Whole 30 Chicken Burgers with Eggplant over Arugula

Last summer, I discovered the Whole 30 way of eating. I did one successful Whole 30 that ended in September 2017. While eating Whole 30 meals, I realized how amazingly tasty healthy foods could be. I still try to eat Whole 30 compliant meals as much as I can (eggs, eggs, and more eggs), but have not gotten out the cookbook in awhile. I recently tried the recipe for these chicken patties with eggplant and it was so good!  The original recipe uses the grill for the chicken patties and eggplant, but I pan fried the chicken and roasted the eggplant. This meal was so filling and flavorful! The Whole 30 Cookbook has a recipe for homemade mayonnaise. I used a Whole 30 compliant mayonnaise (no sugar, soy free, made with avocado oil) and added in the fennel and garlic. The mayonnaise was amazing. After posting a picture of the meal on Facebook, many friends asked for the recipe, so I'm posting it here. Enjoy!

I made the decision that I am starting my next Whole 30 on July 18, 2018. Who wants to join me?

Recipe for Whole 30 Chicken Burgers with Eggplant over Arugula
INGREDIENTS:
For the mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, thinly sliced and chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup of Whole 30 Compliant Mayonnaise
For the Chicken Burgers
2 Tbsp. of dried basil
2 Tbsp. of minced roasted red peppers
1 tsp. of dried oregano
3/4 tsp. of kosher salt
1/2 tsp. of ground fennel seeds
 1 1/2 pounds of ground chicken (light and dark meat)
For the Eggplant
1 small or medium eggplant (l pound or less)
2 Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

For assembling
4 cups of Baby Arugula
Tomatoes on the vine, sliced thin
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar


DIRECTIONS:
For the mayonnaise:
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the fennel and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fennel is softened and golden brown in color. Then add in the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Transfer the mixture to a small container and cool. Wipe out the skillet. Stir in the mayonnaise with the fennel and garlic. Cover with lid and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Put the olive oil in a bowl and get a rimmed baking pan ready. Slick each side of the eggplant rounds with the olive oil and then place on the baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven, cook for 10 minutes. Flip, and then sprinkle the other side with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes.

For the patties:
While the eggplant cooks, combine the dried basil, peppers, oregano, salt, and fennel seeds in a large bowl. Add in the chicken and mix well, using your hands, until well combined. Form mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick each. In the same skillet you used for the fennel and garlic, heat oil over medium high heat. Add in 2 chicken patties (if your skillet is large enough, you can cook all 4 at the same time) and cook 6 - 7 minutes. Then flip and cook for an additional 4 - 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skillet and add in the rest of the patties and cook until done.

Arrange 1 cup of arugula onto four plates. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Top with roasted eggplant rounds and tomatoes. Add on the chicken patty and top with the fennel garlic mayonnaise. Yum! 

Recipe makes 4 servings.
Recipe Adapted from The Whole 30 Cookbook

Baby Arugula Salad with a Lemon Honey Dressing

Spring is finally here! I no longer crave soups or other hearty foods. I am happy eating salads, fruits, and lots of veggies. My favorite snack the past few days has been toasted bread with homemade truffle butter (butter is so easy to make - put heavy cream in the food processor for several minutes and you have your own butter) topped with sliced radishes and fresh thyme. So yummy! I paired the open-faced sandwich with this tasty salad. This salad taste like spring time. It is crisp, sweet, and refreshing. I truly felt feelings of euphoria come over me as I ate it. Is that weird? Maybe it is, but it is true. Greg was pretty impressed with this salad too. I originally was going to use dried figs on it, but since I could find them, I chose to use a little bit of chopped radish instead. It was the perfect amount of crisp and the flavor paired nicely with the arugula. I also topped the salad with the yummy cinnamon spiced almonds (that are made without any egg white) and goat cheese. I was going to use blue cheese but Greg seriously despises blue cheese, so I went with the goat. I think it worked well. If you are looking for a pretty good brand of goat cheese that doesn't cost too much money, I'd recommend the Vermont Creamery brand. I used radishes from Wegman's that were already washed and prepared, which made things much easier. For the dressing, I just mixed up some lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. So simple and so delicious.

If you want a yummy salad for lunch or just looking for a tasty salad to compliment a meal, try this baby arugula salad with lemon honey dressing. Enjoy!

Recipe for Baby Arugula Salad with a Lemon Honey Dressing

INGREDIENTS: 
3 cups of baby arugula leaves
About 20 cinnamon spiced almonds
Thinly sliced radishes cut into quarters (about one radish)
2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese (I used the Vermont Creamery brand)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. of honey
A couple grinds of sea salt
Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Divide the baby arugula leaves amongst two plates. Then top each with the almonds, radishes, and goat cheese.

Prepare the dressing. Put the lemon juice, olive oil, and honey into a smallish bowl. Stir well until the honey is no longer thick and well incorporated. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as desired. Spoon half the dressing over one salad and half over the other.

-Original Recipe-
Recipe makes 2 salads.

Arugula and Fruit Salad with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Here is a super healthy and delicious salad for you! I am quite a fan of arugula. If you look through my blog postings, you'll see plenty of meals made with arugula. I'll post some yummy arugula recipe links at the bottom of this entry for you because I am very generous. I love the flavor of arugula. It is so much more sophisticated tasting than most of the leafy greens that are out there, and it also has tons of health benefits. It is a good source of several vitamins, folic acid, iron, and phytochemicals that fight cancer. And, not only is it good for you, but eating arugula also makes you more sexually energized - it's an aphrodisiac!

I think you'll find this salad to be very tasty. You'll love the combination of the fruit, avocado, and toasted walnuts with the sweet tasting vinaigrette. This salad makes quite the pretty display of colors and it is fun to eat. Enjoy!

Recipe for Arugula and Fruit Salad with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups of arugula leaves
2 medium Hass avocados, chopped
2 large mangos, chopped
3 mandarins (I use Wonderful Halos), separated into pieces
1/3 cup of walnuts
2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. of honey
1 1/2 Tbsp. of blood orange vinegar
1/8 tsp. of kosher salt
Several grinds of fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Toast the walnuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven and cook for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

While walnuts are toasting, mix up the dressing. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

Divide the arugula onto plates. Top each with chopped mango, avocado, mandarin pieces, and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and then sprinkle with some extra black pepper, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Original Recipe

More Tasty Arugula Recipes
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Asparagus and Arugula Pizza
Penne Pasta with Arugula Pesto
Asparagus and Arugula Risotto
California Pizza Kitchen-Style Quinoa Salad 
Greek Pizza

CPK-Style Quinoa Salad with Arugula

Recipe for CPK-Style Quinoa Salad

Please visit my new blog, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the CPK-Style Quinoa Salad recipe.