Michigan Burger take 1

So, as stupid as it sounds, I am trying to perfect a signature burger for an entry in a competition.  That is what food network does.... makes you think you can play with the big dogs.  I want to preface this with the fact that I realize I am not in the same league (or even close) as those people, but I believe in challenging myself, so here I go...  I decided to make this burger in ode to Michigan, my home state.  I instantly thought of apples and Vernor's ginger ale.  I am not going to post the recipe, not because it is a big secret, but because I was not super happy with the results.  The idea was to have a pork burger (made from ground pork, shredded apples, and panko bread crumbs), topped with provolone, bacon, spinach, apple and onion chutney (made with apples and onions sauteed with butter, ginger ale, and brown sugar), and ginger ale reduction mayonnaise (made with reduced Vernors, mayo, and green onions) on top of a toasted bun.  The bread I chose was not great, and the pork needed a ton more flavor.  I was happy with the way it looked, and the best thing I can say is that it didn't taste bad.... just not as good as I wanted.  As you can probably guess there was a bit more work than the average burger for it to taste just okay.....  Stay tuned for more burger ideas... hopefully better than this one!

Frozen Lemonade Pie

I forgot to post this recipe when I made it for the 4th of July.  It was a perfect light sweet dessert for a warm summer day.  It is a really strong flavor, so you could cut the lemonade down a bit for a more subtle flavor.  I found this recipe on Food Network site from the Neely's. I think the measurements are off a bit.  I doubled the recipe and had a ton of filling left.  So if anything, double the crust and make 2 pies out of the original recipe.  Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumb
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw)  
Topping:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries (I used blackberries)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
Crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.
Filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight. 
Topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

Chicken and Black Bean Empandas

My husband had his 30th birthday Friday and I decided to make a Mexican/Spanish themed menu instead of the staple bbq for his party.  I have to say, it all was pretty good, but the biggest hit of the night were the empanadas.  They were super yummy.  They were a little time consuming since I was making a big batch, but not difficult and well worth it.  Everyone's favorite.  It is a Paula Dean recipe I found in a recent magazine.  Thanks Paula!!

Empanadas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 pkg refrigerated pie crust
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Chipotle Dipping Sauce
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 pkg buttermilk salad dressing mix
1-2 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  In large bowl, combine chicken, beans, Mexican cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper.  Place pie crust on flour surface and cut into rounds, using a 3 inch cookie cutter.  Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of each round.  Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges together with a fork to seal.  Brush each with beaten egg using a party brush.  Bake 17-18 minutes or until golden brown (mine took longer).  For dip, mix mayo, buttermilk, dressing mix, and adobo sauce.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  Serve with warm empanadas.

Stuffed Strawberries

So, 4th of July is one of our favorites, and I love cooking for it.  I usually make some sort of staple fruit salad, but this year I tried a recipe from Paula Dean.  I have to admit, they are yummy.  Mine didn't look as good as this picture from her site, but they tasted pretty darn good.

20 medium strawberries.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Slice the tops off of the strawberries so that they sit flat on serving tray cut side down.  Slice the strawberries in a criss-cross cut careful to not cut all the way through the berry.  Fan out the wedges, taking care not to break the sides.  Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract until smooth.  Fill the strawberries with cream cheese mixture using a pastry bag or teaspoon.  Top with chopped pecans.  Cover and refrigerate until use.

Homemade Southwest Chicken Salad

So I love southwest salads in restaurants but don't love the price of having to go out to eat to get them.  So, this is my newest version of a southwest chicken salad with homemade tortilla strips and homemade guacamole.  Pretty yummy......

Chicken (from a Taste of Homes cook book)

4 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
4 tbls lime juice
4 chicken breasts
olive oil for cooking

Mix seasonings together.  Rub mixture into chicken.  Brown chicken on both sides in skillet with olive oil.  Pour lime juice over chicken.  Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes until chicken no longer pink in the middle.

Tortilla Strips
1/2 package flour tortillas
olive oil
coarse salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut tortillas in half and then in strips.  Place in jelly roll sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat (you may have do this this step again).  Bake20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, until brown and crispy.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocados, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can Rotel, drained

Mix all together and refrigerate 30 minutes. 

Salad 
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
iceberg lettuce, chopped
Mexican blend cheese
sour cream
salsa

In microwave, cook black beans in bowl with water until tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain.  Top lettuce with corn and black beans, cheese, chicken, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips.  Or mix salsa with ranch dressing to make a mexi-ranch dressing.

Rainy Day Bobby Flay California Burger

So, I had all of the fixings for a yummy burger courtesy my secret crush Bobby Flay.  The plan was to have Dan grill, but the weather did not cooperate.  However, I made these inside tonight and they were YUMMY.  It is all about the avocado spread (aka guacamole).  For the original recipe click here, I tweaked a few things.

Burgers
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb lean ground beef
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices cheddar cheese
tomato, sliced
watercress

Avocado Relish
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 diced small onion
juice of 1 lime (taste after put in half)
salt and pepper to taste
(the recipe calls for 1 minced jalapeno which I didn't think my 2 year would appreciate and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro which I HATE with a passion)

Mix turkey burger and lean ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Shape into a uniform patty, no more than 3/4 inch thick (don't overwork the meat). Make a depression in the center with your thumb so the burger won't bulge; the indent will rise as the patty cooks. Preheat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to high. Brush the burger with canola oil.  Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, turning once (7 minutes for medium-rare). Avoid pressing with a spatula! Add cheese for the last minute of cooking. (since I was inside, I browned the patties in a skillet with corn oil, then baked in oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Mix remaining ingredients together for avocado spread.  Top burger with avocado relish, watercress, and tomato slice. Serve on toasted buns. 

Photograph by Steve Giralt

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Satay

This recipe came from my new Taste of Home GRILL IT! cookbook.  I have to say it is very yummy.  No leftovers from this one.  I did increase the amounts it told me because I used a 3 lb prk tenderloin instead of the 1 lb it called for.  Which, I know we are a bigger folk, but when has 1 lb of meat ever been enough for 8 servings?  Maybe as an appetizer, but not dinner portions.  Enjoy!

1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup canola oil
6 garlic colves, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pork tenderloin (3 lb)

In saucepan, bring the first 8 ingredients to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 15- 20 minutes or until thickened.  Reserve half of the sauce for dipping.

Cut pork in half width-wise; cut each half into 10 strips.  Pound each piece of pork under plastic wrap until thin.  Thread pork strips onto metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers.  (I used 5 metal skewers with 4 pieces each).  Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink, basting with sauce throughout grilling. 

Yield: 5 - 6 servings