Get Out & Grill: Chicken Burgers, Grilled Fruit, and Guilt-Free Blondies!

I was a busy, busy girl today, and I loved every minute of it. While on a nice long walk, my brain was busy thinking of something yummy to make for dinner. As the sun hit my face, it was only natural for my thoughts to drift to our grill. Whatever I decided to make, it HAD to be grilled. It was a perfect day to grill out!

I had some ground chicken in my refrigerator that I needed to use up, so that made my decision easy. Chicken burgers & grilled veggies. Off to the grocery store I went to pick up some yummy fixins'. :)

Like I said before, something about Sundays feels like the perfect day to spend some time in the kitchen. I cooked some lentils to prepare for weekly meals. Then, it was baking time. I wanted to make something sweet and delicious to snack on throughout my week, but I also wanted it to be completely guilt-free. I came across the idea for chickpea blondies that really caught my attention. Flourless, vegan, and gluten-free. Perfect! Chickpeas in a dessert may sound a little weird, but I promise they are so yummy!

Here's the blondies recipe:

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1/2 cup almond butter (you could also use natural peanut butter!)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar (I actually used raw honey in mine, so that's another option if you aren't vegan!)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
(If you want your blondies to have more of a cake-like texture and less fudgy, you can also add one egg. This will obviously make it not vegan, though.)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and spray an 8x8 baking dish with your favorite cooking spray. Combine all ingredients, except for the chocolate chips into a food processor. I actually don't have a food processor (I'm planning on investing in one soon!), so I used my blender and that worked just fine. After blending or processing the ingredients into a smooth batter, fold in the chocolate chips.






Spread the batter into your baking dish, and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges should look a golden brown color. Be careful not to cook too long. They might seem a little underdone, but you don't want them to dry out. With no raw eggs, it's fine if they are a little gooey!


Cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle some sea salt on top, cut into squares, and ENJOY your guilt-free blondies!


http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/flourless-chocolate-chip-chickpea-blondies-with-sea-salt-vegan-gluten-free-healthy/ (original recipe)

Next, it was time to start to prepare our dinner.

My boyfriend is the grill master, but I usually do the preparing. He decided to have some good ol' hot dogs while I opted for chicken and spinach burgers. We also grilled up some zucchini coins (tossed in olive oil, salt, & pepper) and corn on the cob. We were saving the fruit for dessert.

Here's the recipe for the chicken & spinach burgers! 

1 lb. ground chicken (you could also use turkey!)

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 

2 Tbs. barbecue sauce of your choice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into patties. Grill for about ten minutes (make sure to oil your grill surface first so your burgers won't stick!) or until thermometer reads 165 degrees and the meat is no longer pink. I noticed that the spinach part of the burgers was starting to get overdone before the chicken was completely cooked, so I actually finished them off in the oven. But just see how it works for you. Try turning your grill to a lower heat. I actually used a bit more than 10 oz. of spinach, so that might've been my problem. 

Anyway, once fully cooked, you can eat your burger anyway you choose. I just ate mine with a fork alongside my veggies, but you can also put it on a bun like a regular burger along with your favorite toppings. I like to put my burgers on a whole wheat English muffin. I'm excited to have leftover chicken burgers for the rest of the week. It was delicious! 

Now, it was time for dessert. The sun was still shining, so we were gonna take full advantage of that grill. Our dessert consisted of grilled nectarine and pineapple. Yum!

Just cut a nectarine in half and remove the pit. Place inside down on the grill and cook until grill lines appear (a few minutes). Cut your pineapple however you like and place it on the grill (if you cut into chunks, using a skewer would be the way to go! I sliced mine into rings.). Cook until grill lines appear. I sprinkled cinnamon on my fruit before grilling. After grilling, I stacked my fruit and topped it with some Greek yogurt, more cinnamon, pecans, flaxseeds, and a drizzle of raw honey. You could also top with ice cream or whatever you like. 

DELICIOUS. :)