turkey burgers with a fried egg

ever get sick of eating just plain burgers? i do. so i decided to switch things up last night by adding a fried egg on top and serving it over a bed of sauteed spinach. not too shabby - plus it was healthy. i like to liberally season up my turkey burgers so i never feel like i'm missing the real thing.

ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, you be the judge on how many
american cheese
fried eggs
sauteed spinach

directions:
in a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, hamburger seasoning, red pepper flakes, worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. form into patties - i made about 6, but they were on the smaller side. you decide how big you want them.

preheat skillet with evoo over medium high heat. cook burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on one side, about 5 minutes. flip burgers over and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until it's cooked throughout. turn stove off and add cheese to patties, letting it melt.

to serve, place generous portion of sauteed spinach on bottom of plate. add turkey burger and top off with fried egg. poke small hole in egg yolk, letting it run down the side of the burger and into the spinach. make sure to get all the elements of this dish into each bite!

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wtf.

i think it's safe to say that many of you are probably thinking this. i've been a major slacker when it comes to cooking or taking pictures of the food i've made. i could tell you about the delicious asparagus and fontina quiche i made for easter brunch but it doesn't seem right when i don't have a picture to show you. but not to worry, tonight i'm making turkey burgers with a fried egg on top. tomorrow i'm posting a 4-ingredient appetizer for my column on the clarendon patch website. and friday i'm making a baked reuben dip for a co-worker. i promise i'll take pictures. until then, you'll have to amuse yourselves.

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cookies and cream swirled brownie loaf with chocolate peanut butter ganache

me and my co-worker ali have a tradition at work where we always bake something delicious for the other's birthday.  i was so excited when i found this recipe at picky palate to make for her big day. i started to make these, had everything ready to go and realized i didn't have the baking pan needed. all i had was a 9x5 loaf pan. so i decided to keep going and turn these brownies into a chocolate-loaf type thingy. i sliced it up like you would banana bread to serve. the end result was pretty good - they were super rich, moist and prettttty decadent. my favorite part was the chocolate peanut butter ganache. absolutely scrumptious.

get the recipe here. i followed it to a t.

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homemade spicy sweet potato chips with reduced fat guacamole

bite into this dip + chip combo and you'll get a spicy and sweet bite that is immediately cooled down by the creaminess of the guacamole. the chips are baked, not fried. this is great appetizer for entertaining because it's easy, healthy, delicious and can serve a crowd!


ingredients: 
2 ripe avocados, diced
1 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
spicy sweet potato chips (recipe below)

directions for guacamole:
place edamame beans and 1 avocado in food processor, blending until smooth. in a bowl, mix together remaining avocado, pureed edamame mixture and the rest of the ingredients. mash a little bit with a fork, leaving some chunks of avocado. season with more salt and pepper if needed.

directions for spicy sweet potato chips:
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

preheat oven to 400 degrees. thinly slice sweet potatoes with mandoline slicer or knife. divide potatoes between 2 baking sheets. drizzle with oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt. toss and spread them in a single layer on sheets. bake, flipping once, until chips are crisp, about 22 to 25 minutes. serve with reduced fat guacamole.

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mexican grilled corn

this recipe comes from ezra pound cake. i didn't really change anything from the original except i substituted the mexican crema for low-fat sour cream. the sweetness from the fresh corn paired with the creaminess of the sour cream and spicy-ness from the chili powder was pure perfection.

ingredients:
corn ears, husked
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup light sour cream

directions:
preheat grill to medium-high. in a small bowl, combine chili powder and salt/pepper. wrap each corn husk in tinfoil. place on grill and cook about 10 minutes, turning frequently.

remove from grill and remove tinfoil.  slather each corn husk with generous amount of sour cream, spreading over entire husk. sprinkle with chili powder mixture. eat immediately!

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grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce

with the weather in the 70s yesterday, i just had to go home and heat up the grill for dinner. chimichurri is one of my absolute favorite sauces because it packs so much flavor and really isn't that bad for you. it's a tangy herb sauce that originated from argentina and is usually spooned over any grilled meat. i served it with grilled flank steak but kept the steak marinade simple because i knew the chimichurri would outshine anything i paired with it.

ingredients:
1/2 cup evoo + 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (use more or less depending on how much heat you want)
2 pounds flank steak
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

directions:
mix 2 tablespoons of evoo, worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and s&p in plastic bag. add steak. marinate for at least one hour, turning occasionally.

meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup evoo, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, parsley, basil, 3 minced garlic cloves, minced shallot and oregano in food processor. pulse until well-blended - do not puree. should be a chunky herb sauce, not baby's food. stir in salt and red pepper flakes. transfer to a small bowl and let sauce sit for at least an hour.

when you're ready to cook the meat - remove flank steak from bag and discarde marinade. heat grill over medium high heat and cook steak about 8 to 10 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness. cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin strips.

to serve, place thin strips of steak on plate and drizzle chimichurri over top. enjoy!

