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.

I'm currently redeeming one free week of yoga as a beginning at CorePower Yoga, which means that at least for the remainder of this week, I'll be annoyingly healthy. Oh, except for that prime rib I devoured last night at Crosby's Kitchen.

On a mission to atone for last night's medium-rare and horseradish-cream covered sins, I insisted on Sunday brunch in this morning, and made an extremely healthy version of JB's standard brunch order - a Greek omelette. Frankly, this could just as easily be an omelette but I've yet to make an omelette without it breaking/burning/running so I spared myself the stress, threw it in the oven and called it a very happy day.

Making a few of these would be a great option for entertaining. They're almost embarassingly easy and totally fit into my new, yoga-enhanced healthy lifestyle! (This week.)  I've pasted in the nutritional stats below the recipe... kind of unbelievable, no?

What's up, aperture priority mode? Forgive the pointless pictures while I play with my camera. Slowly but steadily workin' towards 10,000!

Did you know there was such a thing as a tomato knife? I did not, and I have spent the past 28 years squishing tomato after tomato.

Perfectly chopped!

Breakfast feasting with AmyLu chicken sausage - the best.

Healthy Greek Frittata

Serves 4

• 4 whole eggs


• 5 egg whites


• Large handful of spinach


• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped


• 6 green onions, finely chopped


• 1/2 cup fat free feta*


• 1 tsp oregano


• black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Saute chopped tomatoes and green onions in a non-stick pan, coated with cooking spray. Add spinach and cover to wilt.


3. Transfer cooked vegetables into a pie dish prepared with cooking spray and allow to cool.


4. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and oregano, then pour the egg mixture over cooled vegetables.


5. Sprinkle feta on top, then add pepper to taste. You don't need salt, the feta is already salty!


6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until egg is completely set.


7. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Slice and serve!

*fat free feta is the least scary fat free cheese, and personally, I don't mind it. However, you could easily substitute in reduced fat or even full fat feta here and still have a very healthy dish!

From myfitnesspal.com

Four Ingredient Fat Free Stir Fry Sauce

I make some variation of stir fry roughly once a week. Its healthy, so good, and can be accomplished in about 5 minutes flat (especially if you're willing to invest in some Trader Joe's frozen stir-fry veggie mixes for the occasional emergency).

I am, by the way, totally aware that stir fry typically involves flash-frying the vegetables in a hot pan with oil, so the title of this is slightly misleading. And I'll admit, a heavier sauce with sesame oil or peanuts really can't be beat.

BUT! If I'm looking for an uber-healthy dinner option that doesn't taste like Fiber One after a long weekend of eating and drinking (ahem), I'll make this pseudo-stir fry and happily dig into a spicy, sweet and salty bowl of vegetables over brown rice. I steam my vegetables of choice until they're perfectly crispy and juicy, then top with this sauce.

Four Ingredient Fat-Free Stir Fry Sauce

• Honey or agave nectar


• Reduced sodium soy sauce


• Chili garlic sauce


• Sesame seeds*

Combine 1 part honey to two parts soy sauce. Add chili garlic sauce to taste, then mix and add sesame seeds.

*Sesame seeds add a nominal amount of fat: 1.5 grams in 1 tsp. Omit if you'd like!