Spicy Taco Burgers

I have so many jalapenos from my garden, I had to find some good ways to use them. This taco burger does the trick! The school year has started and tonight is the kick-off picnic. I'll take a big pass on the pizza and subs and have my burger before we go. I only had a few minutes to put dinner together tonight so this one is fast. I took a shortcut and bought fresh salsa and guacamole from the local supermarket salad bar, but if you have time, home-made is always better! This burger tasted just like a taco and received two big thumbs up from both Dave and Alex. Enjoy!

Adapted from jalapenomadness.com.


Makes 6-8 burgers.

Ingredients
Burgers
2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
2-3 seeded and cored jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce.)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 sea salt
Toppings
guacamole
salsa
hot sauce
Base
mixed salad greens

Preparation

1. Place onion, garlic, and jalapeno in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. In a large bowl, mix peppers, onion, garlic and 1/4 cup hot sauce. Add ground beef and use your hands to mix it thoroughly without compacting the beef too much. Form the meat into 6-8 patties.
3. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
4. Preheat grill to medium high.
5. Place a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil on the grill grate.
6. Place patties on the foil and grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until cooked to your desired degree of doneness. 
7. To serve, place a generous amount of salad greens on your plate. Top with a burger, then garnish with guacamole, salsa, and hot sauce.

Jalapeno Chicken

My friend, Kelley, offered me this recipe after hearing about my overabundance of jalapenos.  This is one of her favorites, and I can see why! This meal is really outstanding. A perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Plus, I always love using rotisserie chicken to cut my prep time. The original recipe calls for soba noodles, but zucchini noodles taste so good mixed with the chicken, I can't image it getting any better! Enjoy!

Serves 2.

Ingredients
1 jalapeno, cored and seeds removed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, tough stems removed
1/4-1/3 cup raw honey, liquified
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 large rotisserie chicken, torn into small pieces
1 tsp coconut oil
2 large zucchini squash
3 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp fresh grated ginger

Preparation

1. Prepare zucchini noodles by shaving one side with a peeler (I use one like this OXO Y-peeler) or mandoline (like this OXO slicer). Discard (or compost) the outer layer and continue shaving long, thin strips until you reach the seedy core. Flip the zucchini and repeat the process on the opposite side. When you reach the center, repeat the same process on either side until all you have left is the core. Chop up the core and reserve to saute with your eggs in the morning.
2. Stack the thin ribbons and cut lengthwise into 2 or 3 strips or "noodles." Set aside in a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine jalapeno, cilantro, honey, water, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
4. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add jalapeno mixture and stir gently to combine.
5. Warm coconut oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini noodles and saute 5 minutes. Add aminos, sesame oil, and ginger, tossing to combine. Saute for 2 minutes. 
6. Add chicken mixture, tossing gently to combine. Cook for an additional minute or until heated through.
7. To serve, divide mixture evenly among two shallow bowls. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.