Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

The summer grilling season has finally come to my neck of the woods and though I'm sometimes wearing a heavy coat at the backyard grill, at least I'm not standing in snow to do it.

Simply marinated and grilled lean meats with big summer salads make up the bulk of our weekday dinners in the summertime and we are always looking for new ways to add flavor to the grill, especially for pork and chicken. A new marinated pork chop idea is coming for later in the week but today I decided to show how we served these delicious spiced chicken breasts. Some leftover red pepper hummus and some pizza dough on  hand were the inspiration for these terrific chicken burgers.  I particularly loved the chewy, substantial texture of the flatbread and the creamy hummus in these sandwiches. They really were full meals in themselves.

If making flatbreads for burger buns, you can make the dough or even buy pizza dough and follow the instructions found here. I'd make them about half the size though, using only 2 to 3 ounces of dough per flatbread.

You can find the Red Pepper Hummus recipe here

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Moroccan Marinated Grilled Chicken Flatbread Burgers with Red Pepper Hummus - a simple, spiced marinade flavors the chicken while the flatbreads are made on the grill right alongside it. Creamy red pepper hummus completes this delicious combination of flavors and textures.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes including marinating time.
Yield: 4 chicken burgers

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp kosher salt kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg ground nutmeg
• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together except the chicken breasts.
2. Pound the chicken breasts out to a uniform thickness.
3. Pour over the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag.
4. Allow to marinate in the fridge for up to an hour.
5. Grill on a medium hot grill until fully cooked, about 4 -5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. I use a meat thermometer to get the center of the chicken up over 165 degrees F.
6. Remove from grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving on the flatbreads along with the red pepper hummus, sliced tomatoes and fresh lettuce. 

Vegetarian Grilled Corn, Roasted Red Pepper and 5 bean Chilli...on burgers!

As food jokes go, this one is pretty lame, I have to admit...but since we did have some of this delicious vegetarian chilli on hand to serve a couple of our herbivorous friends and I was in the mood for a big juicy burger, as often we do here, we combined the two. 

One of the ways we serve up our vegetarian chilli is spooned into large tempura battered red onion rings. It really is delicious this way and can serve as an appetizer or as a vegetarian main course. On a burger, the large onion ring serves as a vessel to contain the spicy chilli on top. It may have been a collision of herbivores and carnivores at our table but it sure was delicious!

Chilli

Soak 1 to 1 ½ cups dry 5 bean mix beans overnight, depending on the amount of beans you prefer in your chilli. You may use canned beans if you prefer.

In a large pot heat 3 tbsp olive oil.

Add
6 cloves minced garlic
2 medium red onions

Cook until the onions begin to soften.

Add

1 ½ cups tomato sauce
4 cups crushed tomatoes
2 roasted red peppers chopped
3 ears of grilled corn, removed from cob
1 minced jalapeño pepper( optional)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 heaping tbsp chili powder

3 tablespoons molasses
Salt and pepper to season

4 tbsp chopped cilatro

pre-soaked r canned  beans

Simmer very gently over low heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours stirring occasionally. Serve alone or with tortilla chips and garnishes of grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and lime guacamole.

Tempura Red Onion Rings

Heat canola oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F or shallow fry in an inch of oil in a deep cast iron frying pan using a thermometer to keep a careful eye on the heat level.

Mix together

1 egg + enough whole milk to make 1 cup

Whisk in

1 cup flour

Some lumps in this simple batter is just fine. Let batter stand for 10 minutes before dipping

1  inch rings of red onion

into the tempura batter and then dropping them into the deep fryer. Cook for only a few minutes until light golden brown.

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

This is one delicious and very satisfying chicken parmesan burger that is very traditional in terms of flavors but a little different in the way those flavours come together. Traditional Italian herbs are baked into the fresh buns and also included in the super crunchy fried chicken crust on the succulent  chicken breasts. In the sauce however, it's all about the sweet summer tomatoes. The tomatoes are very simply seasoned and quickly pan fried to a chunky compote that gets served on the burgers along with mixed mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

This terrific sandwich is a meal in itself, all we ever serve with them is a simple salad on the side.

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

Parmesan Herb Burger Buns

• 3 cups flour
• 1 pkg (5 grams) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, chives, basil and rosemary)Makes 12 burger buns

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour along with the sugar, instant yeast, cheese and herbs and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a large electric mixer that uses a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Using a wooden spoon or the regular paddle of your electric mixer beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining  flour. If not using an electric mixer keep mixing in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto the counter top or bread board to knead. You may need to use a little less or a little more flour, this is not uncommon. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes either in the electric mixer or on a bread board or counter top.

