Lunch and Learn LIVE! - February 8, 2012

Guest Chef: Dawn Viola

Menu: Greek Salad & Chicken Tarragon Burger

Greek Salad Wedge

Recipe courtesy Dawn Viola

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large head Romaine lettuce
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped, 1/4-inch
1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, cut lengthwise into quarters
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup crumbled Feta, divided

1. Directions:
   Trim 1/4-inch from the bottom stem of the Romaine and discard. Cut Romaine in half, lengthwise. Cut each half in half lengthwise to create 4 wedges; set aside. In a medium bowl add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat; season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place each Romaine wedge on a serving plate. Spoon 1/4 of the dressed tomato mixture over each salad wedge. Top with 1/4 cup of Feta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes:
Lemon juice can be used in place of vinegar. Traditional recipes incorporate green or red bell pepper, and sometimes Greek peperoncini. Feta is available with vegetable rennet or animal rennet; be sure to check labels if you want to keep it vegetarian.

 

Chicken Tarragon Burgers

Recipe courtesy Dawn Viola

Recipe Description: To make a moist, juicy chicken burger, we had to cross over to the dark side.
Despite the bad rap, poultry legs and thighs are considerably learner than ground beef, especially with the skin removed, and offer a richer flavor than the lean, often dry, breast meat. The price can't be beat either -- organic, air-chilled chicken thighs, like the ones used in this recipe, are one of the least expensive items in the meat case.

Grinding your own chicken, or shredding it in the food processor like we’ve done in this recipe, offers better flavor and better control over the amount of fat than the pre-ground chicken found in the grocer’s meat case.

Servings: 4 patties

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

For the patties:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small onion, minced
1 large rib celery, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon potato flour
sunflower or olive oil for pan frying

Buns, lettuce tomato (optional)For the topping:
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
zest of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon malt vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place chicken, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, pepper, yogurt and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor; pulse until chicken is well minced, about 10 pulses.
2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add onion mixture, tarragon, parsley and potato flour to chicken, pulse until well combined, about 5 pulses. Divide mixture into four equal portions and shape into patties. Place patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes, or in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove patties from refrigerator and season with salt and pepper. In an oven-safe skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add patties to pan and cook 4 minutes. Turn patties over in the pan and place pan in oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the patties registers 160 F, about 12 – 16 minutes. Remove pan from oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let stand 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt, lemon zest, vinegar and garlic; add salt and pepper to taste. Top burgers with Greek yogurt mixture and, if desired, serve with buns, tomato slices and lettuce.