Crispy Sweet Potato Burgers

There came a time in my college career when I realized that buying meat for my meals every week was getting pretty expensive, and I also noticed that I wasn't feeling good physically from eating so much animal protein. I am not knocking meat eating by any means because I love a good burger just as much as the next person, but I know that personally I feel much healthier and happier when I eat more vegetables and vegetarian options. Plus, most vegetarian meals are much more inexpensive and can be stretched further, such as these scrumptious sweet potato burgers. 

I am crazy about these burgers, despite the fact that they are obviously meat-free. They are deliciously crispy on the outside, and creamy and savory-sweet on the inside. I did not have any burger buns or toppings that typically go on a burger, but I did have a ripe avocado that I sliced and drizzled with olive oil and lime juice, and then sprinkled with sea salt and chili powder, for a simple avocado salad. The combination of avocado with these burgers is rich, but they compliment each other so well. I will be making these all the time now because all I have to do is buy a sweet potato and a can of beans, and the rest of the ingredients are already in my pantry and fridge. 

Try a vegetarian meal a few times a week and see how you feel. It's definitely a nice change. Happy eating!

Crispy Sweet Potato Burgers

1 large sweet potato

1 can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 

2 teaspoons honey

1 egg

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Panko breadcrumbs

Olive oil, for frying

Wash and pat dry the sweet potato, then poke the skin several times with a fork so that steam can escape when cooking. Microwave the potato for 5 to 6 minutes on high, or until tender. Meanwhile, mash the cannelini beans in a bowl with the back of a spoon until fairly smooth. Scrape all of the sweet potato out of the skin and mix it with the mashed beans. Combine the potato-bean mixture with 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, honey, egg, and whole wheat flour. Don't worry if the mixture is wet, it will still form patties just fine. 

Pour about 2 cups of the Panko breadcrumbs onto a plate and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. With wet hands, form the sweet potato mixture into patties and coat with a thick layer of Panko, being careful not to break up the patties (they are very soft). Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat. Place 3 to 4 patties in the oil and fry on both sides until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all of the patties are fried, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve the burgers alone with a salad or some fresh avocado, or on a bun with the usual burger fixin's. 

Avocado Chicken Salad

I truly don't have much more to say about this recipe other than that it is the best dang chicken salad I have ever eaten. Avocados + lime + cilantro + green onion + chicken + salt = heaven. 

I found the recipe some time ago on Pinterest, and it seemed so simple and inexpensive that I had to try it. I don't know what it is about the flavors, but they are kind of perfect together, and I have a really hard time cutting myself off and saving the rest for later. I have made this twice in one week, and I can tell that this is going to be a recipe staple for me. This recipe is not spicy at all, but it would be really great with some chopped jalapeño or a bit of cayenne pepper for a kick. 

Serve the chicken salad with tons of tortilla chips and you are set. Happy eating!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Makes about 4-6 servings

2 (10-ounce) cans chicken breast meat (such as Bumblebee brand), drained

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lime

Heavy pinch coarse salt

Diced avocado, for serving

In a bowl, combine the drained chicken breast meat with the mayonnaise, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Right before serving, mix in as much diced avocado as you like. I use about 1/4 avocado per serving. If you don't plan on eating all of the chicken salad at once, store the rest of the avocado in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (otherwise it will turn brown). Serve with tons of tortilla chips and dig in. 

Turkey Chili: Round 2

It's definitely that time of year again. Time for crisp mornings, huge sweaters, crunchy leaves, mugs of tea, pumpkin-flavored everything, and bowls upon bowls of bold soups and stews that fill you up and keep your warm. I can't stand it when some people think that fall and winter replaces the gorgeous fresh foods of spring and summer with dull, bland, and heavy meals that leave you craving exciting flavors. Obviously, you have to make due with what's in season, but I think fall and winter bring some of the best foods on the planet, such as pomegranates, pumpkins, and citrus fruits. And as the case may be when cooking huge pots of soup or stew on chilly days, raiding the spice rack can make any meals more flavorful and a lot less boring. 

