Chicken Burgers and Black Bean-Corn Salsa

As promised, this is the second part to last night's two part post!

I decided to divide these posts up into two postings because of the sheer length that the post would have been had they been combined. Plus, it makes it easier to find later if they're named according to which recipe is in the post!

This recipe is a pretty easy, straight forward, recipe and is very summery and light. Oh yeah, and it's YUMMY!!

Without further ado...

Chicken Burgers with Black Bean-Corn Salsa
By: Vance and Angela Bailey

Photo Credit: Me

Black Bean-Corn Salsa
Ingredients:

• 1 Can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can of Corn (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2-1 Tomato
• 1 Chalet
• 2-3 Gloves of Garlic
• 2 Tbls Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Photo Credit: Me

1. Drain and rinse both the black beans and the corn. 
2. Add the beans and corn in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Peel chalet and chop finely. Add to bowl.
4. Peel garlic and chop finely. Add to bowl.
5. Wash tomato and slice finely. Add to bowl.
6. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly. (Set aside.)

Photo Credit: Me

Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Chicken
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 2-3 Shakes Each of Salt and Pepper
• Slight Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• Monterey Jack Cheese (Sliced)
• Olive, canola, or vegetable oil (your preference)

Instructions:

Photo Credit: Me

1. Open package and put meat into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add paprika.
3. Add salt and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly with hands.
5. Form 4 medium sized burgers with hands.
6. In a frying pan, lightly cover the face of the pan with oil. (Using medium heat, allow oil to heat thoroughly before adding meat, to prevent sticking.)
7. Add burgers to oil, browning both sides.
8. After cooking, place burgers on a plate covered with 2-3 paper towels or napkins to absorb the grease.
9. Lightly sprinkle cayenne pepper on top of the burgers.
10. Lay sliced cheese on top of the cayenne.
11. On a greased cookie sheet, place all of the burgers and heat in the oven at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. 
12. Serve burgers on toast or on buns with a generous serving of black bean-corn salsa on top.
13. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Me

The hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal! It was quick, easy, and pretty darn healthy! We ate a side of mac and cheese, but had we planned ahead a little better, we would have served it with peas, homemade chips, and/or a salad. The strawberry lemonade from the post previous to this one, went VERY well with it! We will certainly have this one again soon!

Happy cooking!

Photo Credit: Me

When Life Hands You Lemons...

(This post is part 1 of 2 postings! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the other half of this post!)

Today was a bright, sunny, WARM day here in good ole NC! The high was around 89 and the sun felt HEAVENLY! Today, also, was a lemonade day! All day I craved it. I read blog entries from others about lemons. Then I remembered...WE HAVE LEMONS! So...I made lemonade. :-)

Yesterday, the hubs and I discussed tonight's dinner. We decided on chicken burgers with black bean-corn salsa. We have never made this before. We have never eaten this before. We really have never heard of it before. This recipe is a compilation between some online recipes and our own brain child. See tomorrow's posting for this recipe!

 Please comment below if you're planning on trying either recipe and especially if you do try it! I KNOW lots of you read my blog, so show some lovin'!!! (And remember that if you post this recipe elsewhere, to link back to this blog!)

(Really. I am an attention whore, like my pug. We just NEED attention!!!)
Photo Credit: Me

Ahem. Anyway...for your drinking pleasure, I give you...

Homemade/Freshly Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade

Photo Credit: Me

By: Angela Bailey
Makes 1/2-3/4 Gallon

Ingredients:

• 8 Lemons
• 1- 1 1/2 c Sliced Strawberries
• 1 c Sugar

Instructions:

1. Slice strawberries. (I suggest doing this the day before and let them sit in their own juices in a ziplock bag in the fridge, but if you have to do it at the time of creation, no big deal!) Add them to the pitcher you plan on using.
2. Cut 1 lemon into thin slices. Add slices on top of sliced strawberries in the pitcher.
3. Roll the remaining lemons between your hand and counter several times each, to loosen the pulp and juices of the lemon. 
4. Cut each lemon in half.
5. Using a juicer, juice each lemon. (If you do not have a juicer, just squeeze each lemon into a bowl making sure to loosen as much pulp as possible.)
6. Add the juice and pulp to the pitcher. (Before pouring the lemon juice and pulp into the pitcher, be sure to remove the seeds!)
7. Add sugar on top of the ingredients already in the pitcher. (I usually clean up before doing this step so the strawberry and lemon juices have time to mix a bit.)
8. Using a large wooden or plastic spoon, mix the ingredients in the pitcher.
9. While continuing to mix, put pitcher under running water and fill to about 3/4 of the way full. 
10. Stop water flow and stir thoroughly. 
11. Remove spoon and fill the pitcher the remainder of the way.



Photo Credit: Me

12. Add ice cubes and place in the fridge until time to serve. (I also freeze glasses in the freezer for a more chilled beverage!)

Tune in tomorrow for the second part of this post...chicken burgers with black bean-corn salsa! YUM! :-)


Cheers!
~A

Photo Credit: Me

My Impromptu Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Today the sun was shining. It was in the 60's here in Winston-Salem, NC. The dogs stayed outside for a little over two hours. It was just SO NICE outside. So naturally, what did I want to make for dinner? Homemade chicken noodle soup. Yep. That's how I roll.

I don't understand why I had a hankering for chicken noodle soup, but the hubs and I bought the ingredients for it BEFORE the weather turned beautiful. Wednesday evenings, we're lucky if we don't get take out. I am EXHAUSTED on Wednesdays. I am a nanny for an 8 month little boy named Max and a 13 month little boy named Sully. I watch them 8-5 Wednesday/Thursday and 12-5 on Fridays. I also watch them 10-12:30 most Tuesdays. Since Wednesday is my first full work day, I am ready for bed by 8:30pm and dinner? Forget it. BUT ANYWAY! I decided to dig out my ingredients and experiment a bit with this soup, so it isn't a science. It's an art. (P.S. I like squishy veggies in my soup. If you do not, you want to shorten the cooking length of this soup by about half.)




