Guest Blog Post: Chicken Burgers

Photo Credit: My Dad, Ed Martin

This recipe has crossed multiple time zones to make its way to you.  As my mom will mention later in the post, I started eating chicken earlier this summer.  I was still a little hesitant about eating chicken but I wanted to be able to eat something other than the hot dog buns at a barbecue.  Being the wonderful mother that she is, my mom developed this recipe while I was still living in Michigan.  I have to say, it is wonderful!  While I don't know what a beef burger tastes like, I think these smell better than beef burgers when they are sizzling on the grill.  It's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend in Seattle, so fire up your balcony grills, stop by Trader Joe's and be prepared to feed the packs of people that will be clamoring for seconds (maybe even thirds!).

Per the request of my mom, here is a picture of the two of us in Europe last summer.  She wanted this particular picture because her eyes are open.  To most people, this wouldn't be an issue.  However, if you are a descendant of the Bock family, keeping your eyes open in pictures is an ever present challenge.  This picture was taken on the train going from Amsterdam to Paris:

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Just in time for Labor Day Weekend, a quick and easy grilling recipe.  After many years of being a vegetarian my daughter Katherine (aka The Ginger Cook) added chicken to her diet.  With grilled burgers being a family summer favorite,  I wanted to find a recipe that my daughter could eat.   I looked up several ground chicken burger recipes online and blended a few together to come up with what I think is a great moist burger with a terrific tasty zing.  Cut up the watermelon, put together a salad and you have a great summer meal!

Chicken Burgers
Ingredients:

• 1 t. garlic
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 1/8 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 3 T. chopped onion
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 3/4 t. sea salt
• cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix together all listed ingredients.  Form into patties
2.  Grill on medium heat on an oiled grill to prevent them from sticking.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon Zest, Garlic & Herb Marinade

Well, I've up and done it.  I've posted a recipe for chicken on my vegetarian cooking blog.  It's true world, I've started eating small amounts of chicken.  It's hard concept to wrap my head around; I still consider myself to be a vegetarian but I eat some chicken.  Now that I've said that, I bet a few people will tell me I'm wrong.  And for all technical purposes I am, but the chicken that I have eaten is free range and vegetarian fed.  On top of that, all the chicken I have eaten has been purchased for me, I have yet to buy meat of my own.  I'll see if I'll be able to even purchase it on my own... of if I'll even know how.  While I am having this mini-less-than-a-quarter-life identity crisis, I do know that since I have started eating chicken I feel a lot healthier.  Aside from finding out I'm allergic to bees, I have yet to get sick!  For those who know me, that is saying something.

Oh, right, back to the food.  I'm not going to lie, it's good.  Good as in I ate-it-cold-out-of-a-tupperware-and-still-enjoyed-it good.  For me, the cooking part was a little difficult and nerve racking, but cut me a break people, I've never done this before and I didn't want to get anyone sick on my first try!  The whole time I was trimming the chicken breast I was a little squeamish and was ruffling up my nose with confusion.  While that was one thing, don't even get me started on the grilling, I was terrified I wouldn't cook it well enough and I would be exiled the suffering I inflicted upon my kin.  I may or may not have yelled "DAAAAADDD" one or two times to make him check the chicken for me while I anxiously asked "are you SURE it's not pink inside?"  Needless to say, I did it.  I very successfully grilled chicken.  Throughout dinner my family kept on insisting "this was the best chicken they ever had" (I still don't believe them) and we were all vying for leftovers the next day.

You want to know how this tastes?  Garlic plays a pretty prominent role and is the first flavor that is noticed.  Slowly, the light taste of lemon comes through and the helps give the chicken a nice fresh finish.  Yet the marinating in olive oil with herbs gives a wonderful undertone.  Fire up the grill this weekend (I don't know about you, but it's beautiful here!) and get cooking!

PS - As you can tell, Mom, I finally posted to recipe, albeit a little later than you would have hoped. 

While not the greatest picture (dang compact florescent light bulbs!) it does prove I did cook the chicken!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon Zest, Garlic & Herb Marinade
Adapted from Once Upon a Chef
Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each, or about 1½ pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1½ teaspoons lemon zest (about the zest of one lemon) - I used a little more zest than the recipe indicates

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness (I couldn't get mine this thin… but if you can, more power to you!).
2. Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
3. Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (and get as much of that marinade on as you can!  More marinade = more flavor!). Grill, covered, for 4-5 minutes per side.

Grilled Pizza

Pizza's on the Grill

Pizza's being prepped with toppings

Teaching Caroline how to stretch out pizza dough

Plate of toppings

First go around on the grill

I have been wanting to make grilled pizza for a long time now - whenever I see pictures the pizza just looks so delectable. As my sister is leaving for college on Tuesday (all the way across the country in Oregon), I need to teach her to cook as soon, and as fast as possible. I taught her how to properly stretch out pizza dough (as I will never be graceful enough to throw it in the air) and how to grill it. I must say... I don't think I will ever go back to just plain oven cooked pizza again. This pizza had an amazingly deep flavor and the crust was both crunchy and soft at the same time. My pizza has pesto, fresh tomatoes, onions, pine nuts, mozzarella, and parmesan on it - I recommend this combination, but the addition of blue cheese would also work very well. If you don't feel like cooking on a hot day - just heat up your grill and make some pizza!

(See older post for pesto recipe)

Thin Crust Pizza Dough + Grilling Instructions

Adapted from Frolicking Foodies

• 500 g strong white flour (I used King Arthur Bread Flour, and must weigh the flour - it really makes a huge difference)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 1 package yeast
• 2 TBSP oil (I try and use oil reserved from sun-dried tomatoes or similar)
• 300 ml lukewarm water (not too hot or the yeast will not perform - trust me here!)

1. Mix the sugar, yeast, oil and water together in a small bowl and leave for 5 minutes to bubble up. Weigh out the salt and flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, make a well and then add the watery mixture. Incorporate by bringing the flour into the well of water, gradually. Knead the dough until it is very smooth and very elastic - it will be quite sticky, so I would recommend adding a little flour to your kneading surface.
2. Oil the same (cleaned) bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and wait until doubled in sized. I personally hot box mine in the oven (aka, I heat the oven up to 100 degrees, turn it off, and place the bowl inside there to rise), it takes a lot less time.
3. Portion your pizza dough into four (maximum six) even balls. Heat your grill to a medium-high heat, then stretch your dough balls out thin and place them on your grill. Cook on one side until it’s crispy and a little golden, then take off the grill.
4. Once you’ve done them all, dress the sides that have already touched the grill with your sauce and desired toppings. Place the uncooked side back on the grill and cover for a few minutes, until the bottom is really crispy and your cheese is melted through. Serve immediately, maybe with a beer and a simple green salad.