I’m back with a recipe! I decided to semi-document this one because my husband asked for them again within one month. I may have mentioned before that I cook dinner Sunday – Thursday, breakfast is almost every day depending on the schedule and lunch is normally leftovers. With Thursday being my “end of the week” for cooking, we turned it into something fun and called it “Fast Food Thursdays” – I cook something that is considered a fast food or not our normal dinner, something fun. We started it by buying fresh burgers from the supermarket but I decided to try my hand at it. Burgers and meatballs are basically the same ingredients so I tried Turkey burgers the first time, then meatballs with ground beef and my latest hit was chicken burgers. I even gave two to my trainer and she loved them. So I’m going to share this simple recipe with you. It’s something that you can make before going to work and let marinate so that they’ll be rich and flavorful when you’re ready to cook them in the evening.
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1-2 tbs onion
1 clove garlic (optional)
Parmesan cheese (shaved//optional)
Spices & herbs (I added about 1/4-1/2 tsp of all seen below, but it’s really you’re preference and the flavor you’re looking to achieve)
Spices & herbs
Method:
Combine all ingredients together, and mix well. I used an ice cream scoop to portion it out, and then pressed them with a fork to half inch thick and let set.
All ingredients mixed togetherPrepped for storage
I was able to get about 6 burgers from this batch as I wanted a little more thickness to it. I put 4 aside to freeze as we’ll only have two tonight. I cook my burgers in the pan, not in the oven, and I don’t like to press them too much, I like them to stay thick and juicy. I added the parmesan cheese last time into the mix but I wanted to try it without this time and I’ll add it after. I used shaved parmesan not the one everyone sprinkles on hot dogs. I also left out the fresh garlic because I was being lazy but the last time it did taste good. Again, everything is optional. I like sharing recipes that give you the option to experiment as well or you can follow mine.
Please let me know if you try it and how it comes out. I’ll post a picture on Instagram later with mine cooked.
Last weekend I had what I’d call a Bajan weekend. On Saturday, I decided to try my hand at coconut bread (we call it Sweet Bread) and I felt like if I was going to do something so reminiscent of home, I could only carry on the theme for the whole weekend. Needless to say, my first time at Coconut bread was a hit as I did several mini loaves and posted a pic of them on Facebook alerting my other Caribbean people up here and that it was a first come, first serve.
Coconut Bread (Sweet Bread)
I wasn’t ready for what was about to ensue. Four were collected by the end of the day and everyone who tasted it, loved it.
Now I’m not a chef, (I’ve ruined quite a few meals recently and in the past, ask my husband @davidfowl) but my mother passed on enforced some of her cooking skills upon me. I’ve managed to work up a reputation that if I say I’m going to try cooking something or give someone something to taste that I’ve cooked, it’s greeted with open hands, that reach out for more.
It’s always a good compliment and you want to do more even when the recipe calls for a lot of work.
I hadn’t done a “Sunday Lunch” for a long time for my husband as I’m trying to work on my diet for health reasons. But since I’m not supposed to have coconut I figured this weekend I’d just take a break as I just needed to have this reminder of home. Needless to say my husband was very excited. He loves to eat. I started Saturday evening (yup after all that baking) so that I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed on Sunday. I invited a couple that we spend most weekends with to enjoy the food and company as we recently went by them for dinner and they gave us a some traditional Armenian food that was amazing! I didn’t get pics of lunch (sorry! I just dove in and ate). But the spread included flying fish, macaroni pie, rice and peas, gravy and my husband’s cucumber salad. It was good!!!!!!!!!
I won’t be sharing my own recipe for the Coconut bread but I can research one if you want. We’re keeping certain recipes within the family and I love it that way. I’ve been here for 5 years now, and my love for home grows every time I try to recreate a dish I grew up on especially after having to hunt for ingredients that are close to what I get from home.
I was in dire need of retail therapy today. We had a lovely day yesterday for our anniversary but we went to an appointment this morning that didn’t leave me in the best of moods.
When I dropped my husband off at work, I said: “gonna be a retail therapy day…” He smiled and went on his way. Little did I know how much therapy I was about to receive.
I went to Neiman Marcus to see if they had any bags I may be interested in and as I was ready to leave, this lady pops up and asks me if I’ve seen the “it” bag for Fall. I said no and followed her over to it. She was bubbly and full of life I couldn’t resist. She wasn’t the average salesperson trying to get a sale out of you. I sensed that.
Long story short – we ended up speaking for about 45mins (could be less or more but it was long) after she helped me decide on a bag that they didn’t have in the color I wanted.
We spoke about things that people who’ve known me for longer than 45mins don’t know about. Therapy. Most of all, it was the connection felt and shared over life stories. She is a little older than I am but her words weren’t maternal in nature and she brought comfort to me.
Kristen, you’ve given me that push to Let go and Let God. That the average American isn’t atheist nor a Pentecostal pushing their beliefs down my small Catholic throat, but that where there is that common understanding that He exists and you’re not alone, we can get through whatever life throws in our face.
Thank you.
Sometimes, it can’t hurt to open up to strangers. You never know what may come your way.
Just a Dash 