Black Bean Burger

Overview:

This burger is juicy, delicious and meat-free! The black beans and bread crumbs add substance, while the cumin and chili powder add a little zing. If you really want to make the most out of your hard work, don't stop with just a lightly toasted bun, add some fixin's. We strongly recommend the following: pepperjack cheese, sliced avocados or homemade guacamole, fresh cilantro and some honey mustard sauce.


Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can organic black beans, drained, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3/8 teaspoon organic garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon organic ground chili powder
• 1 tablespoon organic ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 - 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. The first step is to preheat the grill. Take a sheet of lightly oiled aluminum foil and place on the grate for cooking (otherwise you may lose them between the grates.)
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans until thick and pasty. You can use a fork or pastry blender. You don't need to get it completely smooth; a few chunks will actually be good to hold it all together.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper and onion. To separate some of the moisture, line a colander or strainer with some paper towels and pour the puree into strainer and squeeze out some of the liquid. If there's too much moisture at the end, it'll be very hard to get the burgers to hold their shape.
4. Add the pepper and onion mixture to the beans and set aside
5. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and chili sauce.
6. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Add in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into 4-5 patties. Don't be afraid to add more bread crumbs. You could also use a combination of regular bread crumbs and spiced bread crumbs, adding a little at a time.
7. Grill over medium heat for 6-8 minutes each side.
8. Top with fresh cilantro and avocado (or guac).

A few alternatives to consider...

• Turn this into Vegan Black Bean Burgers by skipping the egg and using vegan bread crumbs or something like corn flake crumbs.
• If you don't have a grill, you can easily cook these burgers right on the stove top in a lightly greased skillet.
• And, if you're really rushed, you can experiment with simply dumping everything into the food processor all at once... but you might need to use more bread crumbs to get to the consistency you need to keep the patties together while cooking.

taken from http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/recipes/delicious-black-bean-burgers

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

salt and pepper to taste

For the Jalapeno Popper Layer

5 slices of bacon, diced

1/4 cup jalapeno slices, diced (the kind in the jar that you put on nachos)

1/4 cup diced onion

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Kraft grated Parmesan

For the Topping

1 bag of crushed Pork Skins

1/2 cup Kraft grated Parmesan Cheese

4 TBSP butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken breast in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake until juices run clear. 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the breast. While chicken is baking, fry bacon pieces until crispy. Remove bacon and add onions and saute until tender. Remove from heat and add crispy bacon, onions, jalapenos, cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combined. Remove chicken from oven and reduce to 350 degrees. Spread jalapeno popper mixture all over each Chicken breast until well covered.

For the topping, mix together the crushed pork skins, Parmesan cheese and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of jalapeno popper topped chicken. Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. ENJOY!!!

 

taken from http://www.auntbeesrecipes.com/2014/01/low-carb-jalapeno-popper-chicken.html?m=1

Oven Sweet & Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

 

taken from life-in-the-lofthouse.com

 

 

Pepperoni & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 oz. mozzarella cheese
• 1¼ oz. (approx. 16 slices) pepperoni
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
• to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the chicken breasts of any large clumps of fat that may be still attached. Slice each breast in half diagonally to create two diamond-like shaped pieces. Using a small, sharp knife, cut a pocket into the side of each breast piece. This can be slightly tricky on thinner pieces so be careful. Be sure not to cut all the way through the meat but rather just into one side so that the fillings will stay in. See photos below.
2. Stuff each piece of chicken with ½ oz. of cheese and about 4 slices of pepperoni. Lightly season each piece with salt and pepper. Set the stuffed chicken aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Begin to heat a large skillet with 6 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium/high heat. Collect three shallow dishes and put the flour in one, the egg in another and the bread crumbs in the third. Beat the egg until it is an even consistency (adding a ½ tsp of water helps break it up).
4. One by one, coat each piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg then the bread crumbs. Use your hands so that you can keep the open side of the pocket pinched closed and keep the fillings in. The flour helps the egg adhere and the egg keeps the bread crumbs in place. This is a basic bread coating.
5. Test the oil in the skillet to see if it is hot enough by dropping a small pinch of bread crumbs in. The bread crumbs should sizzle and dance A LOT. It is very important that the oil is hot enough or else the breading will soak up a lot of oil and you’ll end up with some really greasy chicken!. Place all four pieces of chicken in the skillet and cook until it is golden brown and crispy on each side. This should take no more than 2-3 minutes.
6. When you remove the chicken pieces from the skillet, transfer them to the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Finish baking the chicken (to cook the inside) for about 25 minutes (longer if you have larger pieces). Remove from the oven (check to make sure the chicken is cooked through) and serve immediately!

