Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

This is a recipe from Rachael Ray.  I don't believe she eats this stuff.  These burgers are huge!  I ate half of one and was stuffed.  They are tasty, though.  The burgers made my son happy because although he likes burgers he only prefers to eat chicken.  I would recommend making them much smaller. If you are going to make them this big then cook them a lot longer than she recommends.  I cooked them about 8 minutes on each side.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers
by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 slices Canadian bacon
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 teaspoons sweet paprika, eyeball it in your palm
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended:  Montreal Steak Seasoning) or salt and pepper
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 deli slices Swiss Cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise, eyeball it
3 rounded tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves, 4 sprigs
4 kaiser rolls or sandwich size sour dough English muffins, split and toasted
8 leaves leaf lettuce
1 vine ripened tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat grill pan, nonstick griddle, large nonstick skillet or table top electric grill to medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil and Canadian bacon. Warm bacon and caramelize it at edges.  About 1 to 2 minutes on each side.  Remove to a piece of foil.  Fold over loosely to keep warm.  {This keeps the Canadian bacon from getting dried out.}

Combine chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, and shallot.  Score meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts.  Make 4 large patties.  {Or make 8 smaller ones.}  3/4 to 1 inch thick.  Drizzle patties with oil and place on hot grill pan, griddle or in skillet. Cook 5 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through.

Top patties with reserved cooked Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese. Fold each slice of cheese in  half to fit the burger.  Cover loosely with foil.  Turn off pan and let cheese melt, 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and tarragon.  Slather bun tops or English muffin tops with sauce.  Place Cordon Bleu burgers on bun bottoms and top with lettuce and tomato.  Put bun or muffin tops in place.  Serve with oven fries.  {I served with sweet potato waffle fries.}

Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Linguine with Garlic and Zucchini

This is another recipe that I have been looking at for a long time but have only just made it today.  I adjusted the amounts to make a larger portion.   It is originally from Food 52 website and I combined that recipe with one I found in Cooking Light Magazine's August issue.

Lemon Ricotta  Pasta with Garlic and Zucchini
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 16 oz box of linguine
1 cup fresh ricotta, preferably homemade (see recipe below)
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 small yellow squash, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest of 2 lemons
1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
black pepper

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente and drain.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic.  Gently cook the garlic until it is starting to turn golden.  Add squash, zucchini, and red pepper flakes to pan; saute 1 minute.  Add broth and pasta to pan, cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine.

3.  Add the ricotta, lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.   If pasta needs more moisture, add additional chicken broth.  Add black pepper to taste.  Dig in.

Homemade Ricotta

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1.  Combine ingredients in a microwave safe 1-quart liquid measuring cup; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

2.  Stir to form small curds.

3.  Strain through a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth; let stand for 5 minutes.

4.  Discard liquid.

5.  Scrape cheese mixture into a small bowl; stir in rind and 1/4 teaspoon salt.


Enjoy!