Monthly Archives: April 2012

Apr17

Building a not-so-tiny perfect burger

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I love a good hamburger as much as anyone, but restaurant-sized burgers are usually too big for me. When did the standard burger become 8 oz of beef plus whatever other miscellaneous deliciousness you want to add?  (For me that probably means chili and cheddar or sautéed mushrooms, onions, and Swiss.) I still eat burgers at restaurants, but I very rarely eat them with my hands, because they’re just too big to pick up and take bites of.

At home, however, I can make a smaller burger and still eat it with my hands.  I think 1/3 lb is the perfect size, on a nice, toasted or grilled kaiser roll. Kaiser rolls are light enough to squish down for easier eating. We set out a bunch of different toppings, then customize the burgers accordingly. I try not to go overboard with the toppings, so that my burger stays a manageable size. However, if you have guests over, they can go as overboard as they want!

I topped mine with cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce, red onions, bbq sauce, pickled jalapenos, and pickles.

Apr16

Grilled vegetable sandwiches with hummus and goat cheese

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I used grilled eggplant and zucchini for these, but any grilled vegetables would work.

Bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, anything that tastes good with a  bit of char would be great.  I grilled mine after brushing them with a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. The key to a good vegetable sandwich, in my opinion, is making sure that it’s not dry.  You can accomplish this with a variety of spreads–aioli, cream cheese, hummus, pesto, guacamole, tapenade. . .whatever sounds good to you.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Hummus and Goat Cheese

Grilled eggplant, zucchini, or other grilled vegetables
Hummus (I used a black bean and chipotle harissa version that I bought at Sprouts, it’s amazing)
Goat cheese
Whole wheat pita bread

Cut the pita bread in half, then toast or warm in the oven.

Open the pita bread so that it forms a pocket. Spread hummus over the bottom half, then stuff with the vegetables. Top with goat cheese.

That’s it!  It’s not much of a “recipe,” but the combination was so delicious that I had to share it.

Apr12

Thai-style ground chicken and basil

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I was introduced to a Thai dish recently, by my (Thai) friend Kathy, and now I am obsessed with it. It’s ground chicken stir-fried with mint and chilies. It’s so simple but so good, and such a nice change from the old stand-bys pad thai, panang curry, etc. I decided to make a dish inspired by that using basil instead of mint. My version was a tiny bit salty, so I recommend starting with less fish sauce and adding more after tasting it.

Thai-Style Ground Chicken and Basil

1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken
juice of 1 lime
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 -1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 T fish sauce (start with 1 and taste before adding more)
1 T garlic chili sauce, plus extra on the side
15 leaves of basil, roughly chopped, or 1/3 c of mint, roughly chopped

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add the oil to the pan, and when it’s hot, add the garlic and fry until fragrant.

Add the chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon and allowing to brown. When the chicken is brown, add the green onions and jalapeno. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili sauce, then toss the meat around in the sauces. Finally, add the basil or mint and stir for about 30 seconds or until wilted.

Serve over white rice.