Spinach Turkey Burger 2.0 and Strawberry Peach Bellinis

Spinach Turkey Burgers served with salad and a grilled tortilla

So the other day I repeated my Fresh Spinach Turkey Burgers except I used shallots instead of red onion (I would have preferred red onion but I didn't have any, so shallots worked just as well, except there was a little less kick).  I made them for a friend and they came out just as well the second time.  Delicious with lightly toasted tortillas and a fresh salad on the side.  It was light on carbs and super healthy.

Strawberry peach bellinis

Afterwards I made delicious strawberry peach bellinis with fresh strawberries, peach juice and
prosecco.  They were wonderfully refreshing and very easy to make.  I froze the fresh strawberries the day before and put them in a blender with the peach juice and prosecco. After blending I served in a low glass (although a flute would have been more classy) and topped off the glass with a little more fizzy prosecco.  So good.  I want more!

Recipe: Fresh Turkey Spinach Burgers

I love turkey burgers, a lot more than I love regular hamburgers. I'm not much of a red meat eater I guess. But periodically when I buy turkey burgers pre-made they're too dry or under seasoned. It really does depend on the brand. And then I have an even bigger problem in Italy: turkey burgers aren't all that common here. They exist, but you don't see them often in super markets or in restaurants (you see regular hamburgers far more often, although, as you can imagine, they're also not an Italian specialty).
So a couple of weeks ago when I got a craving, I decided to make some turkey burgers for myself and they were perfect. They were juicy and packed with flavor. The also had the additional bonus of being made with fresh vegetables because I added some freshly chopped spinach and red onion to my ground turkey.

My turkey burger collage that I made for my 365 grateful album

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup to 1 cup of fresh spinach (I used about a cup because I love spinach)
1/2 small red onion
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs + extra handy if you see you're mixture is too wet
paprika to taste

Right before mixing

Chop your spinach into small squares or strips (it doesn't matter how evenly you chop the spinach) and
then dice your onions as well.  The thicker you cut your onion, the more crunch you will have in your burger. I didn't cut my onions super finely because I wanted a little more bite.
In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, spinach, onions and paprika with your hands.  Blend well because ideally, each bite will have a little onion and spinach in it.

The perfect sized patties sizzling away. Note: I put a little too much
oil in the pan... but they didn't stick...

When well blended, form into patties. I made mine on the larger (also thicker) side because they shrink slightly as they cook (although not as drastically as beef burgers do). I chose to saute the burgers with a little bit of olive oil in a pan. I am lazy and chose to use the method

that would afford me the least clean up. However, you can also use a grill pan indoors or if it's summer (which we are sooo close to right now) and you have access on an outdoor grill.

The perfect turkey burger!

If you're using a grill pan I recommend using a bit of pam spray so the burgers don't stick too badly, otherwise, cleanup can get quite heavy.  In the winter
(which thankfully has gone away) you can bake them in the oven at 350°F until they brown (I think this would take about 20 minutes to a half hour or so, but I haven't tested it yet, soooo keep an eye on them).

A beautiful plate of deliciousness

When one side has browned, flip and at this point you can also add a slice of cheese if you like and make it a cheese turkey burger.  Cook through and serve warm.
I didn't have buns so I served my burger with toasted bread, a large salad, a little mayo and a spicy sauce on the side.  I felt like eating my turkey burger deconstructed!
My recipe made 4 burgers for me. So I had leftovers for the next couple of meals.

Salad in a Jar

I really enjoy a good salad, especially at lunch. However, it can be a big pain trying to bring a salad from home.  If you put the dressing on in the morning, the spinach or lettuce leaves will wilt by the time you eat it. It’s terrible and disgusting when you  have wilted salad.

I’ve brought vinegar with me, but bottles get bulky and heavy in a bag.

Then I remembered seeing a brilliant idea somewhere online. I really wish I could remember where I had seen it because I would definitely thank the originator of salad in a jar. 

It’s a brilliant solution. All of your salad ingredients go into one tall glass jar and everything stays fresh. There is a trick to it of course. You can’t just throw the ingredients in all willy nilly.

Liquids have to go closest to the bottom. I started my first salad in a jar with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar reduction, salt pepper and oregano. Then I added a healthy layer of chickpeas and then quartered cherry tomatoes. On top of all that, I placed a couple of thin slices of pancetta and then I tore up fresh spinach. I almost entirely filled my jar to the top. I left just enough space for a hardboiled egg sliced and dosed with a little salt and pepper.  Then I sealed it and put it in the fridge for the next day.

