Dijon Chicken Bacon Burger

 

 

 

 

 

 

This burger is easy to make, and has a lot of flavor. This was the first time I had purchased ground chicken before, and I really liked how it turned out. You could also use ground turkey.   The sauce is what really makes the burger.   

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 pound bacon, cooked, crumbled, fat reserved
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 large ripe tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup chopped, pickled jalapenos
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted (whole-grain or whole-wheat)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Canola oil

1. Place a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and heat the rendered bacon fat (ideally, use the pan you just made the bacon in). Add extra canola oil if necessary; oil should coat surface of pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bacon, scallions and 1/2 of the Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Mix until just blended. Test flavor by cooking a small portion of mixture.
3. Form 4 burger patties about 1 inch thick. Sear the burgers, turning once, until done, about 3-4 minutes per side. Be sure that burger is cooked all the way through since this is chicken — should be 165 degrees F in the center of the burger.
4. Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on a large plate and season them with salt and pepper.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining Dijon mustard, jalapenos and mayonnaise and mix well.
6. Spread spicy mayo on bottoms and tops of buns. Place shredded romaine on bun bottom and top with tomato slice, add the burgers and top with a second tomato.
7. Finish with the bun tops and serve.

Caesar-Style Spaghetti

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not a huge Rachael Ray fan.  I don’t like her food network show and her abbreviations really annoy me.  However, I have been watching her daytime show here and there now that I am off for the summer.  I like her quick ideas for dinner and a lot of her recipes look really good.  I decided to try out her Caesar-Style Spaghetti.  I was glad I did.  It’s super simple and really tasty.  Something a little out of the norm, but an easy weeknight meal.  My husband loved it, and was anxious to take the leftovers to work the next day for lunch. 

The recipe calls for anchovies, but on the show she used anchovie paste, and so did I.  I just squeezed what looked like a reasonable amount into the pan.  Other than that I followed the recipe.  Give it a try!

Caesar-Style Spaghetti

Caprese Pasta Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

This easy to throw together past is a must for the summer. You can serve it warm or cold, as a side or main dish. It’s got great flavor, and it’s so easy! Try it, it’s one of my husbands favorites!

1 tub of marinated baby mozzarella – halved or quartered (this is the kind that is marinated in oil with lots of herbs and spices)
1 pkg. penne, cooked to al dente
Handful of basil – finely chopped
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved (use more if you’re using grape)

Once pasta is cooked and drained, dump the entire container of mozzarella (including oil and all the spices), basil and tomato. Toss to combine.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta

 

 

 

 

 

 

I came across this pasta recipe on Smitten Kitchen.  I love goat cheese and asparagus, so I thought I would give it a try.  It was so simple and easy to make, pretty inexpensive due to the small number of ingredients and it was so tasty!  We had enough for leftovers the next day, which was a treat on a Saturday afternoon.  Try this recipe out…it’s great for those nights when you don’t want to heat up your oven or spend an hour in the kitchen!

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the most simple summertime cake.  It’s great for summer BBQs and picnics because it’s so easy to transport.  You don’t have to bring three separate containers with the whipped cream, berries and cake.  This cake is best if you let it sit overnight, then the cake gets super moist and yummy.  Enjoy!

1 white cake mix (bake as directed)

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

1 TB Vanilla Extract

2 TB sugar

2 Pints strawberries

sugar

When I baked my cake, I set the timer for about 8 minutes under what the box said.  You DON”T want to over-bake this cake.  Keep an eye on it.  Let your cake cool completely.  Meanwhile, whip up your whipping cream with a hand or stand mixer.  Once the cream is about halfway there, add the vanilla and sugar.  Whip until firm, but not butter!  Slice strawberries and sprinkle with sugar.  Leave the strawberries in a bowl with the sugar at room temperature until your cake is cool and you are ready to assemble.  The sugar will pull the juices out the berries, making a yummy syrup. 

To assemble, spread on the whipping cream and scatter the berries.  I think it looks best when it’s random.  Pour the remaining syrup over the cake.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight for best taste.

Yummy homemade granola.

This homemade granola is amazing. It uses no oil, just real maple syrup for sweetness. It is great with a little milk, yogurt, or by the handful! Enjoy!

Homemade Granola
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Preheat oven to 300. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine oats, nuts, maple syrup, cranberries and spices in a medium bowl. Evenly spread onto the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring ocassionaly. Store in the refrigerator.

Oh Yikes, has it really been that long?

Hello all!  I’m so sorry it has been SO long since my last post.  A lot of things have been changing in our household!  There is a baby on the way, and will arrive in early October.  We are extremely excited…but for the last couple of months, this little bun in the oven has turned me off to my favorite activity…COOKING!  Walking into the kitchen was out of the question, mostly because just a glance at any kitchen appliance, food item, or smell had me running for the bathroom.  It was a sad couple of months and I wondered if I would ever set foot in the kitchen again.  Well, thankfully that time has passed and I am now feeling like my old self again.

So, all that to say, stay tuned.  I’ll have some stuff up here in the next couple of weeks!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Simple Crab Cakes

My parents were visiting for the new year, and my mom suprised us with some fresh lump crab meat!  We made Ben’s famous Crab Fettucini Alfredo one night, and opted for crab cakes the next.  We were running our legs off with after-Christmas shopping, and came across Williams Sonoma Crab Cake Mix.  Easy and delicious..although a little on the expensive side (12.00) but we were tired and ready for something simple.  It was totally worth it! 

The package is divided in two, so you can make 6 crab cakes and save the mix for a later time or make it all at once like we did.  One batch requires 1/2 lb. crab meat.   This would be a fabulous main course with a simple salad on the side.  They were easy to make and the mix took out all of the guess work.  Try it!

Barefoot Bloggers: Pappa Al Pomidoro

Can you tell I got a new camera for Christmas?!  Now hopefully my photos will be a little easier on the eyes.

I have to admit, when I first saw the name of this week’s Barefoot Bloggers recipe I was intimidated.  It sounds so fancy…so difficult.  Boy, was I wrong!  It’s simple, rustic, and exactly the type of soup you want to be eating this time of year.  Thanks to Natalie of Burned Bits for choosing this recipe from Ina’s new book (which I just got for Christmas, and you must go buy it!!!)

Side note:  You would think that living in a big city, a girl would be able to find a bulb on fennel!  Not me.  Apparently the snow blast we had here for the last couple of weeks threw off the shipments and left me fennel-less.  So I decided to go ahead with the recipe.  It’s still delicious, but next time I make it I will be for sure adding it.

New Year, New Look.

I decided to give my blog a fancy new look for 2009.  What do you think?