Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers

Again 5 stars from CL, and 0 from me. D made these for NYE and none of us (M, D or me) finished our burger. We all ended up eating Kraft Mac and Cheese. They smelled awesome. The first bite was terrific. Then the overpowering came in. D checked twice on the amount of garam masala, but it says 2 tsps. The gm and the ginger was over powering. We didn't have the sauce that was listed. We used the sauce from Chicken Schwarma.
Definitely not making again.

Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers

Garam masala is a blend of ground spices including cinnamon, cumin, dried chiles, and coriander. Wear plastic gloves to keep the chicken mixture from sticking to your hands. Serve with cucumber spears.


Patties:
1/4 cup presliced green onions
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound ground chicken
Cooking spray

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup 2% low-fat Greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot mango chutney
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
1 cup fresh spinach leaves

1. To prepare patties, combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

2. Combine yogurt, mint, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Spread 1 tablespoon chutney on bottom halves of 4 buns; top each with 1 patty, 1 tablespoon yogurt mixture, 1/4 cup spinach, and a bun top.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

CALORIES 364 (36% from fat); FAT 14.5g (sat 4.8g,mono 4g,poly 3.8g); IRON 3.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 137mg; CALCIUM 130mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.4g; SODIUM 766mg; PROTEIN 25g; FIBER 1.6g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

This is the Sauce we used.

• Sauce:
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Peanut Butter Quickies

Apparently, you either like this cookie or you don't. Me, I love them. They are so easy to make, you can eat the batter, and they have peanut butter and chocolate chips. Yum!

Peanut Butter Quickies

1 14 oz Can sweeetened condensed milk
1/2 C Peanut Butter, smooth or crunchy
2 C of graham cracker crumbs (I have never measured...I use 2 sleeves of Nabisco GC and pulverize in the food processor. If I double the recipe, I use the whole box)
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven at 350.
Add milk and peanut butter and mix until smooth.
Add chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs to mix and mix.

Spoon out and put on greased cookie sheets. You can either just spoon out and make them look messy or roll them and smush them out to make them look smooth. Either way they don't spread on the sheet, so you can pack them on a sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

I made this. It was pretty easy. It was pretty good. Tame in spice, but I think it is because I used green curry paste because I couldn't find the red in our fridge (we have both). I did add curry seasoning, but obviously not enough. It was pretty creamy althouhg not a lot of sauce. I liked the fact that it was only 2 servings because D and I have problems with left over seafood.

We had with Broccoli and Basmati Rice.

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Red curry paste conveys plenty of spicy heat, so a little goes a long way. Feel free to add a bit more to increase the heat, or omit the paste to tame the dish. The addition of slightly sweet coconut milk smooths out the flavors.
Total time: 19 minutes.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)--I used 1/2 tsp green curry paste and some curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined--I used 16 oz because what am I going to tdo with 4 oz of left over shrimp
1/3 cup light coconut milk--I used regular coconut milk. The light was $2.00 more.
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and curry paste to pan, and sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar; sauté 15 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce; cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and basil.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
CALORIES 255 (26% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.9g); IRON 4.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 111mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.2g; SODIUM 740mg; PROTEIN 36.1g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

D didn't read the directions to this recipe so he didn't use broth. It wasn't very creamy and it needed some salt. I attribute that to the broth. BUT I liked it. D ate it.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Unlike traditional pasta, this orzo isn't cooked in a pot of boiling water. Instead, it's cooked slowly in a flavorful broth that captures its starch.

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 236 (24% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.8g; SODIUM 412mg; PROTEIN 9.9g; FIBER 1.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

So this was really good, and it seemed pretty easy (as in , I didn't hear D cussing in the kitchen).
There was a lot of taste, and the sweetness had a tang at the end with the balsamic.

We had with Parmesan Orzo and a Caesar Salad.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

To assure the chicken gets done, use breasts on the small side, about 4 to 5 ounces each. Serve with polenta or orzo to absorb the sauce.

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (we used thighs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Chopped parsley (optional)

Combine broth, vinegar, and honey.

Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

While butter melts, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast and 2 tablespoons sauce)

CALORIES 269 (27% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 2.5g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.1g; SODIUM 331mg; PROTEIN 34g; FIBER 0.2g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Christmas Dinner

It was very good.
I'll just link what we had...

Grilled Lamb with Ancholaide
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Green Beans with Bacon
(no dessert because we drank our dessert).

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

D made this with 3 cans of chopped clams. It was decent. He added some white wine. We think it needed some butter. We think the garlic should have been minced.
Portion size was a bit on the small size.
Leftovers are very good. Flavors melded well.

Linguine with White Clam and Broccoli Sauce

This is a popular dish at my restaurant Felidia. Sometimes we substitute broccoli rabe for the regular broccoli, which is also delicious. You can chop the garlic if you like, but I prefer slices. They are mellower in flavor and become part of the texture of the dish. Unlike the light amount of sauce served with most pastas, when combining clam sauce and linguine, there should be a little extra broth. I love littleneck clams for this sauce, but other types of hard-shelled clams, such as Manila or butter clams, make a good substitute.

3/4 cup water
36 littleneck clams in shells, scrubbed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
6 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 cups broccoli florets
1 pound uncooked linguine
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add clams; cover and cook 4 minutes or until shells open. Remove clams from pan; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard any unopened shells. Cool clams. Remove meat from shells; chop. Discard shells.

Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in stockpot. Add broccoli, and cook 2 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon (do not drain water from stockpot). Place broccoli in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain broccoli; coarsely chop.

Return water to a boil in stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 6 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, stirring constantly. Add broccoli and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli sizzles. Stir in clams and reserved 1 cup cooking liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Add pasta to skillet, stirring well to coat. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and chopped parsley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place about 1 cup pasta mixture in each of 6 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 420 (19% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 1.2g,mono 5.2g,poly 1.5g); IRON 15.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 61.8g; SODIUM 484mg; PROTEIN 22.1g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004