Spinach & White Cheddar Chicken Burger

I know that it's a little late into January already, but according to some, the new year brings resolutions; so ask yourself, are you up to the challenge?  I wouldn't say that I actually made resolutions, so much as set some personal goals for the year 2014.  So far, I've been doing a really good job sticking to them.  However, the goals I set for myself aren't really anything too extravagant (like going to climb Mt. Everest) and that's ok because I usually end up adding to these throughout the year anyway.  Plus, I change my goals a little bit each month.  To me, there always has to be flexibility.

Now, you might find yourself wondering what exactly my goals are.  First off, let me just inform you that I have the type of personality that definitely likes to be challenged and most often it comes when I hear negativity from others.  Typically, that type of thinking motivates me to try even harder.  Oh yeah, you might not know this about me yet, but I like to prove people wrong; especially when it comes to what they think I'm capable of accomplishing.  I may be little, but I'm pretty strong willed.  I truly believe that nothing in life should ever be easy; you should have to constantly work at things to improve otherwise you will stay the same.  Unless of course you are on vacation, then it should always be easy and relaxing.

So here are my goals to start the new year:
1. With everything that goes on in my personal life, I want to challenge myself to find the time to update my blog at least 6-7 times a month, if not more.
2.  Now that I've recovered from my broken pelvis, I want to challenge myself to run at least 4 races this year.  (I know that I'll be able to too, I've already signed up for 1.  My problem though, is that I don't really like running with other people.  I run for enjoyment.)
3.  To eat healthier.  By this statement, I don't mean that I want to go on a diet and try to lose a bunch of weight, but rather make a conscience lifestyle change.  (I'm not saying that I won't slip here and there, no one's perfect, and everyone likes cookies here and there, but I just want to become more aware of what I put into my digestive system and attempt to eat less processed food.)

On that note, I'd like to share today's recipe with you.  Not only are these spinach and white cheddar chicken burgers healthy, but they're absolutely delicious!  I ended up eating a burger and a half, which is unusual for me, but fine.  Each chicken patty is under 200 calories, of course, this depends whether or not you put the burger on a bun and what extra toppings you end up using as garnish.  I ended up eating my burger plain; mostly because I found that there was already enough seasoning within the burger itself.  I'll definitely be making this again soon!  Even the leftovers were delicious!

Spinach & White Cheddar Chicken Burgers
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Ingredients:
1 package (about 1 ¼ lb.) lean ground chicken
2 oz. fresh baby spinach, wilted
¼ - ½ of a small onion
1 garlic clove
2 stalks of a green onion
1 TBSP fresh parsley leaves
1 cup, shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. soy sauce
¼ - ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ - ½ cup panko bread crumbs (start out on the low end and add more if needed)

Directions:
The first thing that you’ll need to do is wilt your baby spinach leaves.  This is super easy to do, so don’t be intimidated.  In order to wilt the leaves, place your spinach into colander, in a sink, and pour boiling water over them.  Drain well, and then squeeze the leaves out a little, until they appear soft and wilted.

Now, place the onion, green onion, garlic, parsley, and wilted spinach leaves into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fairly fine looking; be careful not to completely puree.

Next, in a medium to large bowl, add the chicken, the chopped up spinach mixture, and all the remaining ingredients.  Using clean hands, knead everything together until well combined.  This is where you may need to add in more panko bread crumbs, but only if the chicken is not holding together.  (One way to tell if you need more crumbs is if the chicken is sticking to your hands)

Once the mixture is well combined, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a little olive oil.  Now, form the chicken into patties (it should make 6 depending on the size) and place onto the prepared pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and then transfer the baking sheet into the refrigerator for about an hour.  This will allow time for the flavors to set in.

When ready to cook, set the oven to broil and allow the patties to cook for 7-9 minutes on each side.  Garnish as desired and enjoy!

Source: Cookin' With Super Pickle