In order to ward off the cold-weather woes, I fix a big batch of turkey chili pretty often, almost always tweaking the recipe with a different kind of bean or a little more spiciness from hot green chiles or cayenne pepper. I think that making homemade chili is an art, where the cook can inject their favorite flavors into the recipe and still come up with something new every time. I have never made a batch of chili that tastes exactly like the last one. It's a nice balance of familiarity and new flavors. 

Some of the variations I have made on this chili include adding a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the spice mix, throwing in a teaspoon of lime zest, using black beans or red kidney beans instead of cannelini beans, and using chicken broth instead of water to reach a thinner consistency. I love the richness that the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes give, and the cinnamon is always a must in all of my chili recipes - it just works. 

So embrace the autumnal season by curling up with a bowl of this chili and a good book (or a few episodes of New Girl on Hulu), and be at peace. Happy eating! 

Turkey Chili 

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
1 (24 oz.) can crushed tomatoes 
2 cans white cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 cup water, depending on how thick the mixture is

In a soup pot or dutch oven, cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and salt in 1 tablespoon olive oil until the the onions are translucent. Move mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add a bit more oil and the ground turkey, cooking the turkey until no longer pink. Return the veggies to the pot, add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes (the mixture will be very thick). Fold in the white cannelini beans. Thin the chili out with a few tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture is thick, but has a more liquidy consistency. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with more salt if needed, and serve hot with lots of crusty bread for dipping.  

Oven Fried Zucchini

I have always been under the impression that you can fry just about any food and instantly make it a million times more delicious than it was before. I say just about any food because, honestly, some folks have started frying things like entire sticks of butter, and I truly don't know if that is a stroke of genius or the worst idea ever (perhaps both...). However, I will gladly put down money for anything from fried cheesecake to macaroni and cheese, Milky Way bars to fish and chips, even fried vegetables, including what I think is one of the best foods in the world, fried zucchini. Give me a plate full of fried zucchini served with a giant wedge of lemon, and I am utterly happy and content. 

Indeed, the only thing keeping me from eating a "Supersize Me"-style diet of fried foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day is the fact that fried food just ain't too healthy. Enter my new best cooking friend - PAM spray. I'm not saying that PAM replaces the taste of a shallow or deep frying method, but it came pretty close when I made a baked version of fried zucchini. It was especially nice to not have to use a whole bunch of oil for frying or stand over the stove waiting for the zucchini to get golden brown. Just dredge the zucchini in flour, egg, and crispy Panko breadcrumbs like usual, then spray the pan and the tops with regular PAM spray and bake until crispy and delicious. I dipped mine in tomato sauce, but the zucchini would be amazing dipped in a mixture of mayonnaise, crushed garlic, and lemon juice. Eat this healthier version now, and show the deep-fried version some love on special occasions. 

I guess you really can have your zucchini and eat it too. 

Oven Fried Zucchini
Serves 1 very hungry person, but can easily be doubled or tripled for sharing

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
salt & pepper, to taste
PAM cooking spray
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
1 giant wedge lemon, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After slicing the zucchini, place the beaten egg, flour, and Panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls and season each with salt and pepper. Coat each slice of zucchini lightly with flour, then egg, and then Panko breadcrumbs, making sure each coating sticks well. Spray a baking sheet well with the PAM cooking spray, then lay out the breadcrumb coated zucchini in an even layer. Evenly spray the tops of the zucchini with more cooking spray. Bake for about 25 minutes, flipping the zucchini halfway through to ensure even browning. When the zucchini is crispy and brown, remove from oven and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and the juice from the lemon wedge. Serve piping hot with tomato sauce or a mixture of mayonnaise, crushed garlic, and lemon juice for dipping. 

Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookie

So there is a recent internet craze going on in which everyone has become obsessed with microwave desserts. Essentially, they are the single-serve, minimal-ingredient, 5-minute answer to the age old problem of wanting a warm, homemade dessert without having to put in the elbow grease to make it. It may seem like baking blasphemy to stick any kind of batter in a microwave and call it by its original name, but roll with me here. I have tested a few of these recipes, and only two have come up to par with my needs and expectations for what a microwavable dessert should be. I want whatever I am making to be thoroughly cooked without being spongey or dried out, have a flavor that is extremely similar to if not the same as a regular full-recipe dessert, and I want it to be easy enough to make that I will make it again and again. 

