No, Rachael Ray. No.

I'll preface this post by saying that I've never trusted Rachael Ray's recipes. I'm pretty sure her excessive smoking has limited her ability to taste her food. But I decided to give one of her recipes a shot tonight: Chicken Spanakopita Burgers. And while the result was edible, it definitely was not the best thing I've eaten. This would have been vastly approved if I had used beef or lamb--the texture of the chicken just did not work. It also needed to be seasoned much more beyond the oregano and grill seasoning. Just some helpful suggestions to keep in mind if you decide to try out this recipe. Also, I did not make the red pepper paste or the yogurt dip. Instead, I just sliced up some roasted red peppers and served as a topping, which cut down the prep time. Because Ms. Ray may claim "30 Minute Meals," but (earmuffs kids), she's full of s$&#. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-or-turkey-spanakopita-burgers-and-fries-with-yogurt-dip-recipe/index.html.



The fries pictured are super easy to make. Just slice russet potatoes into desired thickness. I usually run a paper towel across the slices because they have a high water content and end up a bit soggier if left as is. As counterintuitive as it may seem, I then drizzle with olive oil, which actually results in a crisp texture; salt; pepper; and any other seasoning around the house (I used Greek Seasoning for this batch). Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. I made a quick alternative dipping sauce, and as much as I love ketchup, this worked out well for the fries: 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, squeeze of lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste blended together in food processor.

The side this time around included a Greek-style salad--the kind I'm pretty sure isn't authentic Greek cuisine, but it's called a Greek salad in a pizzeria. Just some shredded iceberg lettuce, diced plum tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onions. Olives and cucumbers could be added, but I'm not big on those, so the salad had to make do without tonight. The dressing was equally a cinch:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. oregano or Greek seasoning
salt to taste
Whisk ingredients together and drizzle over salad.



So to sum up: I will be trying Rachael Ray recipes with increased caution--about as much caution as I use to approach anything by Sandra Lee. Which is to say, I will just skip over those recipes and go for the Alton, Tyler, Nigella and Ina options instead. But to balance out my negative review, here is a dash of cuteness in the form of one of my little sous chefs.