We love them! I think many different seasoning options would go well with this dish, so feel free to be creative!



Mustard Grilled Potatoes
Source: Slightly adapted from Fine Cooking

By par-cooking your potatoes before they go on the grill, they'll have a soft, almost cakey texture on the inside when they're done, but they'll still have that terrific grilled flavor. The mayonnaise not only adds flavor to the potatoes, but helps keep them from sticking to the grill. Serves four as a side dish.

1 lb. medium red- or yellow-skinned potatoes
Kosher salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. herb seasoning of your choice
freshly ground pepper

Wash the potatoes and cut them into 3/8-inch slices. Cover the potatoes with cold water and 1 Tbs. salt  in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer (you don't want them to break up), and cook until they're almost but not quite fully cooked, 4 to 6 minutes. The potatoes will still be a little hard in the center, but the outer edges will look opaque. Drain in a large colander and rinse with cold water until they're cool; handle them gently. Spread them out on clean dishtowels and let them sit at room temperature (for up to an hour) until you're ready to grill them.

Light a charcoal grill and allow the fire to reach a medium-hot temperature (the top of the coals should be 5 to 6 inches from the grill grate, and you'll be able to hold your hand over the fire for no more than 3 to 4 seconds when it's medium hot). Alternatively, heat the entire surface of a gas grill until it reaches medium hot.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the potato slices with the mayonnaise mixture until the potatoes are well-coated. Put the potatoes on the grill grate in one layer, directly over the fire. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes or just until deep golden brown and crisp. With tongs, turn the pieces over to the other side. Cook until that side is deep golden brown and crisp, another 3 to 6 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Chicken Souvlaki

This is a great, simple recipe for grilled chicken, with a refreshing flavor, thanks to the lemon juice.

Chicken Souvlaki
Source: Cooking Light

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
• Cooking spray

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.
Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.
Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Chili Turkey Burgers

We love turkey burgers. That much should be clear by now. But turkey burgers aren't like beef burgers - where the heart of the burger is the flavor of the beef. Turkey burgers need... help, a boost.


This recipe packs a wonderful smokey heat from the chipotle peppers, chili powder and cayenne. The cilantro, red onion, and cheddar cheese complement they smokey flavors quite well. So well, in fact, that I decided to skip any of the burger toppings suggested in the original recipe. These are definitely a favorite in our house and I can't wait to make them again!

Chili Turkey Burgers
Source: Adapted from George Stella
Serves 4

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
• 2 dried chipotle peppers, reconstituted by steeping in boiling water until soft (5-10 minutes), chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
  
• pinch black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg white, whisked
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Mix all the ingredients together with your hands, in a bowl. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal-sized patties.

Heat the a large skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray or olive oil.  Cook the burgers, turning once, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.(A instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the thickest burger should read at least 165 degrees F.)  Serve on whole wheat buns.

Easy Herbed Chicken

I was in need of another quick, but delicious, idea for chicken breasts. I am constantly trying to reinvent them in my house, because it's our main source of protein. I found this on Recipezaar.com, and it sounded both delicious and easy.

I baked the chicken in the oven instead of grilling, and it was perfect! Delicious, juicy chicken that is prepared and ready in no time.

Easy Herbed Chicken
Source: Recipezaar

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 4-6 chicken breasts

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and mix. Add chicken breasts.

Marinate in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, no longer then that.

Grill, or bake at 350 degrees F until no longer pink.

Chili Chicken Kabobs

My husband requested chicken kabobs over the weekend, but while he was imagining these, I was trying to think of what else I could make to avoid the sugar and soy sauce. A quick search led me to this recipe for chili chicken kabobs from the Eat-Clean Diet for Men book... how perfect! I knew the flavor profile was one my husband would love, so I was excited to make them.

I did cut the amount of oil down by half, and still found the sauce to be thinner than I would like. Perhaps I'm just a really good lime juicer? Either way, the kabobs came out great, not too spicy for me, but great flavor for him.

Chili Chicken Kabobs
Source: The Eat-Clean Diet for Men™, via Fitness Freak

• 3 Tbsp best-quality olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Juice of one fresh lime
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 large onion, chopped into thick pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and pressed garlic.

2. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce and stir to coat.

3. Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chopped onion pieces. Discard the marinade.

4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the skewers for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

Herbed Balsamic Chicken

With a few more desperate attempts at using our great grilling weather before the cold sets in, I pulled this recipe from the depths of my Google Reader. It sounded fabulous... balsamic vinegar and Herbs de Provence? What's not to love?

This was very easy to throw together, but I didn't have high expectations because I seem to have trouble getting marinades to really stick to the meat and stay on for the grilling process. Needless to say, it's disappointing to feel like you are leaving all the good flavor behind in the bowl. When my husband pulled these off the grill I was ecstatic to see how great they looked! Definitely no loss of flavor here. This recipe really delivers - one bite and I was pouring over my menu to figure out when I could make it again. We loved it! I paired this chicken with simple grilled eggplant for a great dinner.

Herbed Balsamic Chicken
Source: Adapted from Bon Apétit, June 2009, seen on Cook Like a Champion

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
-In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
-Place chicken in a resealable bag and pour marinade on top. Refrigerate for at least two hours, turning the bag occasionally.
-Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat and add chicken.
-Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
-Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.


Simple Grilled Eggplant

1 medium eggplant
kosher salt
olive oil
pepper
garlic powder

Slice the top and bottom off of eggplant. Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place a layer of paper towels down on counter or cutting board. Lay eggplant slices on paper towel, generously salt both sides of eggplant. Cover with more papertowels, then another cutting board or cookie sheet. Place something heavy (book, etc) on top of the stack to weight it down. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse eggplant slices.

Spray both sides with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lay slices on heated grill for about 10 minutes per side.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers

We love artichokes. We love cheese. We love turkey burgers. This dish was a natural fit for us! I made this recipe ages ago, and for reasons unclear to me now, I did not include it in my blog. We completely fell in love with this burger all over again when I made it over the weekend - it would be a shame to leave it out a second time!


I served the burgers on homemade whole wheat burger buns, and WOW. The combination was fantastic! We hadn't even finished our meal and we were fighting over who would get the leftover burger the next day.

Katie calls for 2 pounds of ground turkey, but I find I can get by just as well with one. You can skip the cheese or choose a lower fat cheese, such as feta, to make this dish clean.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Slightly adapted from Good Things Catered
Serves: 4

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 medium sweet onion, diced finely
• 1 large pinch of garlic salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 artichoke hearts, quartered
• 4 oz. aged fontina cheese, sliced into 4- 1 oz. squares (choose lower fat like feta, or omit to make it clean)
• 4 whole wheat burger buns
  

Directions:
-In large bowl, add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic salt and pepper.
-Work lightly with hands until well blended.
-Heat grill on medium heat. In case your cheese starts to ooze out, a good preventative measure would be to line the grill with some non stick foil, poked with holes for drainage.
-Divide meat into four portions.
-Remove 2/3 of each portion and flatten into 4-5 inch patties.
-Place 1 slice of fontina and two artichoke heart quarters in middle of each patty.
-Lightly flatten remaining 1/3 of each portion into 3-4 inch patties and place on top.
-Work lightly to flatten and seal all edges of patties.
-Cook over medium to medium-low heat *without moving* burger until bottom side is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
-Turn burgers over and continue to cook until bottom side is browned and the burger is cooked through but not dried out about 8-10 more minutes.
-Remove from heat, place on bun and serve immediately.

Lemon Oregano Chicken

This recipe is a nice contrast to some of the other grilled chicken recipes I've tried lately. This one is simple. It doesn't even require fresh herbs, or marinating! Make a paste, slather it on the chicken, and grill. Easy! The flavors here are great, even with the dried herbs. We found that pasta with a simple marinara paired quite well with this chicken. The only problem I saw was that there wasn't quite enough lemon/oregano to cover both sides of the 3 pieces of chicken that I cooked. I will definitely at least double those ingredients next time.