At work all I had to do was shake and eat. I chose to pour the salad onto a plate since I had filled the jar to the utter brim.

It was delicious and the spinach still amazingly crisp. When I go back to work after break I'm definitely going to have to try all sorts of variations and see how they come out.  

Grilled Cheese Recipe: Balsamic Spinach and Strawberry, Sliced chicken, Walnut Grilled Cheese

Wow. The name and ingredient list is pretty long, but this grilled cheese was an amazing experimert that made my amazing roommates think I'm crazy.  The Italians would never put strawberries into a sandwich or a salad, let alone a grilled sandwich. Almost a week later, I'm still getting teased.  I don't really mind.  I know I'm not crazy. This combination was wonderful! So I made it twice.

This grilled cheese is absolutely beautiful with gorgeous colors.

I used a Walnut cheese that I randomly found in the supermarket.  It is a spreadable cheese with whole
chunks of walnut throughout. I decided to see how it is and I've decided it's really delicious. It is a mild tasting cheese, not overly pungent, with the lovely warm flavor of walnuts.  And the walnuts added a bonus crunch.
My grilled cheese also involved some strawberries for sweetness, some spinach dressed in a thick balsamic vinegar, and slices of chicken breast for protein. Again, AMAZING

Ingredients:
2 pieces of white bread (I would actually prefer whole grain, but I didn't find any at the store that day)
butter
Walnut cheese
2 or 3 strawberries sliced finely
Spinach
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 or 4 pieces of thinly sliced chicken or turkey breast

Spread your walnut cheese onto one side of each slice of bread.  If you can't find walnut cheese, I would use

Walnut cheese and Strawberry amazingness

a spreadable cheese like Laughing Cow or even Cream cheese because they are both mild in flavor. If you use one of these alternatives just add some fresh walnuts to your sandwich. Four or five broken into chunks should add just enough crunch and flavor to your sandwich.
Then on one slice of bread add a layer of strawberries.  You can add strawberries to both sides but I think it would make the grilled cheese a little difficult to eat because of the additional moisture.
In a separate bowl, mix your spinach, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  I use an Italian balsamic that is thick and creamy, but that can be hard to find in the states. You can use a regular vinegar (just don't overdo it or the sandwich will get soggy) or you can make your own balsamic reduction by cooking balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sugar in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.  The flavor of the balsamic will intensify and sweeten and really add a nice kick to your sandwich (if you want to go to the extra effort). Place to the side.
Put a couple of pats of butter into a pan and heat over a low flame.  When the butter has heated and begins to sizzle, place your bread dry side down into the pan.  Shake your pan every now and then so it doesn't burn. The bread should grill for a couple of minutes or until it becomes golden and crisp. It will not take very long, so do not leave it unattended! You definitely don't want the bread to burn.
Remove from the heat.
At this point, you can close your sandwich and enjoy your strawberry walnut grilled cheese or you can go all out like I did.
I added a handful of the balsamic spinach, which is a nice complement to the strawberries.

Spinach and Strawberries: This was a different day, but the colors were
too pretty not to post. I should have added even more strawberries.

Then I added the slices of chicken breast and closed my beautiful crispy grilled cheese.  The cheese was warm and melted quite nicely while the spinach added a beautiful crunch and the chicken was mild enough in
flavor that it melded nicely with everything else.  The bread got to the perfect golden color, so it was crisp and butter on the outside as a wonderful contrast to the creamy cheese and juicy strawberries.
The sandwich can get a little messy so be careful!  The walnut spread does not get sticky like some other cheeses so it won't hold the strawberries perfectly.  You may wind up with some runaways!

How to Make the Best Ham and Cheese Sandwich

I used to work at Subway many, many years ago so I know my sandwiches.  It's a lot of fun trying to get the perfect blend of ingredients to take a plain ham and cheese sandwich into a true winner.  So last week I made myself this amazing combination.  It really hit the spot and I took pictures of each step too!

