Chicken and the Egg

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I’m all on board with eating healthier, and smarter, especially after my dad has undergone bypass surgery, and other various artery-related procedures and because both of my parents have Type II Diabetes. But I’m not on board with completely cutting out foods I love: cheese, chocolate, bread, etc…

It’s funny to read when people get mad at themselves for not having bought any snacks at the grocery store because they were trying to be “good.” If you buy one candy bar, and two days from now, a craving smacks you in the face, you could have had a piece. But instead, you’re angry and frustrated and start throwing your organic bananas against the wall and end up running out to The Sugar Shack to buy a gigantic milk shake. That could’ve been avoided had the person not completely denied themselves any luxuries.

Some people don’t do well with moderation, or modifications; I’ll admit, I’m better with the latter. That’s what brought about this burger concept: a healthier way to make a burger that wouldn’t taste like cardboard.

Ground chicken breast makes for a great base for a healthy burger. The only problem is: it’s drier than hell. The solution here was to try and find a way to put something in the burger (not fat) to keep it moist, and flavorful. I decided to use sautéed, finely minced mushrooms and onions. Let’s take a look, yeah?

Ingredients (makes 4 burgers)

• 1 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1/3 c finely minced mushrooms
• 1/4 c finely minced onion



I used a food processor to achieve the super-fine mince on these veggies

• 1 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 thawed box of frozen spinach
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 pinch of red pepper flake
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Begin by sautéing the minced onion and mushroom in a pan with a little oil. You’re only looking for the onion to turn translucent and the mushrooms to get a little color. It’ll look like mush, honestly, but it’s going to taste awesome in these burgers. When they’re done, set aside on a plate to COOL COMPLETELY before adding to the ground chicken.
2. While your veggies are cooling, prepare your spinach. On low, heat olive oil with minced garlic and red pepper flake, and add spinach. Cook until thoroughly hot. Set aside.
3. Add cumin, pinch of salt and pepper, and mushroom/onion mix to the ground chicken breast. Form into patties.
4. To cook patties, keep heat on medium, add a touch of oil to the grill/pan and cover them with a lid, (covering the patties will help them cook inside and out.) Allow about 3-4 mins per side (depending on how thick your patties are.) YOU WANT TO USE A THERMOMETER TO TEST IF THEY ARE DONE. Remember: Chicken breast is done at 165 degrees.
5. Fry up an egg (or poach.) You don’t need directions for that, right?
6. Assemble!

I even found some crusty, fresh whole wheat ciabatta rolls at my local grocery store. And while I’m not a burger purist at all (usually the more crap I can pile on, the better,) I stuck with plain ol’ ketchup for this one. But feel free to use pesto, mayo (small amount) or any other spread you love with your burger.

So while moderation is still a bit of a challenge, modifications should be fun, and interesting. Think of them as culinary puzzles; you like puzzles, right?

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2 Notes

1. Aimee says:

   June 19, 2011 at 7:40 am

   Oh wow! I for one LOVE burgers and hate denying myself of them so will definitely be trying out this recipe Thanks!

   Reply
2. norma says:

   October 12, 2011 at 5:10 am

   looks like a great recipe Thanks so much. Ill give it a try!

   Reply