Burgers, Burgers, and More Burgers!

I. Love. Burgers.  Often times when eating healthy, people tend to shy away from them.  Look no further!  Below are two of Martha Stewart's burger recipes (one salmon, one turkey) that I have adjusted and made many, many times.  These burgers are great on a bun, or my favorite, simply on their own.  I especially find the salmon burgers to be a genius idea.  It is a great, new way to eat salmon.  Both of the burgers below are just as good the next day.  I know everyone has a burger recipe, but the below will be instant hits in your house.  

Salmon Burgers . . .

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts only
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pound skinless wild salmon fillets, bones removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon of nonfat, plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 English muffins, toasted (optional)
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Directions

1. Pre-heat Broiler.
2. Place salmon, scallion, egg, bread crumbs, lemon juice, dill and yogurt in a bowl and mix well, making sure to incorporate all of the ingredients.
3. Spray a cooking sheet and form salmon mixture into patties.
4. Broil 7-10 minutes, but watch carefully after 7 minutes, to make sure they don't get too crispy.  Burgers should be cooked through and golden brown.  
5. Many times I serve these without a bun.  They are great with sliced avocado and on a bed of arugula.  Often times I make a simple dipping sauce: a few tbs. of nonfat plain yogurt, juice and zest of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of capers (chopped), tablespoon of dill (chopped), salt/pepper to taste.  Taste the sauce as you make it and adjust accordingly.

Favorite Turkey Burger . . .

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese or any favorite cheese
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine ground turkey with Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.
2. Lightly oil grill, grill pan, or place them on a baking sheet to broil. Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.
3. Again, I mostly make these burgers minus the bun.  Add hummus/avocado smash and a lightly dressed salad.

Valentine's Day = Chocolate Souffle

Last Valentine's day my husband accidentally ate our English Bulldog's Valentine treats thinking they were a special gift just for him.  This year, I decided to make Brian his very own dessert.  

I have always wanted to make a souffle, but was just too intimidated to do it.  Claire Robinson on the Food Network made one this week and inspired me to get cooking.  I made one big souffle, but would probably make individual ones next time.  I had a hard time determining when it was done and I think making smaller portions would streamline the cooking process.  I topped it with some cinnamon whipped cream.  It is so impressive, you almost want to host a dinner party for the souffle's 30 second coming out party!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for coating ramekins
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating ramekins
• 8 ounces good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 7 eggs, separated
• Pinch salt
• dash of vanilla
• Melted vanilla bean ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 6 ramekins or 1 large souffle dish and coat with granulated sugar, tapping the side of the ramekins while upside down to remove any excess sugar. Heat the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over simmering water in a double boiler, until blended, stirring occasionally. When blended, remove the bowl from the double boiler.

Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add the 1/3 cup granulated sugar gradually, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly paler in color. Add the whisked egg yolks to the melted chocolate mixture, add the vanilla and then fold in the egg whites. (Now here is where it can get tricky.  You don't want to overwork the egg whites, but make sure all of the whites are incorporated.)

Spoon or pipe the chocolate mixture into the prepared ramekins and arrange them on a baking sheet. Carefully put them in the middle of the oven and bake until the souffles are risen and cooked, about 18 to 25 minutes Remove the souffles from the oven and serve immediately with melted vanilla bean ice cream, in a pitcher, to be poured over the souffles. Enjoy!

Other serving suggestions: lightly sweetened whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

Cook's Note: To help the souffles rise evenly, run the tip of your thumb around the inside edge of the ramekins before baking.

Mid-Week-Pick-Me-Up: Creamy Smoked Turkey and Wild-Rice Soup!

It's Tuesday, and well, it's a perfect night for an easy soup.  I try to make a soup each week, a) because they are fairly healthy if you pick the right one and b) because they make great work lunches and leftovers.  I have been searching for a new soup recipe to add to my old stand-bys and COOKING LIGHT had just the right one.  I made a few changes:  I decided to use canadian bacon in place of the smoked turkey, but the key is, use anything smoked.  It adds so much to the flavor.  I also couldn't find regular wild rice, so I bought a box of the quick cooking wild rice and it cut the cooking time by about 45 minutes!  If you have a box of quick cooking rice, you really don't need to simmer for an hour or so, just cook until the rice is done.  Also, I didn't have sherry on hand, but I did have white wine, and added that instead.  Lesson here is: don't shy away from recipes because you may not have certain ingredients.  Improvise!  This really was one of the best soups I have made at home.

Creamy Smoked Turkey and Wild-Rice Soup from COOKING LIGHT

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  butter or stick margarine
• 1  cup  chopped carrot
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  chopped green onions
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped smoked turkey breast  or Canadian Bacon (1/2 pound)
• 1  cup  uncooked wild rice or a box of quick wild rice
• 1/3  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
• 2  tablespoons  dry sherry or white wine
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped turkey or canadian bacon and let brown.  Add carrot and next 5 ingredients (carrot through garlic). Sauté 8 minutes or until browned. If your wild rice box comes with a seasoning packet like mine does, add the packet now and combine.  Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Next, stir and rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until rice is tender (or shorter if you have quick cooking rice.)