Cover dough and leave to rest and rise for one hour. Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand before letting it rest for another 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, forming each division into a ball.  Roll the ball into about a 4 or five inch disk and place on baking sheets 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a draft free place for about 1 1/2 hours or until at least doubled or tripled in size. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Double Crunch Italian Fried Chicken Breasts

• 6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the meat to an even 1/2 inch thickness.

Sift together:

• 2 cup flour
• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano finely chopped

Make an egg wash by whisking together:

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp water

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and herb mixture. Dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and herb mix, pressing the mix into the meat to get good contact.

Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on a wire rack. Hold in a warm oven.

Quick Chunky Tomato Compote

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 8 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to season

Sauté the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, chilli flakes, salt, pepper. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the compote reduces to a jam-like consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the final few minutes of cooking time before serving.

Toast the burger buns under the broiler. Place the fried chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish spoon on some of the warm tomato compote, then top with a mixture of:

• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese. Serve on the toasted burger buns.

Jalapeno and Queso Fresco Stuffed Burgers

The great grilling continues with another winning combination in a stuffed burger. This time some locally made queso  fresco artisan cheese from Five Brothers Cheese gets layered with diced fresh jalopeno peppers and stuffed into extra lean ground beef flavored with garlic and even more jalopenos! This is a very flavorful burger with plenty of punch. Plenty of crisp bacon was the only thing my inner meat-a-tarian needed to complete this burger but next time I'm trying it with some fresh homemade salsa as a condiment.

Makes 4 burgers

Mix together:

2 lbs extra lean ground beef

1 or 2 finely diced jalapeño peppers

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin

4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Form into 8 individual burger patties. On four of the patties, place about 

2 ounces thinly sliced queso fresco cheese layered with a sprinkle of diced jalapeño peppers between the layers of cheese.

Place the remaining four patties over the cheese and pinch the edges together to seal.

Grill over medium high heat  for 4-5 minutes per side or longer if you prefer well-done. Serve on well toasted burger buns with plenty of crispy bacon.

Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

When I dropped by the St. John’s Farmer’s Market  last Saturday, I had a brief chat with Adam Blanchard, the owner and talented cheese maker at Five Brothers Artisan Cheese. Adam has had great success over the past year since the launch of his local cheese making company. A number of good local restaurants have embraced his products and contributed to their popularity, no doubt. Adam always has several varieties of his cheeses on offer at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and I purchased some of his goat’s milk cheddar which was quite delicious with some crusty bread and olives as my Saturday lunch. 

The texture of this cheese was akin to a softer, creamier version of feta, so if you are not lucky enough to get your hands on any of Five Brothers wonderful cheese, substitute a good quality feta in this recipe, which is what I have used previously in these burgers. Sometimes softer cheeses can be difficult to use in stuffed burgers, often oozing out of the burger on the grill but I really like the way this cheese stayed intact, warmed and took on a whole new dimension of delicate texture. It was delicious with the mildly flavored lamb which got a flavor boost from fresh garden herbs, minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes incorporated into the burgers. I then seasoned the outside of the burgers with smoked paprika before they hit the grill.

With so many flavor components already in play with these burgers, the only condiment that I served with them was some of my favorite Lemon Mint Tzatziki that I normally serve with Chicken Souvlaki. This was one awesome burger. For those of you lucky enough to be in the St. John’s are be sure to check out Five Brothers Artisan Cheese at the St. John’s Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

Makes 4 burgers

Mix together:

• 2 lbs ground lean fresh lamb
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Form into 8 individual burger patties. On four of the patties, place about 

• 2 ounces feta  cheese or goat cheddar

Place the remaining four patties over the cheese and pinch the edges together to seal. Season the outside with a good dusting of

Smoked paprika

Grill over medium high heat  for 4-5 minutes per side or longer if you prefer well-done. Serve on toasted buns with Lemon Mint Tzatziki.

Lemon Mint Tzatziki  

(Half this recipe is enough but it also makes for a great veggie dip and will last a few days in the fridge if you make the whole batch)

• 3 cups Greek yogurt, drained.