Lemon Oregano Chicken
Source: Cooking Light, July 2004

* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 5 teaspoons grated lemon rind
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon water
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Cooking spray
* 4 lemon wedges
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare grill.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through minced garlic); rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from heat. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge evenly over each chicken breast half. Sprinkle parsley evenly over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 226 (22% from fat)
Fat: 5.6g (sat 1g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g)
Protein: 39.6g
Carbohydrate: 2.2g
Fiber: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 99mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 465mg
Calcium: 38mg

Grilled Chicken with a Tequila Orange Marinade

This recipe is a little more work that I am used to for a marinade. I typically like the easy throw-together-a-few-ingredients kind. I saw this one from Cooking Light and I thought I'd see if it was worth the extra trouble.


We loved this recipe and I definitely thought it was better than any other tequila based marinade I've made before. It's definitely worth the extra work!

Grilled Chicken with a Tequila Orange Marinade
Source: Cooking Light, May 2001
Serves 4

For the marinade:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cups chopped onion
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
* 4 oranges, peeled and sliced
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 cup tequila
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Chicken:
* 2 pounds chicken pieces, skinned
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* Cooking spray

Preparation

To prepare the marinade, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes. Add jalapeño peppers and oranges; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add juice; cook 2 minutes. Add tequila; cook 3 minutes. Add rosemary, cilantro, and vinegar; cook 1 minute.

Place marinade in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Discard solids. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade. Place remaining marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag.

To prepare the chicken, pierce with a fork. Add the chicken, chili powder, salt, and pepper to marinade in bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove the chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place the chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 12 minutes on each side or until chicken is done, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Note: For chicken pieces, use a combination of chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Look for packages labeled "pick of the chick" in the butcher case.

Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 324 (45% from fat)
Fat: 16.3g (sat 3.7g,mono 7.7g,poly 3.2g)
Protein: 34.1g
Carbohydrate: 11.9g
Fiber: 2.4g
Cholesterol: 120mg
Iron: 0.4mg
Sodium: 324mg
Calcium: 29mg

Grilled Chicken with Whiskey-Ginger Marinade

I was being lazy and didn't feel like going to the grocery store over the weekend, so I needed a good new grilling recipe that I could make with what I had on hand. I went off to peruse grilled chicken recipes from Cooking Light and found quite a few that fit the bill! I just spent a week traveling for work, so the recipe that called for bourbon floated right to the top of the list.

Hello, gorgeous!
This recipe calls for a quick one hour marinade, which I like. My chicken breasts were already thin, so no pounding was necessary and they still grilled up quickly. The chicken by itself was just ok, but adding the reserved marinade-turned sauce really made the dish. It was awesome! The whiskey gave a nice base, and the ginger and lime peeked through.


Grilled Chicken with Whiskey-Ginger Marinade
Source: Rick Rodgers, Cooking Light, October 2002
Yield: 4 Servings

* 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1/3 cup bourbon
* 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
* 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Cooking spray
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine bourbon and next 9 ingredients (bourbon through garlic). Reserve 1/3 cup marinade. Pour remaining marinade into a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium-hot using both burners.

Turn left burner off (leave right burner on). Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over right burner; grill 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Move chicken to grill rack over left burner. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Slice each breast diagonally into thin strips; place chicken on a platter. Cover loosely with foil.

Combine water and cornstarch, stirring well with a whisk. Place reserved 1/3 cup marinade in a small saucepan; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Drizzle sauce over chicken; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information, per serving

Calories: 202 (16% from fat)
Fat: 3.6g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.1g,poly 1.1g)
Protein: 27.3g
Carbohydrate: 7.1g
Fiber: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1.3mg
Sodium: 610mg
Calcium: 27mg

Lemon Basil Chicken

This is a great, light fresh recipe for grilling chicken. Great way to use up some fresh basil! We've made this a few times so far, some on the grill and some on a pan in the stove (as pictured here). We love it!



Lemon Basil Chicken
Source: Loves to Eat

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 freshly chopped basil
2-4 chicken breasts depending on size
3 tbsp grated parm cheese
2 tbsp veg oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic chopped


Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and let marinate for 30 mins to 1 hour. Heat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken until tender and completely cooked through.