Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers

I have never really liked tuna--tuna salad sandwiches, tuna noodle casserole, really anything containing canned tuna causes me to run far away. I honestly have no idea what made me bookmark this recipe; perhaps its simplicity, or maybe because it has lemon and garlic (two of my favorite ingredients). Whatever the reason I’m glad I gave it a try! These burgers were so delicious that Russell and I fought for the last burger and, after he lost, he asked me to make them again the very next night. I was a little worried about how these would hold together but they were absolutely perfect! We both found them perfectly moist on the inside with just the right amount of crispiness on the outside. I served them on toasted honey wheat sandwich thins topped with lemon sour cream (recipe below). I will definitely be making these again!

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Ingredients:

• 12 ounce can of tuna fish, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
• 3 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• juice of half a lemon
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 egg
• 4 of your favorite honey wheat buns (I used honey wheat sandwich thins)
• 1 tomato, sliced
• lettuce or baby spinach, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine tuna, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, sour cream, and egg in a medium bowl. Mix well and form into 4 patties.

Place patties on a greased baking sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Serve burgers on toasted honey wheat buns topped with lemon sour cream*, a tomato slice and lettuce or baby spinach. Enjoy!

*To make lemon sour cream, combine approximately 3 tablespoons of sour cream with fresh squeezed lemon juice and salt to taste. This is a great compliment to the flavors in the tuna burgers.

Slightly adapted from: Can you Stay for Dinner: Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers

Simmered Italian Rice

It seems like there is never enough time for cooking at the end of the day, especially once Russell gets home from work. Therefore, my goal for weeknight dinners is to plan meals that are quick and delicious. I find myself getting tired of the same old side-items and am always searching for something new to try. I have had this particular recipe saved for some time and recently decided I would give it a try. This dish is very easy to prepare and requires little prep work. I typically enjoy foods that are full of flavor, so I was a little apprehensive of how this recipe would turn out. Luckily, we found it to be a wonderful compliment to our meal. The parmesan cheese really brings all the flavors together and leaves you wanting more!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon of your favorite Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 cup fresh chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Directions:

Add chicken broth and Italian seasoning to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add uncooked rice and spinach to the saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in parmesan cheese. Top with additional parmesan cheese for serving, if desired.

Slightly adapted from: Recipe originally found in People Magazine, can be found online at Campbell’s Kitchen: Italian Simmered Rice

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

One afternoon I heard Russell in the kitchen searching for something to eat. After being in there for quite sometime he entered the living room with what he described as a “glorious sandwich.” Hesitantly, I asked what made it such a glorious sandwich. He named off several ingredients, one of which surprised me--spinach! Knowing there was lettuce in the refrigerator, I asked why he had used spinach instead. He said he really liked spinach and preferred it over lettuce most of the time. This was news to me!

As I have stated before, Russell and I are pasta people. Often, during menu planning for the week, I have to consciously limit how many pasta dishes I include. Searching for some new, non-pasta, dishes to try led me to this spinach and feta stuffed chicken recipe. With my newly acquired knowledge of Russell’s fondness for spinach I thought it would be a great dish to try. It is pretty simple to put together and doesn’t take much time to bake, so this would be a great option for a weeknight meal. Russell and I both enjoyed it, and I will definitely be making it again.

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Ingredients:

• 3 cups lightly packed baby spinach, about 4 ounces*
• 1 garlic clove or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound of thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (I used more)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano (I used more)
• Additional crumbled feta for topping, optional

*I choose to remove the stems and chop into 1/4 inch ribbons, this is not necessary, just my preference.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook until spinach is tender.

Divide spinach evenly between each chicken breast. Top spinach with feta cheese (I had 6 thinly sliced chicken breasts, so I used a little less than 1 1/2 tablespoons of feta cheese for each chicken breast). Roll up chicken breasts and place seam side down in a shallow baking dish.

Coat chicken with nonstick cooking spray or brush with olive oil; sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning and oregano. Top with additional feta cheese if desired.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Adapted from: Recipe card given out by Safeway from Try-Foods International

Chicken, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta

I recently came across a wonderful recipe for mushroom, spinach, and chicken lasagna that really caught my eye. Lasagna can be a daunting task to prepare on a busy schedule, so I modified it to be much easier to make for a weeknight dinner. I love the way it turned out! The béchamel sauce has a wonderful flavor and left Russell and I both wanting more. Luckily there was enough for us to have leftovers for lunch the next day, which we both enjoyed.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cooked chicken (shredded or cubed, your preference)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounce package of button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large yellow onion chopped or 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups baby spinach, stems removed, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
• Dash of nutmeg
• 8 ounces of Parmesan cheese grated, divided (approximately 2 cups)*
• 1 lb box Rotini Pasta

*I have found that grating your own parmesan cheese yields a much better end result than using the packaged pre-grated parmesan cheese. I highly recommend grating your own.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil pasta according to box directions, until al dente.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat, add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are slightly brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped onion and saute for approximately 3-4 minutes until they are translucent. Stir in garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.

Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk. Occasionally stirring, cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Add the baby spinach.

Add salt, pepper, dash of nutmeg, and 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese. While continuing to stir, cook for approximately 2 minutes until cheese has melted. Add the chicken. Taste sauce and season with more salt or pepper as needed. Add pasta and stir to combine.

Pour pasta into baking dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted. Enjoy!

Adapted from: The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Chicken, Mushroom, and Spinach Lasagna, which was originally adapted from The Food Network: Emeril Lagasse