 

taken from http://www.budgetbytes.com/2009/12/pepperoni-stuffed-chicken/

Breakfast Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Fried Egg
Time to make: ~30 minutes
Yields: 1 sandwich

• 2 slices bacon
• 1 egg
• 2 slices any kind of bread
• butter
• cheddar cheese, sliced

Fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Wipe out the pan.
Fry the egg in the same pan as the bacon to desired doneness. It is best to leave the yolk a little runny, as it makes the sandwich that much more delicious.
Heat a flat griddle over medium-high. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Assemble the sandwich with the cheese, egg and bacon, buttered sides out. Place the sandwich on the hot griddle and cook until well browned. Flip carefully and cook the other side. Serve right away.
Notes: If you are making several sandwiches, you will have to lower the heat between sandwiches or they will start to burn before the cheese gets melty.

Taken from http://simplycooking.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/grilled-cheese-sandwich-with-bacon-and-fried-egg/

Baked Egg Boat

Baked Egg BoatsMakes 4

Ingredients:

4 demi sourdough baguettes

5 eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped and fried until crisp

3 ounces gruyere cheese, grated

2 green onions, thinly slicedsalt and pepper to tasteDirections:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut a deep “V” through the tops of each baguette until about a 1/2 inch to the bottom. Partially unstuff the baguettes. Set aside.
3. Place the eggs and cream into a mixing bowl and lightly beat together. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and lightly season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide and pour the mixture into each baguette boat and place onto a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and set in the center. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Taken from: http://www.spoonforkbacon.com/2012/01/baked-egg-boats/

Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh spinach, thick stems removed
• 2 eggs
• About 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Semolina flour for dusting

Directions:

Rinse the spinach well, drain briefly and place the damp spinach in a large fry pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the spinach wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve under cold running water. When cool, squeeze thoroughly dry.

Place the spinach in a food processor with 1 of the eggs. Process to a smooth puree, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Place the 3 cups all-purpose flour in a mound on a work surface. Make a well in the center large enough to hold the spinach mixture and the remaining egg, lightly beaten, and place the spinach mixture and egg into the well. Using a fork, begin gradually incorporating some of the flour from the sides, taking care not to break the flour wall. When the egg is no longer runny, you can stop worrying about the wall. Continue working in more flour until the dough is no longer wet.

Begin kneading the dough by hand, adding as much additional all-purpose flour as needed until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop up any remaining flour and pass it through a sieve to remove any large particles. Set the sieved flour aside.

Dust baking sheets with semolina flour. Divide the dough in half. Keep one half on the work surface, covered with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying. Set up your pasta machine alongside another work surface. Lightly flour the work surface with some of the reserved sieved flour. Using a rolling pin, flatten the other dough half into a rectangle thin enough to go through the rollers at the widest setting. Pass the dough through the rollers once, then lay the resulting ribbon down on the work surface and flour it lightly. Fold into thirds lengthwise to make a rectangle and flour both sides lightly. Flatten the dough with the rolling pin until it is thin enough to go through the rollers again. With one of the two open edges going first, pass the dough through the rollers nine more times at the widest setting; after each time, flour, fold and flatten the dough as described. After ten trips through the wide rollers, the dough should be completely smooth and supple.

Now you are ready to thin the dough. Starting at the second-to-widest setting, pass the dough through the rollers repeatedly, setting the rollers one notch narrower each time. When the pasta ribbon gets unwieldy, cut it in half and continue rolling one part at a time until the dough reaches the desired thinness.

Arrange the finished pasta sheets on the prepared baking sheets and cover with kitchen towels to prevent drying. Repeat the entire process with the second half of the dough. Cut the pasta by hand or machine as desired. Makes 1 1/2 lb.  dough.