Spicy Taco Burgers

This is one for anyone who really enjoys hotter (spicier) foods. Blend one packet of taco seasoning powder into one pound of ground meat. This can be beef, chicken, or turkey. After fully blended, form the meat into four quarter pound patties. The less fat content of the meat, the better because the cooked patty will remain larger. Cook the meat using any method you like. Be prepared that this will be a stronger flavor than when the taco seasoning is added to water to make actual tacos or burritos. Place the patty on a bun. You can put some shredded lettuce on the bun first if you like. Add cheese, onions, green peppers and/or bacon if you like. Top it with a hot variety of salsa. Enjoy.

Seasoned Chicken And Rice

Sometimes, the best way to cook simple meals for one person is to cook the meat for multiple dishes all at once. Here's a perfect example. Baking a tray of six chicken legs will easily cover three different meals, but, the longest part of the cooking is handled all at once. The chicken was baked with a liberal coating of Emerill's chicken rub for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the dish above, the meat was cut off the bones and placed atop a layer of rice. For simplicity, I used the boil in bag variety already pre-measured to a single serving. That was topped with chopped broccoli and seasoned with a liberal amount of black pepper to add some zing. A spaghetti style plate served best to hold the meal as a single unit of combined flavors.

Garlic and Onion Crusted Chicken With Pasta

Here's a neat idea for a variation on chicken parmesean. The first thing you'll want to do to prepare this dish is start boiling a pot of water to cook your pasta. I personally chose spaghetti, but, any pasta will do. Start heating up your electric grill. While it's heating, take a boneless, skinless chicken breast and coat it with a mixture of garlic and onion powders. Once the chicken's prepared, check your water. If it's boiling, go ahead and put in your pasta. Next, put the meat on the grill. Both should take roughly the same amount of time to cook (15 to 20 minutes). An earlier post explains the reason for using the grill. The meat will be more flavorful.

Test a piece of pasta to see if it has cooked thouroughly. Once it has, strain the pasta and put it on a regular dinner plate. Spoon some of your favorite pasta sauce thinly over the entire dish. You will not need to heat the sauce. The heat from the pasta and the chicken will take care of that step. Top it with the chicken breast. For a nicer presentation, you can always cut the chicken into strips if you're serving more than just yourself. Top the dish with parmesean cheese and some cracked red peppers. Enjoy.

Seasoned Meats

This isn't as much a recipe as a hint. If you're like me, you like to taste your seasonings boldly. When they're cooked too long or mixed into water, the flavor just cooks right out of any herbs or spices used. This is a really easy method to avoid having that happen by using an electric grill.

Start by heating the grill. While it's heating, start adding seasonings to your meats. Powdered forms work the best. After seasoning the meat on all sides, lift it onto the grill and close the lid. The higher heat of the grill will adhere the spices to the meat quickly and efficiently. You will need to turn the meat over so that it cooks evenly. Don't let it overcook. The grill's searing process will use the outer layer of the meat to seal in juiciness and tenderness. Leave it too long and it will dry out. The chicken breast I made today took about fifteen to twenty minutes to thoroughly cook. When the meat's done, you should notice that your herbs and spices practically jump of the fork to meet your taste buds. Enjoy.

Sandwiches Don't Have To Be Cold Cuts Or Hamburgers

Are you looking for something quick, simple, and healthy to have for your meal break at work? This may be just the idea for you. Instead of buying cold cuts or a hamburger, try grilling a chicken breast or a small strip of steak. Today, I used the chicken breast so I'll go into a little more detail on that preparation.

Start with a boneless, skinless chicken breast that's at least partially thawed. If it's still frozen in the center, the next step may be a little easier actually. With a paring knife, carefully butterfly the breast. You don't want to cut it into two totally separate pieces. You want to allow it to stay connected. The butterflying just makes the cooking time shorter as well as making the sandwich thinner and easier to manage.

For poultry, I like to use light rye bread for the sandwich. A butterflied chicken breast will basically cover the entire slice of bread. While the chicken breast is grilling, begin preparing the bread with your favorite condiments. Including vegetables and cheese will make this a complete meal with all four food groups. When the chicken is fully cooked, just add it into the sandwich and put the empty bread slice on top. Wrap it in plastic or put it in a sandwich bag and it's ready to go to work with you. If you want a healthier side dish than potato chips, take along a bag of microwave popcorn. You'll be ready to sit down to your meal in less than five minutes.

Stuffed Italian Chicken Breasts

This first entry is an idea I came up with in the grocery store last night. It's quick and simple to prepare even before heading out to work.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it's heating up, take out a cutting board and one boneless, skinless chicken breast. Split the chicken breast in half with a paring knife so that it is butterflied. (In other words, you're going to cut its thickness in half not its width.) Place a half slice of cheese on each half. On one half, place enough pepperoni pieces to cover the chicken. I personally like to use turkey pepperoni since it's healthier, but, any type of pepperoni will work. Put two or three spoonfuls of pasta sauce over the pepperoni and then place the other half of the chicken breast back on top with the cheese facing the sauce. Next, take a small baking pan and spray it with cooking spray to facilitate easier clean up later. Place the stuffed chicken breast in the center and cover it with more pasta sauce. Bake it in the oven for one hour and serve with any pasta and/or vegetable of your choosing.