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and milk, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in sherry and salt.

Look No Further: Best Marinade You Will Ever Make

I am a huge believer in marinating.  It is simple, easy, extremely flavorful, and most of the work is done in your fridge, while you are off seizing the day!  Before I became I teacher, I had a job that allowed me to meet many different interesting people.  I got to know two wonderful Brazilian women, who passed on this amazing marinade.  The below recipe is for chicken, but this recipe is great on seafood as well (if using seafood, just marinate for about 30 minutes.)  It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but if I don't have a few of them, I use what I have and believe me, it always turns out amazing.

Ingredients:

Bone in, Skin on Chicken Breast (I never used to get the bone in or skin on, but it adds so much to the flavor of the chicken and keeps the breast meat moist, which is hard to do.  When I am ready to eat, I discard the skin to keep the meal low in fat.)
Juice of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 - 2 tbs. of dijon mustard
1-2 tbs. of soy sauce
1/4 cup of white wine
handful of herbs, your choice (for this dish, I usually add rosemary, parsley and dill - the more herbs, the better!)

Marinate overnight, all day, or just for a few hours.  It will taste good, believe me.

In a casserole dish, add all of your marinade ingredients and mix together with a whisk or spoon.  Your marinade should not be as thick as a paste, but not super runny either.  If you need to add more dijon, add more dijon.  If you need more liquid, bump up the wine content or lemon.  There really is no messing up this recipe.  Add your chicken breasts and coat.  Lift the skin and add marinade under the skin.  This ensures every bit of that chicken will be flavorful.

Cover in fridge and let it works its magic.

When you are ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees and bake the dish (chicken and marinade) covered in foil for about 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and spoon marinade over chicken to baste it and bake uncovered for about 15-20 more minutes, until chicken is cooked.

I tend to let the chicken cool, take it out, shred it and add it back into the marinade, which now turns into a yummy sauce.  Add any sides you like, but I love to make a chicken bowl out of this recipe:
Brown Rice
Arugula
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Shaving of Parmesan
And the yummiest chicken you will ever have!
(If you are strapped on time, this chicken bowl is great with just shredded rotisserie chicken that is ready made at the grocery store.  But if you have time, make this recipe and you will soon be sending this marinade recipe to everyone you know!)

Stretch-a-Buck: Baked Orzo and Shrimp

I am always looking for a new shrimp recipe.  Shrimp are low in fat and inexpensive.  I have been experimenting more and trying to create my own recipes, which can be all together risky if it is unsuccessful and you are stuck in the middle of the week wishing you had ordered take-out.  However, I felt pretty confident on this particular Monday.  I put together a few recipes I have seen and created this dish.  It was a hit!

Ingredients:
1 - 1/2 cups of orzo
1 8oz can of tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of crumbled feta
sprinkling of parmesan cheese
sprinkling of Panko bread crumbs
sprinkling of red pepper flakes
1 tbs. of italian seasoning
a handful of chopped parsley or basil
1 - 1/2 lbs. of uncooked, cleaned shrimp (not baby, but not jumbo either)
squeeze of lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Make the orzo according to the box.

In a sautee pan, heat 1 tbs. of olive oil (don't go nuts on the oil, this is where recipes can become more fatty than they need to be.)  Cook the onion and garlic until transluscent, lightly sesasoning with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (adjust according to how spicy you like your food - I find just adding a touch, just bumps up the flavor without being hot), and the Italian Seasoning.  Add the can of tomato puree and bring to a boil.  Before adding your shrimp, lightly season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.  Add the shrimp to the pan and cook shrimp, stirring often.  Add the drained, cooked orzo, herbs, and stir to combine.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour half of the orzo mixture into pan, sprinkle with feta, and then pour the rest of the orzo mixture into pan.  Top with remaining feta, parmesan cheese, and the Panko bread crumbs.  I sprinkle the top with the tiniest bit of olive oil to help it brown.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then finish it off in the broiler for about 3 more minutes to get even more brown and crispy.

Serve with a side salad or your favorite green vegetable.

YUM!

There Is No Time Like the Present: Bake Bread

I have had this blog for some time now, but have not actually sat down to add to it!  So here I am.  I decided to create a cooking blog because I not only love to cook, but actually, have become quite obsessed! I think I started my love of cooking when I got married in 2009 and had someone to cook for.  I hope this blog inspires you to get into the kitchen more and create dishes that will bring your friends and families together.

Sundays are usually my days to experiment with new recipes or try more involved recipes since I have the extra time.  Today I made Ellie Krieger's Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread.  I tend to bake using low-fat recipes and they usually just taste, well ... low-fat!  I really loved this recipe and it is one of the best low-fat bread recipes I have ever made.  When you need a little extra comfort or want to try making bread for the first time, try this recipe!

Ingredients for 2 loaves

• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk or 1/4 cup of regular nonfat milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Directions

Make the dough.

Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix 3 minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix 5 more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky.

Let it rise.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Soak the raisins.

Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Fold the dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides of the dough.

Add the filling.

Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon (it's high in antioxidants!), brown sugar and raisins.

Form the loaves.

Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Bake the bread.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.