Cooking with Kelly: Healthy Spinach Feta Chicken Burger Recipe

I nearly cried in the grocery store this weekend.

You see, I decided many days ago I wanted to spend quite a few calories on a chicken burger from the meat counter on a super plush pretzel bun with all the fixings. I've been working hard and I needed a meal to look forward to. I headed to the store early, and wouldn't you know, they didn't have the burgers. They told me they might have them later.

Frustrated and hungry, because I'm always hungry, I bought the raw ingredients for my favorite burger and set out to make it my own damn self.

The key to these burgers, in my opinion, is getting them toasted enough on the outside to properly cook the chicken while not burning it to oblivion. I got this by using a grill pan inside initially heated to medium-high heat, then reduced to medium after searing. I also covered it with a lid in the last few minutes to capture the steam, but preserve the outer crunch.

My second pro tip is to ensure the spinach is super dry. Otherwise, the moisture will cause your burgers to fall apart while cooking. I thawed the spinach and let it drain, then rung it out with a dish towel.

Healthy Spinach Feta Chicken Burger Recipe

1 pound ground lean chicken
1 beaten egg
9ish ounces of frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly dried
1 small package of reduced fat feta (this worked out to about 2/3 cups)
1 tablespoon seasoned flour or breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chicken and egg, then crumble the cheese and spinach over the meat. Season with spices and stir until incorporated. Take care not to over stir the mixture or it will get tough.

Divide into four patties. I like to dent the middle of the patties with my thumb so the burgers don't get domed when grilling.
Chill for an hour to allow the burgers to set. Heat a grill pan to medium high and sear the burgers for five minutes on each side. Cover with a lid and continue to cook until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the grill and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve on pretzel buns with lettuce, tomato, condiments and whatever your heart desires. I highly recommend avocado on these burgers. We had this with blistered green beans and turnip "fries." Worth every calorie.

2019 First Look for Charity at the Chicago Auto Show

This event makes me so happy! #FLFC19 is hands down my favorite event of the year (See 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015). It's the best way to see the Chicago Auto Show while giving back to worthy causes. It supports a bevy of local charities that support the Chicagoland area in a variety of ways. And for weeks leading up to the big night, I was pumped to see the cars, drink the drinks and eat everything in sight.
This year's event did not disappoint! In fact, I feel like it was less crowded this year and had some interesting offerings, both in the cars and the food.

But first thing's first, for those who asked my dress was another Ross special and the shoes I've had forever but were originally from DSW. And yes, my mother picked out the dress, just like most of my wardrobe (you're never too old to be mothered).

First clink!

We decided against getting a hotel this year because of last year's shenanigans and instead took Lyft back and forth and got to McCormick Place with time to spare. This year, they were passing out champagne in custom glasses while you waited for the show to open, which is always an upgrade in my book.

When the doors were opened, we made a beeline to the Goose Island area, which this year included an entire CTA subway car with taps. And this year's taps were something to behold - there was a keg of Bourbon County Brand Stout that never kicked, despite me circling back for more several times. It was basically magical. It's the first time they've had it on tap in the five years I've been going to this event and it was such an awesome surprise. They also had an exclusive saison I hadn't hear of.
After selecting our drinks, we had a far more leisurely stroll around the show floor, admiring cars and making friends. Four-legged friends that I really wanted to take home (thanks Volvo and Subaru!) but alas, we are a one-dog household.

I also seriously considered this vanlife movement when I saw some of the newer vans. Social media is a great field for remote work, after all.

But let's talk food. Delicious, glorious food. I had a ton and regret nothing. This was only my second cheat meal since the beginning of the transformation challenge and I did it up right. The best thing I ate all night was this Captain Jack's Buried Treasure dessert from Miller's Ale House. I looked it up on their website and it's described as, "Triple layered vanilla ice cream cake, Oreo®cookie crust, Heath Bar® crunch crumble, caramel and hot fudge sauce."

Well worth the calories, in my opinion, dethroning Andy's as my favorite auto show treat. But another treat I really enjoy is looking at the supercar gallery up close and personal. It's always fun to ogle cars that are worth many times more than my home.

We stayed until the very end and soaked up all the show has to offer. Believe me that I got my Cadillac slippers and even built a lego truck in honor of the new movie before taking a car home and sleeping heartily with all the delightful food we consumed helping me along the way.

A huge thank you to the Chicago Auto Show for inviting me to the fabulous event year after year!

#TransformationChallenge Two-Week Check In

After a bonkers partner workout

Short version: I'm down 4.5 pounds in exactly two weeks of working out at Orange Theory La Grange.

Long version: This. Is. Hard. Unlike the last time I lost weight using Weight Watchers and running an absurd amount, I'm not hungry all the time and I don't find myself accidentally eating peanut butter right from the jar. Instead, I'm more concerned I'm not eating enough. I've been using FitBit to track my food and aim to get as much protein as possible with the calories I'm allotted. I think the reason that I'm not ravenous is that my legs aren't hungry. The longest I run at OTF is maybe 4.5 miles, so I don't have time to ramp up to that "feed me now and no one gets hurt" level. I'mn fasting until lunchtime most days, filling up on tons of vegetables and finishing most days with a protein shake to try and head to bed with enough protein to build muscles overnight. I'm also taking BCAAs after workouts and melatonin before bed for the same reasons.

The aforementioned ahi tuna, brown rice quinoa
and blistered asparagus

What I've found delightful is that although we're spending quite a bit more on groceries, I'm enjoying trying new recipes and they've mostly turned out better than I expected. Tonight I made seared ahi tuna steaks with a balsamic reduction (best to follow me on Instagram to get the insights) and yesterday, I made chicken stuffed peppers. Next week, I'm planning to try a lentil quinoa bowl knock off based on a really satisfying lunch I had at Panera this week.

I'm also trying to not get obsessed with the scale and man is it tough. I bought a body fat scale that sends all the data to FitBit via an iPhone app. If it's to be believed, I reduced my body fat from 26.7 percent to 19.1 percent. Seems unlikely.

Make no mistake, I know how I got here

On the OTF front, I've been making it to class almost every day, save for some weather-related nonsense. I'm pretty diehard but I don't think I have it in me to leave the house when it's the coldest it's been in a generation. I am feeling less sore than I anticipated. I think it's because I'm constantly moving, and focusing on getting in at least 10,000 steps ahead and taking the BCAAs. I caught myself in the mirror the other day and my arms are already looking more defined. And maybe one day I'll be bold enough to post my two-week abs progress.

I have a planned cheat meal/outing on Friday with the First Look for Charity gala right around the corner. I'm looking forward to eating all sorts of local treats without guilt because I've been on plan and on point.

So my question is, how does one determine exactly how many calories and grams of protein you need to build muscle and lose fat? Evidently, this is a very hotly contested topic on the Internet.