Health burgers

We clipped this from Bon Appetit’s RSVP section from a reader asking for a California restaurant’s recipe. Very 1980s, no?

We toasted the nuts but made the mistake of pureeing the whole mess, resulting in a homogeneous mixture. Next time, we’ll stir chopped nuts and onion into the puréed chickpea, curry and parsley mix. In other words, we’ll follow the goddamned recipe as written. Sheesh!

NUTBURGERS

8 servings
3 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and mashed (we used 2 19 oz) or pureed
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 cup chopped almonds (toasted)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 tsp curry power
1/2 tsp vegetable salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

oil for frying
sharp cheddar slices
8 pitas
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, finely diced
1/2 bunch green leaf lettuce, chopped (we used alfalfa sprouts)

Combine beans, onion, parsley, nuts, seeds, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add egg and mix well. Form into eight 3 x 3/4 inch patties.
Pour oil into heavy large skillet to depth of 1/4 inch. Place over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add patties and fry until lightly browned, about four minutes. Turn and fry the other side for four minutes, topping with cheese while the other side cooks.
Drain patties on paper towel.
Lightly spread inside of pitas with mustard. Place patty in each, add tomato, avocado and lettuce. Spoon dressing over filling.

Update: frying was a disaster so the second time we baked them at 350F on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Success! They stayed intact.

Creamy Herbal Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp Worchestershire
1/4 tsp vegetable salt
combine in a processor or blender until smooth.

We spooned into a squeeze bottle.

Monterey Chicken

There’s good reason Chili’s removed Monterey Chicken from its menu: with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy (and broccoli) it topped the scales at a whopping 3,000 calories. Yeesh.

We managed to recreate the delicious combination of smokey sweet grilled chicken with monterey jack cheese and bacon but showered it with juicy diced tomatoes and green onion. We served it with a side of roasted vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli and mixed peppers) so tasty on their own that they needed no embellishment. Pictured below: crispy smashed baby potatoes roasted with olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Monterey Chicken

6 chicken thighs

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (We used Stubbs)

6 slices monterey jack cheese (we used deli counter slices)

1/2 lb applewood smoked bacon, baked on an elevated rack for 20 minutes at 375F, and blotted after cooking

container of grape tomatoes, diced

3 green onions, chopped

parsley or cilantro (if you have)

Grill chicken on medium heat, basting with barbecue sauce.

When done, turn heat on low and top chicken with cheese slices to melt. Remove from grill onto a warmed platter and immediately top with bacon (slices or crumbled – we put the bacon underneath the cheese the first time and learned it’s better on top). Scatter tomatoes and green onion and greens on top.

Cooks Country mixes 1/2 cup Dijon, 1/4 cup honey, salt and pepper. They top with grilled red onion rings, bacon and pico de Gallo and a lime wedge.

Online version claiming to be from a helpful Chili’s employee:

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

5 dashes garlic powder or salt

5 dashes salt

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese

8 slices apple-smoked bacon

8 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Mix marinade add water. Marinate for up to eight hours. Grill chicken then top with barbecue sauce, cheese, cooked bacon

We also found this, which features a green chili cheese stuffing and a crispy parmesan/cumin breading:

And now for a marked departure down memory lane: Bonanza/ponderosa style Monterey Chicken

6 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

Marinade

2 tablespoons Wooster

1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon garlic powder

16 oz 475 ml bottle Catalina

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside ¼ of the marinade (and place in separate sealed container in fridge)

Cover raw chicken with remaining marinade in a sealed container and place in fridge to marinate overnight (8 hours)

Remove chicken from marinade and dispose of used marinade. *The chicken will have a pinkish/orange color from the marinade.

Grill (or cook in frying pan on stovetop over medium-high heat) marinated chicken until thoroughly cooked (about 15-20 minutes), brushing with the marinade you set aside, before removing from the grill.

From Silver Palate authors Julee Rosso and Shiela Lukins: “Officially this is a fricassee – that is, the chicken is first partially cooked in butter or oil and is then finished in a liquid, in this case a mixture of orange juice, tomatoes and chicken stock. There is a bit of garlic, a touch of rosemary and a colorful garnish of sautéed vegetables. The whole dish is bright and fresh, reminding us of holidays in the sun.” Who could resist that?

heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Pat a quartered chicken dry, season the pieces with salt and pepper, and cook gently in the oil for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, season again, then cook for another 5 minutes. Don’t brown the chicken or you will overcook it. Remove chicken from skillet. Add a cup of chopped onions, two peeled and chopped carrots and four minced garlic cloves to the pan and cook, covered, over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover the skillet and add 1 cup of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of orange juice (they’d like it to be fresh, please), 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary. Season it with salt and pepper and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan and simmer further, 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is nearly done. Baste the pieces with the sauce and turn them once at the 15-minute mark. While that is cooking, core and julienne a red pepper and slice half a large summer squash and half a large zucchini on the diagonal. In another skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the pepper for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and toss the vegetables in the oil until they are tender but still firm, another 5 minutes or so. Transfer the vegetables to the skillet with the chicken and simmer together for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and orange zest and serve immediately.