California Chicken Burgers with Cabbage Carrot Slaw

I know I have been slacking! Just realized my last post was the beginning of the month! Tomorrow I hope to post some cookie recipes I will be trying out.  I don't do much baking, so we will see how good they come out.

Here in New York it definitely doesn't feel like winter and if the BBQ wasn't all packed away I just might have broke it out.  So instead I got the trusty George Foreman grill going and made some of these tasty tasty burgers.  Chicken burgers are not the same as beef, because 1) they have no flavor on their own and 2) you MUST cook them all the way through.  Both reasons might make chicken burgers a bit tricky but with all these big flavors and my trusty meat thermometer we are ready to go.  I also have to add that these are pretty healthy- we ground boneless skinless chicken breasts ourselves, flavored with spices and low calorie items and used turkey bacon.  The slaw is good for you too- no mayo and we used heart healthy extra virgin olive oil. (I can only hate on the bread because of the carb count- but what the heck- it's the holidays right?)

A chicken burger is not exactly an original but I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly what I wanted so obviously I just made up my own with all the flavors I liked the best.  This idea came from a wrap that was on the menu at one of our favorite diners, that unfortunately closed down :(  But now will live on in this recipe :)

For 6 burgers:

• 2 ½ boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons of McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 ½ carrots, shredded (shred 3 all together if making the slaw too)
• 2 chipolte in adobo, chopped

1. In a food processor (or a meat grinder) grind up the chicken.  If you want to buy already ground chicken, I would say this came out to about 2 pounds worth.

2. Then mix the meat and all the other ingredients in.  Then form the patties (I got about 6, it might vary on the size of your chicken breasts)
3. Get your grill or frying pan hot and cook until done- about 160 degrees, the carry over heat will cook it to the safe 165 degree mark.  About 6-8 minutes each side if in a frying pan.  The GF grill took about 6-8 mins all together (obviously because it cooks both sides at once)

For the Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw:

• ½ of a medium sized head of red cabbage, shredded
• 1 ½ carrots, shredded
• the other ½ of that red onion, sliced thin
• juice of one orange
• extra virgin olive oil to coat
• 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar would be good too)
• salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and let marinate in the fridge while you make your burgers.

Toppings

Really they are whatever you want- BUT when people classify something as "Californian" for some reason it always has avocado. So this is what I topped mine with:

• Turkey bacon or regular bacon
• Avocado, sliced
• Tomato, sliced
• Cabbage and carrot slaw
• Baby spinach

If you needed a dressing of some sort I would go with a honey mustard or blue cheese.  OR instead of mixing the chipolte in with the meat- you could mix it up with some mayo and use that as a dressing.  I skipped the cheese but a spicy monteray jack cheese would be awesome (because it originates from CA!) or maybe a tangy provolone.

Pile it high on a crusty but soft bun and this is one burger you will be making again!

Bleu Cheese, Bacon and Tomato Crostata

This recipe was inspired (and requested by) my friend Adam Lombardi who is working on DA Brown's reelection campaign.  So this recipe is nicknamed the Campaign Crostata.  Something to help keep you going after long hours of hard work and dedication.  A Red,White, and "Blue" dish for politicians and non-politicians alike.  Crostatas are usually shaped into a circle, but I thought it would be fun and symbolic to shape it into a star.  Even if you have no political agenda, you can enjoy this salty crusty dish anytime! And the Fourth of July is coming up- perfect for entertaining on such a joyous occasion. This recipe might look a little intimidating and long but it really is easy.  And the best part is that if you know how to make the crust you can put ANYTHING in this crostata- even make a sweet dessert variation. So try your own version! And let freedom reign ;)

Ingredients

Dough

· 1 c flour

· ½ c cornmeal

· ½ tsp salt

· 3 tbsp COLD butter- cut into small pieces

· 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

· ½ c cream cheese

· 3 1/2 tbsp cold water

Filling

· 8 slices of bacon

· 1 cup of bleu cheese

· 1 onion

· 1 garlic cloves

· 3 small sprigs of fresh thyme

· Salt, pepper

· 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Topping

· 2-3 small tomatoes, sliced

· 1 egg- beaten for egg wash

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon on a baking sheet/rack and throw in the oven until brown and crispy- Time will vary; just keep an eye on it.

2.  Slice your tomatoes and put into a strainer/colander and cover with kosher salt.  This will help draw out a lot of moisture so the tomatoes won’t make the crust soggy. When you are ready to use just rinse quickly and shake dry as much as you can.

3.  In a food processor* combine the flour, cornmeal and ½ tsp salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. In another small bowl combine the lemon juice and cream cheese and then add to the food processor- pulse a few times. Add the water and pulse until the mixture is moist – but doesn’t form a ball- you still want it crumbly. Take out the dough and place on a sheet of plastic wrap, shape into a dish, cover it up with the plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for about 20 mins.

*If you don't have a food processor, you can always whisk the dry ingredients, then work the butter in quickly with your fingers-work it into the flour by rubbing it in- make sure the butter is super cold- it will start to look like parm cheese, work the cream cheese mixture in with a whisk, same with the water step. Basically if you don't do it with a food processor it's not the end of the world- this isn't exactly formal baking

4.While you wait for the dough- in a small sauce pan get some oil hot and then add the chopped onion and garlic. Heat should be medium, medium low- try not and burn it. Add salt, pepper & thyme.  When that is all cooked turn off the heat, add the balsamic vinegar, and set aside to cool for now.

5.  When the bacon is done, crumble it and add to saucepan with the onion mixture.  Keep the oven on.

6.  Get your dough out and roll into a thin sheet on top of some parchment paper (believe me you're going to want to use this parchment paper, it makes moving it SO much easier)- I made my dough too thick the first time and I wound up having to cook the crostata for a really long time- so roll it thin. I formed mine into a star shape but the easiest way is a circle, so if you don't want to get fancy you can just roll into a circle- the ends are going to be cracking and not perfect, leave them that way it adds to the rustic look of the dish.

7.   Add the cheese to the onion mixture and stir to combine. Then top the dough with it.  Leaving about an inch around the edges so we can fold over the edges and complete the crostata.  Before you fold the edges over, top the filling with the tomato slices. Fold edges over and move the crostata (with the parchment paper) to a baking sheet.  Take the beaten egg and brush all over the dough (this is called an egg-wash).  Then bake until the crust is golden brown and delicious (about 20-25 mins).