Spicy Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey1/2 c red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 slices reduced fat Mozzarella or Provolone cheese

4 toasted whole wheat hamburger buns

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

Form into 4 patties

Cook until meat is no longer pink.

I set aside enough to make a small patty for Hana and added everything but the chipotle chile in adobo sauce to hers.

Put burger together & enjoy! Yum! Yum!

DC Chicken Salad

Ever had The Corner Bakery's DC Chicken Salad? If not, you're missing out.

It's delicious and I (think) I found the recipe! I searched for it and found it here:

DC Chicken Salad

It's not "official," but it sure does taste like the real thing!



Goes great in a whole wheat pita pocket with a side of fruit. 

Here's the recipe:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into cubes or 1 small whole roasted chicken, de-boned and shredded

1/3 small red onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/2 granny smith apple, chopped

1/4 cup dried currants

1 1/2 ounces slivered almonds

1/4 cup Miracle Whip  ( I used 1/2 low fat Helman's mayo, 1/2 fat free plain yogurt) 

Mix together and serve. Would also be good over lettuce. Hana prefers hers in the shape of person with currant eyes and a strawberry smile.

You're welcome!



Pesto Grilled Cheese

Due to allergies, my throat is just about swollen shut so I did not get to taste this "masterpiece" the family loved so much. It's rare that Joe goes on and on about something I cook and doesn't immediately critique it. I say that lovingly. Really, I do. He is a very good cook. Actually, for a long time I was scared to cook for him for fear of embarrassing myself. But I have embraced the love of cooking and (rarely) welcome his critiques. LOL It annoys me when he immediately says, "Next time you should try..." In my mind that's saying, "This is good, but this could make it better." Just be satisfied with what you have! LOL But that's just us. He is always looking for improvement and I'm content with what we have...well, most of the time. But that's why we work, I suppose! Anyhow, he went on and on and on and on and on and on and on about this sandwich, which was incredibly easy to make. He even said, "You must remember the exact portions of what you put on it because this was perfection. You must make this as soon as you can eat it!" Will do, honey bun. Will do. So, here are the exact portions to make this sandwich of perfection. =)
**********
To serve 4
8 slices of sourdough bread
8 slices of mozzarella cheese
pesto
4 slices of tomato (thinly sliced)
thinly sliced red onion
**********
Build each sandwich as follows:
bread
small amount of pesto spread on bread
mozzarella
red onion
1 tomato slice
mozzarella slice
bread
**********
Grill like a grilled cheese or (I prefer to) use a sandwich press.

Healthy(er) Croque Monsieur

If you've never been to La Madeleine, go. If you've been but you've never had they're Croque Monsieur, go and have it. It's out of this world! I have found a recipe that's easy to make at home and satisfies my hankering for the real thing, and it's low in fat and calories. You can't really beat that now can you?!
***************
(a variation of the recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook)
***************
1 loaf of French bread
low fat thin-sliced deli ham
honey mustard
5 reduced-fat Swiss cheese slices
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper
cooking spray
***************
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
***************
Cut the French loaf into 5 sections.
Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into eat section, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Spread honey mustard in each pocket and stuff with ham and a slice of cheese.
Whisk together milk and egg whites with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium/medium-high heat. (The cookbook says medium-high, but it was too hot for my stove top, I blackened my first side!)
One at a time (or two if you're crafty like me), dip each sandwich in the milk/egg mixture being careful to coat all solid bread sides and immediately place in skillet. ( I suppose you could coat the meat-filled side, but what about the raw egg mixture getting inside the sandwich pocket and creating a salmonella gooey mess?! That's how my brain works! LOL)
Cook each side until well toasted. I even flipped it over to toast the meat-filled side and get the cheese nice and melty.
Place finished sandwiches on a baking sheet in oven to keep warm while you prepare the remaining sandwiches.

I served this alongside a cup of (store-bought) tomato soup, which I don't usually care for but this one was very tasty. The brand was Pacific Natural Foods and it was Organic Creamy Tomato Sou; it's in a carton rather than a can. I'm weird about acidic things in cans. V8 is all I can handle and that's not very often! Anyhow, I topped the soup with some fresh-chopped oregano and basil and a pinch of reduced-fat mozzarella. It was delicious! Not quite La Madeleine, but I'm sure it was half the calories!

Two-Egg Sandwich

You know those mornings when you wake up hungry? Or those mornings when you wake up needing comfort food because you had a bad evening/night? This is the sandwich for those mornings.

butter cooking spray or butter
2 eggs
mayonnaise (optional, I use Hellman's light)
salt & pepper
slice of cheese (I use Kraft 2% milk American)
approx 1 tbsp shredded cheese (I use 2% milk Mozzarella)
2 slices of **Nana-fresh bread

Spray a small skillet with butter cooking spray (or grease with real butter) and heat (medium).
Beat 2 eggs in small bowl and add salt & pepper to your liking.
Pour eggs into skillet and let cook in one solid piece, turning only once to cook the other side.
I like to put mayo on on side of my bread. I know, I know, but if you like mayo, you'll love this!
Cut the egg so that it will fit perfectly on the bread and sprinkle shredded cheese on the biggest piece.

Place smaller egg pieces on top of the cheese and cover them with cheese slice. Place on one slice of bread (if you used mayo, place egg on mayo'd side - yes, it makes a difference!). Leave stove top on.

Put the other slice on top to create a sandwich and place the sandwich back into the skillet to brown top and bottom.

As Joe Joe the dog-faced boy would say: "Make sure your mama's not around because this sandwich is so good it'll 'make you want to slap your mama!'"

This sandwich goes really well with Cheetos, or better yet, Flamin' Hot Cheetos! (I know, what happened to the diet?!)

**Nana-fresh bread: Nana ALWAYS has the freshest bread! By Nana-fresh bread I mean bread so fresh that only Nana could have picked it off the shelf!

Courtney's Crumpet Sandwich

1 egg

1 diced mushroom

1 tbsp diced tomato

dash of Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 tbsp diced red onion

1 tbsp mozzarella cheese

dash of garlic salt

dash of cracked black pepper

2 crumpets

Saute mushroom, tomato and onion until soft. Beat egg, add sauteed mixture, Louisiana Hot Sauce, cheese, garlic salt and pepper. Cook in greased skillet until cooked through, turning once (kind of like a pancake). Toast crumpets and create sandwich. If you like, serve with hashbrowns (My Irish, potato-loving husband and I prefer Betty Crocker's Seasoned Skillets).