Chicken Noodle Soup Off The Cuff

Ingredients:
3-4 Medium Carrots
2-3 Celery Stalks
16 oz Chicken Stock (I used Great Value brand.)(I didn't measure, so you may want more or less. I just made sure my veggies were covered.)
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (feel free to boil a whole chicken and use the stock)
1 Tbsp. Stick Butter
Minced Garlic
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
Salt
Pepper
Water
Large Bag of Egg Noodles

Preparation:
1. Wash all vegetables with warm water.
2. Peel carrots and cut off any undesirable areas.
3. Slice carrots and celery. (Bite size pieces.)
4. Cube chicken into bite size pieces.

Directions:
1. In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat.
2. Add celery and carrot pieces. Let simmer, stirring every so often for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add 16ish ounces of chicken stock until veggies are barely covered. Let simmer for 10 or so minutes.
4. Add chicken.*

5. Add enough water to fully cover the mixture, but be sure not to add too much, as it will dilute the flavor.
6. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. (I did not measure any of these. I just added them in gradually throughout the cooking process. Be easy with the red pepper, unless you like things REALLY spicy.)
7. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium low, and let simmer/cook for 3-3.5 hours, checking on it and stirring occasionally.
8. About fifteen minutes before you're ready to serve, add the bag of egg noodles to the pot. Again, add just enough water to cover the mixture. Make sure to stir the noodles down and mix into the rest of the soup for optimal flavor and even cooking.

9.  Season to taste with mentioned seasonings.
10 Add crackers if you so desire and enjoy!

(I made these homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert.)

This is the first time I have ever made chicken noodle soup...other than what comes out of a can. :-) The hubs is a BIG fan. He isn't the type of man to tell me something is good if he really doesn't care for it, so I know it's a hit if he says so. Plus, he went to culinary school, so if HE says it's amazing, it must be, right?

Happy Cooking!

~A



*Adding raw meat to vegetables is a personal preference. Some people believe it isn't safe. However, you use chicken stock that raw chicken sat in, so what's the difference? My husband, who went to culinary school, says it is fine to add the raw chicken to the uncooked veggies. However, if you prefer, you can pre-cook the chicken in the microwave or if you boiled your chicken for your chicken stock, you're already good to go!

Homemade Spicy Chicken Pasta

Last night, my husband, Vance, and I made dinner without following a recipe. We both have our fortes in the kitchen. While I usually stick to the baking side of creativity, tonight I decided to make some "homemade" sauce for our pasta dish, while Vance handled the chicken. Did I mention my husband went to culinary school? Yeah, I know! I'm sucha lucky gal! :-)


I posted a couple pics on Facebook last night as we were cooking and people commented on how yummy it looked, so I told them I would figure out the recipe and post it. So...bon appetite!


Homemade Spicy Chicken Pasta
Recipe by Vance and Angela Bailey


Ingredients Needed:
Spaghetti Noodles (we used whole wheat)
1 (14.5 oz) Can of Italian Tomatoes
1 (8 oz) Can of Tomato Sauce
Mushrooms (as few or as many as you'd like)
Minced Garlic
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Salt
Pepper
Herbed Poultry Spice

Parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Suggested Ingredients:
Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Basil
Cayenne Pepper


Noodles:
1. Boil water in a pot.
2. Add some salt when boiling.
3. Add spaghetti noodles.
4. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
5. Drain noodles.
6. Mix a dash of olive oil with the noodles in the colander to keep them from drying out, clumping, and sticking.


Sauce:
1. In a medium sauce pan, pour a thin layer of olive oil just enough to cover the bottom. Allow to heat for a minute or two.
2. Add mushrooms and minced garlic.
3. Stir mushrooms and garlic until mushrooms are darkened and soft.
4. Add tomatoes.
5. Heat and simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce.
7. Allow to warm thoroughly.
8. Add garlic powder, oregano, basil, italian seasoning, and onion powder to taste.


Chicken:
1. Cube chicken. (We're not exactly sure how much we used. Just estimate.)
2. Season with herbed poultry spice (or any other chicken flavoring you'd like), parsley, and salt and pepper. (Don't go too overboard, especially with the salt.)
3. Cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil.
4. Allow to heat for a minute or two.
5. Add chicken.
6. Stir/flip chicken as it cooks to prevent sticking and thorough cooking.
7. Add cayenne pepper as you turn the chicken. (A little bit at a time is the best way to go about it.)
8. Cook chicken until completely cooked and tasting the way you want it to.


Presentation:
1. Put pasta into an individual bowl.
2. Add desired amount of sauce.
3. Add chicken on top.
4. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
5. Enjoy!

This recipe took us about a total of 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. I cut up the mushrooms as Vance cubed the chicken. As the mushrooms browned, I opened the cans I needed, got all the spices I needed, and put water on to boil for the pasta. By the time the mushrooms were ready, everything was in order to finish the recipe. While my sauce simmered, I added the spaghetti noodles and allowed them to boil. Vance then cooked the chicken as the spaghetti noodles cooked and my sauce simmered. After adding tomato sauce to my sauce, we then drained the noodles, added cayenne pepper to the chicken and waited for everything to heat thoroughly.


Overall, this recipe is one that you can kind of play around with and change according to your taste. If you follow it "to recipe" then I guarantee that it is de-lish! I know we enjoyed it last night!


Let me know if you try it out and any adaptations you make!


Enjoy!


~A