Chicken and Kale Burgers

I had two cans of chicken breast on hand this weekend, and to save myself from myself and the extremely strong temptation to throw some mayonnaise in there and call it a day, I decided to get creative.

I added sauteed kale to the mix with organic breadcrumbs, an egg and seasoning, then pan fried the patties for a quick and healthy lunch with lots of flavor.

Chicken & Kale Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

• 2 10-oz. cans chicken breast


• 1 Egg


• 1/4 Cup breadcrumbs


• 1 Cup kale leaves, stems discarded


• 1 Tb worcestershire sauce


• 1 tsp chili pepper flakes


• 1 Tb lemon juice

*This may be the only recipe you'll ever see from me that does not include adding salt, but I strongly recommend against it -- the chicken is already salty! 

1. Sautee kale leaves in olive oil until soft. Alternatively, you could steam the kale. Set aside to cool.


2. Drain chicken breast, then add to a bowl with egg, breadcrumbs, and kale.


3. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together - there's really no way around getting in there and getting your hands dirty! A spoon won't cut it.


4. Add worcestershire sauce, chili peppers, and lemon juice.


5. Mix it all up again, then divide mixture into four sections. Form one burger out of each section, rolling it into a ball and then flattening.


6. Fry in a pan prepared with olive oil spray over low heat, flipping once until heated through and golden brown on each side.


7. Eat! This would be great on a bun with condiments and extra veggies, but was juuust fine on a plate with spicy ketchup.

*Lives are officially changed after receiving fancy new knives from our parents for Christmas - can't.stop.chopping!

Dinner dates with my sister are always the highlight of my week. We're pretty good at catching up about once a week, but in the whirlwind of the holidays, it had been too long since we caught up over some vino and cooked dinner together.

We remedied that last night but wanted to keep it relatively healthy -- new years resolutions, you know the drill. We made Asian-inspired lettuce wraps and they definitely fit the "healthy" requirement, and happily were also really, REALLY good.

Sadly, we don't have a picture of the actual wrap because I literally ripped every single piece of lettuce in half trying to make the "cups" (does someone have a trick for this?! Pinterest? Mom?) so they were morbidly less than attractive. It was somewhat like eating a salad with your hands. We wish you better luck on the wrapping front but can promise you that the filling, at least, will be out of this world.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This makes enough for two starving people with some leftovers or four reasonable adults.

• 1  medium onion, diced


• 1 yellow or pepper, diced


• 1 Tb olive oil


• 1 lb package ground turkey or chicken


• 1 Tb five spice seasoning


• 1 Tb brown sugar


• 1/4 C reduced sodium soy sauce


• 1 Tb chili garlic paste or to taste


• Peanuts, chopped


• Cilantro, chopped


• Iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping

1. Sautee diced onion and pepper in olive oil until soft. Drain any liquid and set aside.


2. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, and five spice in a bowl and stir well until combined.


3. In a separate pan, brown turkey meat until cooked through.


4. Add the sauce mixture and vegetables, mixing to coat.


5. Spoon meat into lettuce cups, adding chopped peanuts and cilantro. Wrap, and feast!