Ooh ooh, pick me!

I am still a novice blogger, or at least that's how I feel. I was so pleased to discover that people actually give things away on their blogs! I am amazed at the kindness and generosity.

Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers, Ambitious Delicious(ness) (yes, she really is one of my favorite blogs, I'm not just saying that because of her giveaway!) is having a giveaway -- honey and chocolate, with an environment-conscious twist. Yum.

Since I am very good at following directions and rules (as D knows very well... I always follow the rules), I am blogging about the giveaway, as instructed.

You should enter, too! Who doesn't like free stuff? Us Korean people love free stuff, especially the napkins and ketchup packets at McDonald's (or "Mac-don-al-deu" in Korean), and those disposable chopsticks from the Korean restaurants.

Summer grilling -- chicken burgers!

(sorry for the terrible lighting. i need help with my photography.)

It's 90-plus degrees here in Boston, very rare for April! This weather makes me want to spark up the grill and throw some burgers on. Okay, so in my case, it's heating up the grill pan, because we don't have an outdoor patio to store an actual grill. But nonetheless, summer here we come!

I decided on some ground chicken breast (1.5 lbs total), to keep it somewhat healthy.


We all know how dry chicken breast can be, so I had to think of ways to keep the meat moist. I grated up about 1/4 of a large sweet onion, then added some cumin and worcestershire sauce for nice smoky rich flavor. Of course, salt and pepper as well.


As I incorporated the ingredients into the ground chicken breast, I realized how wet it was, and how difficult it was to form the meat into patties. So, I decided to add some whole wheat bread crumbs to make the meat less wet.


This made the chicken much easier to form into patties. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to ensure even patty sizes, and the 1.5 lbs turned into exactly 6 patties.


As an accompaniment to the burgers, I decided on some caramelized onions. I thinly sliced the rest of the sweet onion, and slowly cooked them in some olive oil until they got nice and caramelized.



I also sliced up a package of creminis, and sauteed those to add to the burgers as well.



The burgers went on the grill (pan), and I put a cover on to ensure they cooked through. Lovely grill marks!


As a side dish, in lieu of french fries, I sliced up a sweet potato using a mandoline. To ensure they did not stick to the baking sheet, I brushed on some olive oil.


Then, I laid the sliced sweet potatoes in roughly a single layer, brushed with more olive oil, then sprinkled with salt, pepper, and a bit of cumin. They went into a 375 degree oven for maybe 15 minutes or so, until they started getting crispy.


I toasted up some wheat buns, slapped on the chicken burger, threw on some caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and also added some fresh arugula. The arugula added nice color, crunch, and lovely slightly bitter flavor. I served the burger with some of the sweet potato fries/chips (some were crispy and more like chips than others), and we were ready for a great summertime dinner! The grated onion definitely adds much-needed moisture without being overwhelmingly onion-y, and the cumin adds just a hint of smokiness. In fact, in retrospect, I probably would have added a bit more!



Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground chicken breast (or turkey breast)
1 large sweet onion
3 to 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
S&P
1 package cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
sprinkling of cumin
arugula, washed and dried

Directions:
1. Grate 1/4 of the sweet onion. Thinly slice the remaining onion.
2. Add the sliced onion to a pan with some olive oil. Keep the heat on medium-low to allow the onions to caramelize and not burn. Stir occassionally. Add S&P.
3. Add the grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, breadcrumbs, and S&P to the chicken. Combine thoroughly with hands. Form into patties, using a 1/2 cup measuring cup as a guide.
4. Arrange the sliced sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet with some olive oil, S&P, and just a touch of cumin. Put in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly crispy.
5. Grill the burgers until cooked through.
6. While the burgers are cooking, add the mushrooms to a pan with some olive oil, and cook until they are softened and any moisture from the mushrooms is cooked off. Add S&P.
7. Toast your buns. Who doesn't like toasty buns?
8. You are ready to assemble your burgers! Add a chicken patty to the bottom of the bun, add some caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms, then a bit of arugula. Top the burger off with the top of the bun. Serve with the sweet potato fries/chips, and some ketchup.
9. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. What a mouthful!

I know, the name of this recipe is quite long. But really, I don't think there's any easier way to describe it! This is yet another recipe from Andrea's Recipes for her Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. They are indeed as tasty as they sound!!! It's like a Reese's peanut butter cup melted on top of an oatmeal cookie crust. Amazing!!

I kind of screwed up the recipe at first... when making the cookie crust, I forgot to add the eggs and peanut butter (oops!). In Andrea's recipe, she makes a note that the dough for the cookie is really really sticky. Well, mine wasn't so sticky and I thought, "hmm that's funny..." So, just before throwing it in the oven, I took another glance at the recipe and realized, EEK! I forgot to add the egg and peanut butter, the ingredients that would indeed make the dough sticky. Phew!

Anyway, I creamed the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Then added the egg and peanut butter (after I screwed it up initially). In a separate bowl, I combined the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and then added this to the wet mixture.


See, this is how it looked before I added the egg and peanut butter... it's not sticky!!


