Not Just Your Run-Of-The-Mill Burger

Meg may have wanted to shed the “Monday Blues” with her dinner but I also think Wednesday’s “hump day” deserves some effort…burgers, you say? Think about making them a little differently. One direction I like to take is to use ground chicken instead of the usual ground beef.

Chicken burgers are so lean and delicious, but they also tend to need a little help in the taste department. I like to caramelize shallots and add a little blue cheese to the offering. Simple ingredients can provide temptations to the tastebuds, while being mindful of the grocery list’s bottom line.

Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Shallots and Blue Cheese*

2 shallots

olive oil

1 lb. ground chicken

one garlic glove, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

4 kaiser or ciabatta rolls, toasted

Leafy lettuce

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Caramelize the shallots in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Mix the ground chicken, garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt; then form into four patties. Brown in same pan with 1 tbl more olive oil. While burger is cooking, mix the mayonnaise and crumbled blue cheese til blended.

Serve burgers on toasted rolls with shallots, lettuce and a dollop of the mayo-blue cheese mixture.

*source: adapted from a Sunset magazine recipe

Served this mid-week sensation with a side of a large slice of beefsteak tomato, drizzled with a little light Italian dressing and topped with roasted corn. A little cold and hot side combo that seemed to work. Tomato was luscious and in-season and the roasted corn added a hot companion to an otherwise mundane side dish.

I had an extra chicken burger patty left over. Can’t wait to have it tomorrow, accompanied by another slice of tomato, as a great and light lunch. Total burger enjoyment…without the guilt. Maybe I’ll open my own burger stand someday. I think I’ll name it “Burger Queen”.

--the Mother

A Case of the Mondays

On the bus home from work on Monday, I was tired and frustrated with my day. I just wanted to go home and plop myself on the couch and do nothing, but I thought…what better way to shed the Monday blues than a home cooked meal? Since I was lazy and didn’t make it to the grocery store over the weekend, my only option was to scrounge around the kitchen to see what I could find. When I got home, I opened Rachel Ray’s cookbook to see if I could get inspired with the ingredients I had on-hand. I’ll admit she’s got some interesting dishes that are do-able for a working woman - although I can only make her meals in less than 30 minutes if I'm literally running around the kitchen to beat the clock.

I found a recipe for turkey cutlet with some pesto, tomato, and mozzarella topping. Not only did it sound delicious, but I had all of the ingredients to complete the dish (though I actually substituted the turkey for chicken). First, I opened a bottle of wine because I simply can’t cook without it! Then I pulled together the ingredients for the chicken cutlet, and also brought out a rice mix from Trader Joe’s to accompany the chicken. It was a fairly easy recipe to follow, and in the end my husband gave it a raving 4 stars!

Italian Chicken Cutlet

Olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tblsp flour

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

handful parmesan

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley (I actually didn’t have any of this on hand, so I used oregano. I'm sure any Italian herb would work fine.)

2 chicken breasts – pounded flat or butterflied

1 pint grape tomatoes

½ cup white wine

½ cup pesto (store bought)

Mozzarella slices

S & P

Heat medium skillet over medium heat with oil. Add onions, garlic, S&P and cook about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow dish, beat egg and put in 2nd shallow dish, then combine breadcrumbs, parsley, and parmesan into 3rd shallow dish. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Season chicken with S&P, then cover with flour. Then thoroughly coat chicken in eggs then lastly in the breadcrumb mixture. Once skillet is hot enough, cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the cutlets and set aside on paper towels.

In the skillet with the onions, add the grape tomatoes and white wine. Continue to cook until tomatoes start to burst and wine is reduced by half. Preheat the broiler. Arrange cutlets on a cookie sheet, then top each with the tomato topping, a scoop of pesto, and a few slices of mozzarella. Place under the broiler and broil until cheese melts. Serve warm with rice, if desired. Source: Modified from Rachel Ray, 365: No Repeats

With the Monday blues drowned out in Chardonnay and buried in pesto mozzarella toppings, I was ready to put Monday to bed and embrace the rest of the week. I guess it’s not so bad when you scrounge around in your kitchen for dinner options. You just need a little inspiration, a few good cooking staples, and some determination. I’d say it’s the best cure for a ‘case of the Mondays’.

--the daughter