Tandori Spiced Chicken Burgers

These pictures do not even being to do this dish justice. It was hard to take a good picture of the burgers because they are tucked away in warm, soft, chewy pita bread...don't let that fool you though. These burgers are so yummy! The yogurt sauce is killer good too! I made a different recipe for the yogurt sauce than what the recipe called for. My recipe sounded much better! I served this meal with a mixutre of sauteed veggies (squash, asparagus, and bell peppers), and gigantic crispy potato fries that I seasoned with grill seasoning and olive oil....yum! I used ground chicken breast instead of whole chicken thighs and they turned out wonderfully.

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)
Watermelon slices (optional)
Directions
Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. My yogurt recipe- 1/2 low-fat organic plain yogurt, 1 small garlic clove minced, dash of the following: salt, pepper, garam masala, and curry powder. Mix together and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve in and along the side of the burger for dipping.
Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, (I added sliced tomato, avocoado and sprouts) and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce.

Spicy Chipotle Skewers with Wild and Brown Rice

This is a healthy/light meal but Oh so satisfying! My husband and I just returned from a trip to San Francisco and I hadn't been to the grocery store for almost two weeks. Believe me...our fridge was pretty bare! This is a meal that I pulled together with the last of what was left. It was so good and very easy to prepare. I marinated steak, chicken and shrimp in a Chipotle marinade I had in the spice cabinet. I let the meat marinade for about an hour. I then prepared a plain wild and brown rice mixutre I bought from Costco. I found some whole wheat pita bread in the freezer (a staple at our house), so I made some spiced pita chips using a mixture of garlic powder, cumin, curry powder, a dash of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. I then cut the pita into wedges and sprayed them lightly with cooking I had a zucchini, one bell pepper and some broccoli in the fridge so I sauteed them with some grill seasoning. After the veggies were done I served it all up with some hummus on the side for the pita chips. My husband LOVED this meal. This is one I will make again and again.

Warm Buttermilk Biscuits

I had a lot of buttermilk leftover from the muffins I made a few days ago. I decided that since I had never made biscuits before that this would be a good excuse for me to make them! They literally took about 7 minutes to whip up. They smelled SO GOOD cooking! They made a good breakfast for my husband along with some fresh strawberries.......YUM!

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons chilled butter
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add buttermilk, tossing with a fork until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly a few times just until smooth. Pat the dough to desired thickness, 1/2 inch to 1 inch (I like thick biscuits). Using a round cookie cutter, cut out biscuits.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Brush some melted butter over the tops to make them even more delicious!

Soba and Salmon

I have never tried Soba noodles before. I was in the mood to try something new, so I purchased some at our local store. They are pretty dang good! I made a Chinese Stir Fry with Sweet and Sour Sauce. It is a great way to get a whole load of veggies on your plate! I love salmon, so I grilled some with an assortment of herbs and spices to top the stir fry off. Chicken or tofu could easily be used instead....even shrimp.

Makes 4 Servings

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. catsup

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Tamari or soy sauce

1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

2 1/4 tsp. cornstarch

2 1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh gingerroot

1 large onion sliced thin

2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

4 ounces green beans or asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large red or orange bell pepper sliced into 1/2 inch strips

8 oz. mushrooms thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 cup fresh or canned pineapple cubed

1 head broccoli florets

1 pkg. soba noodles

1 pound chicken (cubed), salmon, shrimp or tofu (cubed)

Cook soba noodles according to package. In a medium skillet, heat a 1 tsp. oil and cook meat until done. Reserve on a plate. In the same skillet, add onion, carrot, bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, and green beans or asparagus. Stir fry until crips tender about 3-5 minutes. remove from heat.

In a bowl, wisk pineapple juice, lemon juice, maple syrup or brown sugar, ginger, catsup, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add cornstarch and wisk until no lumps are visible. Place skillet back on heat and add sauce mixture to vegetables. Add tofu, shrimp, or chicken and toss to combine. If using salmon, reserve until serving to place on top.

Serve vegetable mixture over noodles. Garnsish with fresh cilantro salt and pepper. Also delicious served over brown rice.

Not Just a Salad

This salad was so good and so filling. I am not one to be filled up and satisfied on a "just a salad".....I always need something more. This salad needed nothing more that a toated piece of chewy ciabatta bread to go with it! I topped these salad greens off with homemade roasted butternut squah tortellini, roasted asparagus and orange bell peppers, avocado, toasted cashews, grilled chicken, crumbled goat cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and of course sprouts! That's right...this salad was LOADED and oh so good! How could I forget that it was topped off with the most tastey smoked tomato and balsamic vinegar dressing.....DIVINE! There really isn't a recipe for this....it is just a combination of several things I had in the refrigerator. It made for a delicious Sunday afternoon meal.

Apples 'N Spice and Everything Nice!

So I have discovered the BEST Apple Spice and Walnut muffin recipe ever! Everytime I make these I double the batch and freeze them because they make the best treat in the evening. My husband and I can't get enough! They have chunks of fresh apple and a delicious brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnut topping sprinkled ever so lightly over them. They are so easy to make too. Most of the ingredients you probably already have. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these as much I we do!

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I add more cinnamon to the dry ingredients plus some nutmeg)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs (I use Egg Starts)
1 cup natural applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.
Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.

Simple Indian Spiced Soup

I love Indian food! This is a flavorful, simple Indian soup. It seriously could not be easier! And SOOOOOO affordable! It tastes similar to curry and has a wonderful flavor like it has been simmering all day, but it only takes a few minutes to whip up. I served it with toasted pita chips and hummus.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm ful
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup plain yogurt
Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted
Directions
Heat a medium pot with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the chickpeas and onion in food processor. Add to pot and cook 5 minutes to sweeten onion. Season the chickpeas with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir in stock, then tomatoes. Simmer soup 5 to 10 minutes to combine flavors. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and warm pita for dipping.