What you need:
1 Italian Bread Roll (you can use multi grain or wheat, but go for a thick cut of bread)
spicy mustard
mayonnaise
cranberries
fresh spinach (go for organic or locally grown because there's more flavor)
several slices of ham
thinly sliced gouda cheese
thinly sliced plum tomatoes (2 or 3)
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Cut your roll on a slight angle and open it up.  On one side spread a generous helping of spicy mustard. On the other side a light layer of mayo. You can skip the condiments if you really want to, but I think that they really bring the sandwich together. They add some additional moisture and flavor.
 Toss some cranberries onto the mayo side.  I didn't put many because I was saving my cranberries. They're hard to find in Italy so I didn't want to waste them (which is silly because I'll eat them all anyway).  What would be even more ideal would be a cranberry sauce or relish to thinly spread over the mayo.

2.  Next, layer your thinly sliced tomatoes onto your mustard.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste.  On the other side, put a very generous heaping of fresh lettuce. Seriously, put as much on as you can fit.  The spinach adds a wonderful freshness and kick to the sandwich.

3.  Next layer your ham onto the tomatoes.  I used 3 slices of ham.  They were not thinly sliced, otherwise I probably would've doubled the amount.  This cut of ham was from the shoulder so it was quite thick and a little more fatty.

4.  Then layer the sliced gouda onto the ham.  My slices weren't super thin because I cut them myself from a wedge of cheese.  That being said, I kind of liked the texture supplied by the thickness of the cut.  It gave a little more bite to the sandwich and really showed off the flavor and softness of the gouda.  Add some more cranberries on top of the cheese and then very carefully close your sandwich.  I always use the knife to make sure my ingredients stay where they belong.


And that's that.
The sandwich is really quite simple to make and utterly delicious in its combination of flavors and different textures.  Enjoy and take a big bite!!

 

Recipe: Lemon Chicken

I have been craving lemon, something lemony for the last couple of days.  I’m not sure why, but lemon has seemed very appealing to me. When I went to the grocery store a couple of days ago, I bought chicken and a lemon with the intention of making myself some lemon chicken. I didn’t have time right that moment so I froze the chicken legs in packets of 2. Finally, on Monday I got a chance to experiment and make some lemon chicken—my style.

My Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken legs FROZEN

¼ cup flour + extra for sauce

Basil

Red pepper flakes

1 lemon

¼ - ½ cup lemon juice (ideally I would’ve used another lemon, but I only had one)

¼ onion diced finely (almost minced)

1 garlic clove crushed and diced finely

Olive Oil

Water

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Mix a ¼ cup flour with a pinch of basil and red pepper flakes. Take your frozen chicken and rinse in warm water to defrost slightly (let it sit in hot water for about 5 minutes if the chicken is frozen together).  Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub over skin, then lightly dredge with the flour mixture.

Heat a tablespoon or so of oive oil in a medium saucepan over a low flame. When the oil is nice and hot, add in your chicken. Watch your fingers when you do this, if the oil is hot enough it may start to sizzle.  Since the chicken is frozen keep the flame low and allow the chicken to brown on each side.  Add olive oil if the pan gets too hot or if the chicken starts to stick. Don’t let it burn. 

The chicken will NOT cook all the way through so don’t worry. 

When each side has begun to get nice and golden, remove from the heat.

Place the chicken into a heat proof baking dish (Note: do not throw away the oil, you’ll need it for the sauce) and put it into the oven.  Keen an eye on the chicken and turn in about 15 minutes.  It should take about a half hour or more to cook through since it was frozen through. 

Place the previous pan (with the same oil) over a low heat and once it is hot again, add in the onion and garlic. Cook slowly and squeeze the fresh lemon into the pan carefully. Before cutting the lemon in half, roll it on the table, the juice will squeeze out more readily. Pour in a ¼ cup of water at a time as the mixture cooks down. Stir continuously so the onion and garlic do not burn.  Taste and add additional lemon juice if the lemon taste is not strong enough.  Continue to stir and cook down. 

Add dried basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in a pinch of flour at a time mixing constantly until the sauce has thickened sufficiently.

After 25 minutes (after the chicken has already been turned once), cut into the thickest piece to see if it has cooked all the way through. You can also use a meat thermometer to see if the chicken has come to the correct temperature inside. I cut into the chicken, the juices were still running a little pink so I turned the chicken again and let it back for another 5 to 10 minutes.

The Perfect Plate

This gave me enough time to play with my lemon sauce. I added a little more water and flour since the lemon flavor strengthens as the sauce cooks down.  I didn’t want it to be TOO lemony.

When the chicken is cooked through, serve it hot with a generous helping of the lemon sauce on top.