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exciting news! i'm an columnist!

i have to say – this is pretty much a dream come true.  i’m a lucky girl who gets to combine two of my favorite hobbies:  food + writing.

starting today, i'll be a weekly cooking correspondent for the clarendon patch website. its a local news division of aol. i'll be writing about recipes that are simple, easy-to-make and of course delicious. 

check out my first article at http://clarendon.patch.com/articles/simple-classic-creative.

feel free to chime in if you have any suggestions about what you think i should write about or what recipes i should showcase!

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steamed asian chicken packets

cooking chicken in foil "steam packets" is one of my favorite go-to weeknight dinners. it produces great results every time and the chicken always comes out perfectly moist. it's easy and really versatile. you can add whatever seasonings you're feeling that day - whether it be tex-mex, greek, italian, etc..  you can also add whatever vegetables want (or do as i did and use up whatever you have in the fridge). the chicken will take on whatever flavors you give it. i went for an asian theme and served it over brown rice. simply perfection.

ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
red pepper flakes (you be the judge)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
assortment of vegetables - bell pepper, carrots, onions, water chestnuts, snow peas

directions:
heat oven to 350 degrees. in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic cloves, honey, ground ginger, dark sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil that are large enough to wrap each around chicken individually. place your assortment of veggies in the middle of foil. top with chicken. drizzle half of marinade over chicken/veggies and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. gather foil loosely around chicken and fold over to seal. repeat with second piece of chicken. place foil packets on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes. be careful when peeling apart and use oven mitts to protect hands from hot steam. serve over brown rice with a drizzle of soy sauce.

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meet the author: joe yonan

last night my dad took me to a private cooking demonstration and tasting with joe yonan. who is joe? joe is a food editor for the washington post, a two-time james beard winner and author of a new cookbook called serve yourself: nightly adventures in cooking for one.

joe's cookbook is really a reflection of his life and how he chooses to live it. joe is single and cooks for himself every night instead of ordering out or eating cereal over the kitchen sink. he also cooks interesting, good food for himself and hates leftovers (i think i have a culinary crush).

we had a great time at the event. joe is very funny, laid-back and just seems like a fun guy to hang out with. he gave some great tips, including what to do with leftover ingredients and how to use less dishes when cooking. he also gave a cooking demonstration for one of his recipes in the book: mahi mahi with kiwi-avocado salsa and coconut rice. the fish and rice cook in the same pot so you have less clean up! we got to try a little sample of this and man, was it good. i will definitely be making it sometime soon.

if you get a chance, i would take a look at the book on amazon. this is really a great find for all the singles out there - or even couples!

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marinated tomatoes with feta

here's a great, light side dish for your spring-time cooking. the red onion and red wine vinegar give it a deliciously tangy bite. this recipe couldn't be easier and tastes better the longer it marinates so you can make it in advance. this would be great to bring to picnic or backyard barbecue.

ingredients:
1 pints grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons red onion, small diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons evoo
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parlsey
1/4 cup feta cheese, in large chunks
salt and pepper


directions:
combine onion, garlic and red wine vinegar in large bowl. whisk in evoo. season with salt, pepper and parsley. add tomatoes and stir well to combine. gently fold in feta (making sure not to crumble the cubes). put in fridge and let marinate for at least one hour or overnight.

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greek turkey burgers with spinach and yogurt sauce

we're trying out a new diet at our house this week where we have no carbs for dinner. tonight i made bun-less greek burgers (with spinach). i served it over a bed of lettuce with grilled zucchini and marinated tomatoes. i packed the burgers with tons of flavor and top it with a creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce.

ingredients for burgers:
1 lb ground turkey
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon greek seasoning
1 egg
1/3 cup thawed and drained frozen spinach
salt and pepper

directions for burgers:
preheat grill (inside or out) to medium high heat. meanwhile combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix together. form into 5 equal patties. cook about 6 to 7 minutes per side.

ingredients for creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce:
1 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill)
1/4 cup english cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup feta
salt and pepper

directions for creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce:

combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well and let sit in fridge for an hour before serving.

to assemble, place turkey patty on bed of lettuce. garnish with grilled zucchini slices and marinated tomatoes. top with tzatziki sauce and serve.

the final product

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