Southwestern Chicken Burger
February 8, 2011
Burgers are good…really good. They are the kind of quick dinner that never seems like a cop out. I can spend 30 minutes cooking dinner and everyone is thrilled. We like to eat all kinds of burgers, experimenting with different types of meat: beef, pork, chicken, or turkey, and many different flavor combinations. When cooking up burgers with chicken or turkey, I mix in egg, bread crumbs, and herbs, all which help keep the burgers moist. This burger recipe is one of our favorites.
Southwestern Chicken Burgers are super moist and flavorful. The mild taste of the ground chicken allows the garlic, cilantro, green onion, and spices to do their magic. This burger is packed with flavor and is sure to delight even the most die-hard beef burger fans. Layer the toasted buns with spicy, smokey chipotle mayonnaise and Caramelized Onion Relish. If you don’t have a grill, these burgers would be equally tasty cooked up in a skillet with a little olive oil.
Big Beef Chili
February 1, 2011
I love the Superbowl, but not for the reason you may suspect. Football doesn’t hold much sway with me. What I do relish is the captive, hungry audience to feed. To me, the Superbowl is more about food than it is about the game.
A rich pot of chili may be the ideal meal for game day. It can be made ahead and kept warm on the stove or in a crockpot. Hungry guests can easily fill their bowl whenever they like. I prepare it in the morning and let it cook long and slow on the stove or in the crockpot. All that is left to do before the game is to make sure there is enough beer in the fridge and whip up some cornbread.
Orange Quinoa with Almonds, Olives, and Feta
January 26, 2011
Santa gave me my first lesson in eating with the season. Each year, nestled deep in the toe of my gargantuan knit stocking, I would find an orange. First I would be disappointed- all that valuable stocking space used up by something destined for the communal fruit basket! Then I would be perplexed. Why an orange? Sure, I liked oranges, but they were nowhere near my favorite. Why not a juicy peach? Strawberries? Papaya? Sweet watermelon? OK, I understand why Santa couldn’t put a watermelon in my stocking. Still, it never occurred to me that he was simply offering the sweetest treat that winter had to offer. Though we had an orange tree in our backyard, it had not fully dawned on me that oranges are a winter fruit. Vibrant, sweet, and juicy citrus is ripe for the offering right at the time when Santa swings through town.
Lentil Soup with Yams
January 13, 2011
Good food is very important to me. It’s not that I’m a picky eater, it is more that there are just soooo many foods I love to eat! I have to admit though, sometimes I find it a challenge to fit in creative, inspired dishes especially during the busy week. Did I mention I have two young kids? That I work full-time? So, I depend on a weekly meal plan.
At the end of each week, I dedicate a bit of time to write out dinner ideas for the following week. There is a general formula I follow: 1 soup meal, 1 stir-fry meal, 1 salad meal, and pizza on Fridays. The other meals are up to my whim. Once I have the meals planned out, it is easy to construct my shopping list and take care of all the food shopping for the week in one trip out. It is a relief to return home after a long day at work and know that I have a plan for dinner and all the ingredients required.
Wine Braised Short Ribs
January 1, 2011
New Year’s Eve demands attention. It is the last day of the year, and like many big deadlines, it pressures us to make the most of our final minutes. We often feel obliged to stay up late and live large on this cold night. We either celebrate the blessings of the previous year or say good riddance to a year that treated us harshly. For my husband and I however, times have changed.
This year we did not ring in the new year as we once had. There were no loud parties, drunken dances, or boisterous cheers. Perhaps it is as the checkout gal at the butcher shop and I agreed, we have paid our dues by partying wholeheartedly in previous years and we deserve a night off. Perhaps we are lured by the calm and seemingly more desirable option of staying in with a delicious meal and a bottle of bubbly. Perhaps we just don’t have a babysitter. Whatever it is, the food made the night (and the company of course!).
My Pantry Shelf 