We had our chicken with a lovely light salad made with lettuce, tomato, onions and chick peas lightly doused

with a creamy balsamic vinegar reduction. Since the sauce was so tasty we used some wheat bread to sop it up. The meal would have been utter perfection with potatoes but sadly I didn't have any at home so next time, I'll have to make some delicious, creamy mashed potatoes to serve as a side.

My light and perfect lemon chicken sandwich

The next day with my left over chicken, I decided to make a sandwich. I went to the market and bought some beautiful, fresh bread and lots of crisp, fresh spinach. It made and absolutely stunning sandwich.  In fact, I want another one, right now.    

Recipe: Creamy Spinach and Kielbasa pasta

I love wheat pasta, but it can be hard to get people to eat because healthy can be scary. Which is why I like to make delicious sauces that are mostly healthy but have lots of flavor.

Ingredients: 
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup lite or heavy cream
Olive oil
1 kielbasa sliced into 1/2 in pieces
1 lb whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch of paprika
1-2 tbs flour

Begin boiling water in a large pot. Add salt so it comes to a boil faster. Prepare your wheat pasta
according to the box.

In a pan, brown the kielbasa in a small amount of olive oil. Remove from the heat and save for later. Add the spinach to the heat and cook down on a low heat. Season with salt and pepper. When the spinach is almost entirely wilted add in the heavy cream. Let simmer (do not let it come to a boil) and add in paprika.  Stir in the flour slowly, it will act as a thickening agent.  Toss in the kielbasa and cover.
When the sauce thickens to your desired consistency, remove from the heat and toss in the pasta until coated evenly.
Serve while still hot. Sprinkle with parmigian cheese.

A delicious and easy Wheat Pasta

Recipe: Ravioli with a Spicy Spinach Butter Sauce

For the moment I am not going to tell you how to make fresh ravioli.  I've done it before, and it's gone pretty well, but for the last few days I've been pretty sick.. and therefore lazy.  When I don't feel well, I definitely don't cook with a lot of effort.  But very, very soon, I'm going to make fresh ravioli.

As it stands, I had frozen Spinach, Mushroom and Ricotta Ravioli waiting to be used.  All they needed was a sauce of some kind and some of my favorite ravioli are served with butter sauce.  I came up with a fresh and spicy Spinach Butter Sauce to compliment the spinach in the ravioli.

Spicy Spinach Butter Sauce (for 6 ravioli or my single serving)
1 cup fresh spinach
1 tbs butter
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tbs of the salted boiling water (after the ravioli has been cooked)

If you're making ravioli, like I did, start making your sauce as soon as the ravioli hit the water. This sauce is super easy and should take about 5 minutes or less to cook.

Roughly chop your fresh spinach and then in a small saucepan over medium heat sauteè your spinach in the butter with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  When the butter is completely melted and the spinach has just begun to wilt add your cayenne and salted water. Cook down for another minute or so (but don't overcook the spinach) and then while still on the heat, toss in your ravioli or pasta.

The beautiful finished product.

Coat well and then serve while still hot.

Recipe: Spinach Pie

Growing up, spinach pie was absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. Yes, I admit it. I was a weird child. But what can I say? I just wanted to be like Popeye.
This recipe is a variation of the spinach pie my grandmother made. It's semi homemade (basically because I'm too lazy to make my own crust everytime I want to eat it).  I love how simple it is to make! Just be careful not to eat all of it at once!  Goodness know I have to be careful not to.

My Spinach Pie

1 premade pie crust
1000 grams frozen spinach
250 grams of ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Red Pepper flakes

Preheat the over to 350°.
In a large saucepan defrost the spinach over a very low heat with a little bit of salt.  Heat covered until most of the excess liquid has cooked off.  If necessary use a strainer to remove any other water.  Put aside to cool.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until well-blended.  When the spinach has cooled, add to the ricotta and stir well.
Place the pie crust into a pie pan and use a fork to make a few holes so the crust does not bubble.  Fill with the spinach mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust has lightly browned.
This can be served warm or cold.


There are several other variations I make of spinach pie.  Sometimes I'll add a layer of thinly sliced pancetta to the crust before pouring in the spinach mixture.  On other occassions I have added a layer of mashed potatoes and spinach.  When making a simple pie sometimes I will add in a spoonful of honey and a dash of nutmeg for a slightly different feel.
Grandma's spinach pie used no ricotta, but instead utilized more eggs.

The possibilities are endless, so play around until you find your favorite version!

-Raspberry Truffle