A recipe that genuinely meets these expectations is the microwave chocolate chip cookie. I have tried several recipes for various cakes and cookies and such, which have all had an unpleasant, sponge-like texture (sometimes to the point of hockey puck consistency) and a strange aftertaste. The chocolate chip cookie recipe, however, has the perfect ratio of doneness to gooeyness, has great flavor, and is super quick and easy to make. 

My body also thanks me because I make just one, eat it, and go on with my life, as opposed to making a huge batch cookies and somehow eating them all by myself. Incidentally, making a microwave version means you don't have to share with anyone, and sometimes you just need to have your own dessert. 

If you simply can't fathom the idea of not making a big batch of cookies, I completely understand! There is a method behind baking and a calmness that it brings, but sometimes you just need a cookie... right now... like, right now. In that case, use this recipe as an emergency sugar fix. You won't be sorry. Happy eating!

Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk (no whites!)
1/4 cup flour 
pinch of salt
handful of chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a mug in the microwave. To the mug, add the brown sugar, vanilla, and the egg yolk and stir very well to combine. Add the flour, salt, and chocolate chips and stir to combine (the batter will stick to the sides of the mug, so make sure to scrape it down). Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let stand 1 minute before eating. 

Turkey Bacon & Goat Cheese Frittata

I have recently gotten into the habit of not scrambling my eggs. Instead, I have begun making frittatas, which means I cook the bottom of the eggs until set in the pan, top them with whatever yummy stuff I have on-hand, and stick the whole thing under the broiler until puffy and golden. Perhaps it is a sign that I am getting more and more lazy by the day and can't even be bothered to stir my eggs in a hot pan, but I prefer to think that I've made my egg-making routine even easier. I have got nothing against scrambled eggs, and I definitely love a good over-easy egg, but when I started making frittatas a few weeks ago I realized that I may have a new favorite egg-cooking method. 

Basically, as any egg recipe will tell you, eggs will go with just about any flavor. This frittata has crispy turkey bacon and goat cheese in it. I also really like the combination of cooked chorizo, cheddar cheese, and green onion if I want something spicy. Basil pesto, grape tomatoes, and parmesan cheese are also awesome in place of the other ingredients! 

I could easily call this frittata a whatever-you've-got-in-the-fridge frittata. Add whatever flavors you like. 

One thing I quickly realized is that you have to have all of your ingredients lined up and ready to go and the broiler already preheated when you start cooking the eggs. So as you're crisping the bacon in the pan, have your whisked eggs and crumbled goat cheese on hand. The point is that this recipe is quick and simple, so making it more streamlined means you get to eat sooner! This recipe serves one person, but it can be doubled as long as the pan allows the eggs to puff up without boiling over the edges. 

Finally, don't be afraid to serve your frittatas for lunch or dinner! I have made this for dinner on many occasions because it is so quick and filling. Happy eating! 

Turkey Bacon & Goat Cheese Frittata

serves 1 hungry person

*make sure your frying pan does NOT have a plastic handle, as it could melt in the oven :( 

2 strips turkey bacon, chopped 

1 teaspoon butter

2 eggs, whisked & seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Preheat the broiler. In a small frying pan (I use a small cast-iron skillet), cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Add the butter and stir the bacon until the butter coats the pan. Pour the whisked eggs into the skillet, making sure the bacon is evenly distributed, and top with the crumbled goat cheese. Place the pan at least 5 inches away from the broiler and cook the eggs are puffy and golden and no longer jiggly in the middle. Remove the pan from the oven, and with the help of a spatula, slide the frittata onto a plate. Serve immediately. 

Baked Cajun Shrimp & Rice

Stress is starting to build up in my life as the semester progresses, and it is so nice to be able to throw a dinner together that is fast and easy. Especially when I have homework to finish, I don't necessarily want to be standing over the stove stirring a pot all night. Here is where one of the easiest meals I have ever made comes into the picture, this spicy, creamy, comforting baked shrimp and rice. There is hardly any measuring, you only dirty up a few dishes, and your kitchen will smell amazing. 