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

• 6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour , stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

Chipotle Jack Bacon Burgers

Chipotle Jack Bacon Burgers

With grilling season heating up, our family will probably be eating more than our fair share of juicy burgers and this is a great one. With cubes of Monterey Jack Cheese melting inside a thick ground beef patty which has been seasoned with spicy chipotle powder, these are some of the most flavorful burgers you will pull off the grill this season.

For each burger combine:

• 6 ounces lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 ounces monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, cut in 1 cm cubes
• pinch kosher salt 
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 clove roasted garlic, mashed into a paste (or 1/2 clove finely minced garlic)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce or 1 tbsp minced fresh jalapeno pepper (optional)

 
Form into patties and cook in a hot, lightly oiled cast iron pan or on a preheated grill until well done (internal temperature with a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees F or higher. Serve on toasted crusty rolls with:

• oil packed, sundried tomatoes
• crisp cooked smoky bacon
• baby lettuce leaves

Barbeque Bacon and Cheddar Sliders

Barbeque Bacon and Cheddar Sliders

Everybody loves it when I serve these little hamburgers at get-togethers and they are a great thing to make when serving a large crowd at parties. The fact that the burgers are slowly simmered in hot barbeque sauce makes them very easy to stay warm in a 200 degree oven at a party and then simply put together as you need them. I have made batches of several dozen this way in the past. You can even set up a slider bar and let your guests put together their own.

I have included a barbeque sauce recipe here as well and it is a good idea to bring the sauce up to boiling before pouring it over the patties as this will speed up the oven time and not cool down the burgers.

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ small red onion finely chopped
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed

Sauté the garlic and onions in 2 tbsp olive oil until softened. Add to the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Form the mixture into 16 small patties and fry in a little oil until completely cooked. Place in a roasting pan and cover the patties with some heated barbeque sauce. Place on a 200 degree oven for half an hour before serving on toasted dinner rolls with melted cheddar and crisp cooked smoked bacon.

Molasses Barbeque Sauce

• One 14 ounce can plain tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup fancy molasses
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional or to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground fennel seed
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground dry oregano
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Simmer all ingredients together very slowly for about a half hour, stirring often.

Blue Cheese Roasted Garlic and Tempura Red Onion Burgers

Blue Cheese Roasted Garlic and Tempura Red Onion Burgers

Roasted garlic? Onions? Blue cheese?

I know...pass the mouth wash, right? Maybe so, but all these pungent flavors combined are so delicious that it might just be worth it! Make one for your significant other too and there won't be any complaints. ;)

Makes 4 burgers

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled into large pieces
• 4 Kaiser rolls

Mix together all ingredients except the blue cheese. Gently mix in the blue cheese being careful not to break up the crumbled pieces too much; you want them to be as whole as possible. Form the meat mixture into 4 large patties and grill until well done. Serve on fresh toasted Kaiser rolls with your favorite condiments and top with Tempura Red Onions

Tempura Red Onions

Heat canola oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F

Mix together:

• 1 egg + enough whole milk to make 1 cup

Whisk in

• 1 cup flour

Some lumps in this simple batter is just fine. Let batter stand for 10 minutes before dipping

• ¼ inch rings of red onion

into the tempura batter and then dropping them into the deep fryer. Cook for only a few minutes until light golden brown.

Sundried Tomato Bacon Burgers

Sundried Tomato Bacon Burgers

Sometimes nothing beats a good burger. My burger cravings are never going to be satisfied by the lack luster offerings of all of the fast food chains. For the most part, I am a big burger purist, preferring to make my own very simple hamburgers. I'm not fond of homemade burgers with loads of fillers; I prefer an all beef burger to be enjoyed purely on the virtues of the flavour of the beef. Most often salt and pepper are the only additions to my hamburger patties.

My burger purist sensibilities are in no way offended by this recipe however. This sort of Italian version of a burger is absolutely delicious and the flavours of garlic, oregano, tomato and parmesan go very well with the flavour of the beef. I sometimes make these with a couple of ounces of mozzarella or cheddar tucked into the center of the burgers to make a sort of inside out cheeseburger. Mozza and marinara sauce also make very good additions to these great burgers.

Makes 4-6 burgers

2 ½ pounds extra lean ground beef

1 tsp oregano
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
¼ cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes
1 clove finely minced garlic
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and form into 4-6 burger patties. Grill or pan fry as desired. Serve on large Kaiser buns with your favourite burger toppings.