Chicken Tikka on Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Burger

Yield: 2 burgers 

What You'll Need:
For the Chicken:
(there will be left over chicken; there will be enough for at least 6-8 burgers):
2lb boneless chicken thigh meat
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/4 c. yellow or white onion, chopped
1/8c. white vinegar
2 capfuls Liquid smoke
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. ginger powder
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/4 tsp red chili powder (use less for mild heat)
1 1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp (heaping) dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala (can be found in most Indian stores)
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom) seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon

For the Stuffed Mushrooms:
2 portobello mushroom caps (flatter caps are better)
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. cilantro, minced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar (optional)
1/8 tsp lemon pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper


What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chicken:
In a large bowl, combine all spices, vinegar, liquid smoke and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Make sure the chicken is well coated with the spices; set aside and allow it to marinate at least 30 minutes (longer is better).

In a sauce pan, heat approximately 1 tsp olive oil over high heat. Add chopped onions and saute for about 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to turn slightly transparent. Reduce heat to medium-high (closer to medium) add in marinated chicken; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan as necessary to prevent the spices from burning. Add chopped tomatoes; stir well. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes,  add 1 Tbs. tomato paste and cook the chicken uncovered for an additional 5-7 minutes to evaporate most of the liquid. Turn the heat off, garnish chicken with fresh cilantro and set aside. Note: instead of cooking on the stove top, you can also grill the chicken; leave out the roma tomato and tomato paste. (grill approximately 6 minutes each side).

                                

Mushrooms:
In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, cilantro, vinegar, spices and minced garlic.  Place mushroom caps, gill side up, on a foil-lined tray. Divide veggie/spice mixture in to two portions and spoon on to the mushrooms (including the juice). Bake for 20 minutes in the oven.

To Assemble the Burger: 
Stack the chicken pieces on top of the mushroom cap (gill side up) on a burger bun. Add condiments and/or other toppings (I like sauteed onions with reduced fat provolone cheese and low-fat mayo).

Tips:
* You will have more than enough chicken left over for lunch or dinner the next day! You can enjoy with brown rice or naan (will be posting recipe soon).
* To reduce the sodium content further, you can reduce the amount of salt in the chicken and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken while cooking.
*To mix things up a bit you can make the burgers with just the mushroom caps or chicken; Or even serve as chicken tikka burgers with stuffed mushrooms as the side

Pan Seared Turkey Burgers

 Yield: 6 servings

What You'll Need:
1 lb ground lean turkey meat
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hickory flavored liquid smoke
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp carom seeds (a.k.a.- ajwan, ajwain, bishop's weed)
pinch lemon pepper


What To Do:
Mix all ingredients together in medium sized bowl.  Divide into 6 parts, form patties (3/4" to 1" thick).  Lightly spray non-stick frying pan with olive oil, heat over medium/high (closer to medium) heat.  Cook patties for 5 minutes, covered on one side. Flip and cook for 3 minutes uncovered. Cook an additional 2 minutes covered, or until juices are clear and patties are thoroughly cooked. You can reduce the heat to slightly lower than medium, if the patties start to dry up towards the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Portobello Mushroom Burger

What You'll Need:
2 portobello mushroom caps (trim the stems)
2 whole wheat 100 calorie sandwich thins
1/8 c. vegetable broth
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. worcestershire  sauce
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (if broiling)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. onion powder

What To Do:

Mix all spices, broth, balsamic vinegar, oil, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke together in a small bowl. With a fork, pierce small holes all over the smooth side of the mushrooms (don't poke all the way through).  Place mushroom caps in a plate or other shallow dish (smooth/pierced side up) and pour marinade over the mushroom caps. Marinate for about 20 minutes, flipping once.  When you flip the caps, spoon some of the marinade that has collected at the bottom of the dish onto the mushrooms.  Broil mushroom caps on a wire rack with a tray underneath for about 7 1/2 minutes on each side, or until tender. Top with your favorite vegetables and condiments (I used pan seared tomatoes - see below-, mixed greens, low-fat mayo and low-fat cheese).

Quick Tips:
*With marinade that is left over in the shallow dish, you can pan sear fresh veggies such as red bell pepper, onions or tomatoes to top the burgers with
* Before broiling the mushroom caps, you can spoon a tablespoon of the marinade to boost the favor a bit

Thank you Chrislyn S. for the idea!