Chicken Kale Burgers

So for whatever reason after my wedding my healthy habits sort of walked out with my maiden name. I don’t know what’s gotten into me but I’m not in the mood to workout, and banana chia pudding no longer sounds as appetizing as real banana pudding. I am, however, working on convincing myself that I need to get my life in order. It’s so weird, though, because I was practicing healthy habits long before I got engaged, so I’m not sure why all of a sudden I changed my last name and all I want to eat is ham and cake. I do know that after I said I do, I didn’t want to DO anything else. What I wanted was a vacation from everything.
But today is my first day back from vacation. DC just called and told me to put on some workout clothes. And in honor of my first workout post-wedding, I’m sharing this recipe for a very healthy, yet tasty alternative to the burger. The “Chicken Kale Burger” and what DC calls the chicken with dollar bills crunched up in it. The burger is flavorful and juicy, and it’s a great source of lean protein. He still doesn’t believe that I made them–he’s convinced I bought them from the store.

The colors give the burger a refreshing summer feel so it’s perfect for your backyard barbeque. I cooked these on a griddle, so if you decide to grill them you might opt out of using the egg. I served mine on a wheat bun with roasted brussels sprouts which can also be grilled.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground chicken
1 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cilantro
A few bunches of kale (chopped)
1 egg (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the griddle to 350 degrees
Add the seasonings to the ground chicken and mix well
Mix in the kale and cilantro making sure there’s plenty of green
Add the egg (if you plan to use it) and mix it in well
Form the mixture into four patties and drop on the griddle
Cook for about 10-12 minutes per side or until the burgers are completely cooked