I adore shrimp, so I could try and rationalize eating this every week for the rest of forever, but shrimp can be kind of expensive. But the other ingredients more than make up for that because they are so cheap! Condensed soup, white rice, onion, green pepper, butter (lots of butter!) and Creole seasoning all add tons of flavor without breaking my wallet. I also have to mention that this recipe makes a TON of food and keeps in the fridge really well! 

I have seen similar recipes made with condensed French onion soup instead of cream of celery, but the celery flavor makes it taste more Cajun to me. Red bell pepper can also be swapped for the green bell pepper, but again, green is cheaper and just as tasty. I also put a crazy amount of Creole seasoning in the rice, but some don't like it hot, so feel free to use as much or as little seasoning as desired. I will be making this dish over and over this semester to feed my hungry belly and give me peace of mind in the midst of a hectic (but fun!) Senior year. Happy eating! 

Baked Cajun Shrimp & Rice
*make sure to use raw shrimp and rice, they will cook in the oven 

1 1/2 pounds RAW shrimp, shells/tails removed & deveined (the seafood counter @ the grocery store usually deveins them for you)
2 cups RAW white rice
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup (I used Campbell's Healthy Choice version)
1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles 
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
4 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the peeled shrimp, rice, chicken soup, celery soup, Rotel, green bell pepper, onion, and 1 teaspoon of the Creole seasoning together in a large bowl. Put the butter in a 13- x 9-inch pan and melt the butter in the oven. Remove pan from oven and swirl the butter around to coat. Pour in the shrimp mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning. 

Cover the pan tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven, stir the rice, recover tightly with the tinfoil, and bake about 40 minutes more. The rice should be fluffy and have absorbed the liquid in the pan. Serve immediately.   

Caramelized Onions & BBQ Chicken Pizza

I am convinced that caramelized onions are one of the greatest foods ever invented, and I also love how science makes food awesome. In this case, the Maillard reaction, or the process in which heat breaks down the sugars in foods and causes browning, is what makes the onions taste so amazing (the reaction also applies to baked bread, dulce de leche, french fries...). I would be perfectly happy making a meal out of a bowl full of caramelized onions, but I came up with an even better plan the other night. Chicken + caramelized onions + barbecue sauce on a pizza. My roommates and I barely spoke to each other we were shoveling the pizza into our faces so fast. 

Basically, caramelized onions are fool-proof. You slice up a bunch of onions, put them in a pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat, and you cook them for a long, long time. That is where patience becomes a virtue. This stuff doesn't instantly become golden, fragrant, and sweet in half an hour. No, it takes more like two hours to get the full effect. But the end product is delicious. 

Don't believe me? Check these out:

Now, before you run off to the store to buy a pound of onions, let me explain what you can do with these when they're done cooking. You can make french onion soup (the real stuff, not the dried packety stuff), mix them into mashed potatoes, put them on pizza (as I did here), toss them with sauteed green beans or asparagus, devour them by themselves while catching up on Netflix... you get the idea. Go crazy. The pizza was a homemade whole-wheat pizza crust that my roommates threw together, topped with a good amount of barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, chopped rotisserie chicken, the caramelized onions, and a bit of goat cheese. You can vary the toppings however you like, but BBQ chicken pizza was pretty scrumptious. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some episodes of Downtown Abbey and a bowl full of on... I mean a well-balanced meal to attend to. Happy eating! 

Caramelized Onions 
makes about 2 cups of cooked onions

2 large white onions
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 teaspoon kosher salt
lots of black pepper

Cut the ends off of each onion, then cut each onion down the middle (cut end to cut end). Peel the papery layer off of the onion halves and discard. Slice the onion halves into 1/4-inch slices and place in a large skillet with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat and begin cooking the onions, stirring about every 10 minutes, until the onions are very soft and a deep brown all over, about 2 hours. They should NOT be burnt or charred, but instead have an even brown coating all over. If they do start to get too dark, cut the heat back and continue stirring or add a bit more oil to the pan. 

I used the entire 2 cups on my pizza, but it all depends on personal preference. Add as much or as little as you like. Yum!