You may realize by now, my love for Smart Balance. Oh yes, it even extends beyond buttery spread. I used Smart Balance peanut butter for this recipe, with omega-3s!!


Once I corrected my mistake, I pressed the dough into a 9x13 pan (greased).


While it was baking, I put together the glaze.... peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, and milk. Oooh, look how it drizzles...


After the cookie came out of the oven...


I added a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips on top... they started to melt!!



Then, I drizzled the glaze on top.... or in my case, globbed it on.


At this point, the chocolate chips were melting all over the cookie, the glaze was dripping everywhere, it smelled amazing, and I just wanted to dig in right there!!!


I had to wait for it to cool before cutting into it.... I HAD TO!!!!! But could I? Really?


I decided to actually stick it in the fridge so the chocolate and glaze would cool down enough to make it easier to cut. I couldn't wait any longer!!! If you're a fan of peanut butter at all, this will be your favorite dessert. And with the whole wheat flour and oats, plus the omega-3s in the peanut butter, it can't be THAT bad for you, right??? Yeah... riiiight...



Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Andrea's Recipes

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3-4 Tbsp milk (depending on how much it takes to make a drizzle-able glaze consistency)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and peanut butter. Stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until completely combined.
4. Press the dough into a greased 9x13 pan using wet fingers. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
5. While it is baking, make the glaze by combining the last three ingredients, adjusting the amount of milk to make a smooth consistency that can be drizzled.
6. Remove pan from oven, and add the chocolate chips to the top. They will start melting!!
7. Drizzle the glaze on top of the chocolate chip layer.
8. Let it cool completely before cutting into pieces. THEN YOU WILL DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN!

Chicken, black bean, and corn chili

I know it's not winter anymore, but here in Boston, it still feels cold! This warrants some soup/stew/chili. I found this fantastic recipe from A Good Appetite that has many of my favorite ingredients -- beans, corn, cumin -- and it's for Chicken, Black Bean, & Corn Chili.

The recipe calls for a poblano pepper, but my local Whole Foods was fresh out of them! I did not know what to use as an alternative, so I got a cubanelle pepper. I think it still worked out okay!


In a large stockpot, I heated up some olive oil, and added the cumin and chili powder.


I added the chopped onion, cubanelle pepper, and some garlic, and cooked until the onion was translucent (which was difficult to tell with all the spices coating them!).


I added some tomato paste (from the tube, my favorite kind!)...


Then I added 2 cans of black beans, a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped cooked chicken, and chicken stock.





I brought this to a boil, then allowed it to simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, I added a can of corn.


And it was ready! It is a rich, smoky, slightly spicy, super flavorful soup, thick with beans and corn. Super easy and quick to come together. And of course, very very tasty!!



Chicken, black bean, and corn chili
from A Good Appetite

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano or cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cups chicken broth
1 can corn, drained

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large stock pot. Add cumin and chili powder, cook for 1 minute.
2. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add tomato paste, stir, cook for 1 minute.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, chicken, and chicken broth.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in corn, and it is ready to serve!!
7. Enjoy with chili toppings -- sour cream, cilantro, or maybe some crusty bread!

Welcome to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox!

Ok, so this it the second non-food-related post in just a few days. And it is the second Boston-themed posting. I blogged about the Boston Marathon a few days ago, and that is a very "Boston" event. Now I'm blogging about Fenway Park and the Red Sox, which are perhaps even more "Boston" than the marathon!

I love Fenway Park. Sure, it's a lot older and smaller than most other ballparks in the country. But, boy, does this place have charm and character! Not to mention, history.


My dear friend, Alissa, invited me to a game with her (how could I refuse any opportunity to a Sox game? They're always sold-out!). But tonight, it was cold and rainy, and of course, there was a rain delay.


But, thankfully, they played the Bruins vs. Canadiens NHL playoff game, and we were able to watch another Boston sports team play. Then, they announced the game would begin just 45 minutes late at 7:55pm. So, we watched them take the tarps off the field...



What would a trip to Fenway be without the classic ballpark food? It's all about the Fenway Franks here (for a mere $4.50!).


But, I opted for a more "gourmet" ballpark item, the cubano panini sandwich (with Boar's Head deli meats!).


For ballpark food, this sandwich was quite good!!!


Okay, back to the game. We were playing the Minnesota Twins. Jeff Bailey was called up from AAA today, and hit his first home run of of the season in his first major league at-bat of the season! Well done, newbie! Raise your plastic beer cups!


Of course, the famous green monster, which now has seating, as of a few seasons ago.


Can you see the Sox players are wearing green hats? This is in honor of Earth Day. Way to be GREEN, Sox!


During the 7th inning stretch, a little song...




One of my faves, Hideki Okajima came out to relieve Brad Penny.


Then, the Fenway tradition during the 8th.... "Sweet Caroline," sung by the entire crowd!!


Warming up in the bullpen...


And the crowd favorite, Jonathan Papelbon runs out to close the game out.



And a success it was!! We won 7-3. And it didn't rain another drop the whole night! Go Red Sox!

More food postings coming soon, I promise!!