A New Way to Do Chicken

My 13 month old(!) boys are pretty much eating everything these days.  I'm happy to say that they aren't picky eaters and are willing to try just about anything.  Their lack of molars doesn't get in the way of their enjoyment of most foods either.  Meat, however, can sometimes be an issue.  At this point they can really only handle either ground or shredded meat so I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting ideas.  Chicken, in particular, is something they don't eat a lot of.  They love roasted chicken, but rarely eat it any other way.  (They haven't yet had chicken nuggets!)

These Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers are a new favorite.  Now I know these might not sound all that appealing to some people right off the bat.  I, for one, prefer beef in my burgers.  BUT!  Ground patties, be they turkey or veggies are easy for little fingers to pick up and for toothless gums to mash up.  And don't be worried about feeding the baby toddler "Indian" spices.   In this recipe the ground chicken is seasoned with Garam Masala. Garam Masala is a popular Indian spice, but it is really just a combination of spices that are commonly used in the U.S. too.  Typically it is a mix of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and pepper.  Garam Masala is a warm spice full of fall flavors.

These "burgers" are easy to make, easy to freeze, and they are sure to be a hit with your little ones.  Or your big ones.  My husband and I like these too!  And they are only 364 calories per serving...Cooking Light is awesome sometimes.  :)

photo courtesy of Cooking Light, don't mind the beer in the pic, pretend it is apple juice!

Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers, adapted from Cooking Light
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon bottled fresh minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground chicken

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Form into patties. Simple, right? The recipe (and calorie count) is for four burgers but I make smaller ones for the kiddos.  Heat a large skillet coated in cooking spray and then cook the patties over medium high until done all the way through.  That will take about 7 minutes per side for full sized burgers, a bit less time for smaller ones.

Try serving them on good rolls using yogurt in place of mayo and some fresh spinach instead of lettuce!  Look at us being so healthy!  Not such a bad idea after all of the Halloween candy, huh?

Roast Chicken

This cookbook is no joke!  Alex and I became serious fans of Thomas Keller after eating quiche at his Bouchon restaurant in Las Vegas.  (We live in Vegas, have we mentioned that?  Lots of restaurants to review in this town!)  Anyway, best quiche ever.  It inspired us to buy this cookbook, which, I won't lie, is immensely complicated.  But it is amazing. Every recipe we've tried so far has been pretty great, even if it is complicated.  This is definitely a weekend cookbook for us, but its a good one.

We believe this cookbook may just have the very best Roast Chicken recipe, ever.  Brine the chicken, roast it for an hour, delicious.

Roast Chicken, adapted from Bouchon by Thomas Keller (we made one chicken instead of two)

One 4lb Chicken

Brine

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 tsp. chopped Thyme

Remove the chicken from any packaging and rinse with cold water before putting it in the pot of cooled brine.  It should be fully submerged so if you need to, weigh it down with a plate or something.  Let it sit in the refrigerator for 6 hours.  (Seems like a long time but the Master knows what he is doing and this doesn't come out salty in the least.)  A half hour before you are ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the brine, rinse it again and pat it dry.  Truss it with kitchen twine and let it to rest on the counter at room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 475 F.  After those 30 minutes are up season the chicken with a little salt and pepper.  Heat a large cast iron skillet on high and when hot add the oil.  Put the chicken into the hot oiled skillet breast side up and then put the skillet into the oven.  Roast the chicken about 50 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155 F.  Don't worry if that sounds low, the chicken will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven and will arrive at about 165 F.  Once out of the oven, let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes.  Baste it with the pan juices during this time and sprinkle the thyme leaves over.

Carve and enjoy.  Even though you just seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper it has wonderful flavor from the brine.  So good.   Hope you try it.