Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Sunday Small Bites - Goat Cheese

The Sunday Slow Cooks  are a group of cooks from the slow travel community message board. We have been bakers, scoopers, soupers, and tossers (yes, I know that is a derogatory term in some parts of the world ! LOL) No we have taken on a new challenge - instead of each of us preparing the same recipe each week, we are preparing our own appetizer - or Small Bite - that uses a specific main ingredient. So far we have tackled shrimp,  crab, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado. This week Nancy selected goat cheese as the ingredient of the week.

I knew that we'd be in Athens this week (no, I shall never get tired of saying that) so we made this in advance. The recipe we selected was adapted from one we found in the Cuisine at Home grilling magazine. There recipe called for feta. I substituted goat cheese instead with happy results.

We loved the way the smokey grilled zucchini blended with the goat cheese, herbs, and lemon making this a light but sophisticated treat. This was another appetizer that looks like you cooked for hours when really you spent less than 30 minutes getting it together.

Enjoy!

Grilled Zucchini Roll-ups with Goat Cheese and Herbs

1/4 cup goat cheese, finely crumbled
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (we used low-fat)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (we used low-fat)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced, fresh oregano
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
10 8-inch strips of zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch and about 2 inches wide
lemon zest and fresh thyme to garnish

Pre-heat the grill to medium high heat.

Combine goat cheese, cream cheese, mayo, thyme, oregano, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper for filling in a bowl.

Brush the zucchini with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Grill , uncovered, about 2 minutes per side. Set slices to cool.

Pat slices dry with a paper towel. Spread each slice with about 1 teaspoon of the filling on one side. Roll up jelly-roll style.

Top with lemon zest and remaining thyme to garnish.

Sunday Small Bites - Avocado

The Sunday Slow Cooks  are a group of cooks from the slow travel community message board. We have been bakers, scoopers, soupers, and tossers (yes, I know that is a derogatory term in some parts of the world ! LOL) No we have taken on a new challenge - instead of each of us preparing the same recipe each week, we are preparing our own appetizer - or Small Bite - that uses a specific main ingredient. So far we have tackled shrimp,  crab and sun-dried tomatoes. This week Annie selected avocado as the ingredient of the week.

In my mind avocados are closely tied with the foods of the SW that we love. I went through all of the various combinations of tacos, quesadillas, mini burritos, etc. and finally ended up with this unusual dish. Here a pork tenderloin is coated with a delicious SW rub and grilled. Once cooked it is sliced thinly and the slices are served atop a crisp tortilla chip topped with an amazing avocado cream sauce.

I wanted to make something that would fit the canape range of small plates. You know the things that you can picture waiters dressed in black passing about on silver trays while happy guests sip champagne and chat. Now, to be honest, I've never hosted such a celebration but if I did I would served these. *smile*

Paul LOVED them. In fact he ate the leftovers every night until that pork tenderloin was all gone. There was still some avocado cream left and I suspected he wanted me to grill up another tenderloin so that he could feed his addiction. Given that we are trying to 'eat up the fridge' before we head off to Greece - on FRIDAY I wasn't about to grill up anything else.

Another plus for this recipe - it is EASY! The cream sauce comes together in no time at all and it is the most complex part of the production. This recipe clearly gets put in the category of things you make with no fuss that people will think you're a master chef who has slaved in the kitchen all day.  Everyone needs a few of those in their recipe file. :-) 

You could serve this pork as a main dish as well (i.e. not on tortilla chips). It would be amazing with Judy's black bean salad that we made when we were tossing salads in the summer.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Pork Tenderloin with Avocado Cream

Avocado Cream:

1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 small ripe avocado. peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pork:

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

1 pork tenderloin, 3/4 to 1 pound
large round tortilla chips
cilantro sprigs and lime to garnish

Combine all avocado cream sauce ingredients in food processor, fitted with steel blade, and process until smooth. Remove to small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent discoloration. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, oregano, cumin and peppers in small bowl then rub over pork tenderloin. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Bring to room temperature before grilling. Grill over medium heat, turning frequently, for 15 to 15 minutes, or until internal temperature in thickest part reaches 160 degrees.

Remove from the grill. Tent pork with foil and allow to cool slightly.

Slice pork very thinly.

Serve slices on large round tortilla chips, topped with avocado cream sauce.

Garnish platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs

Red Chile-Citrus Marinated Chicken Breasts with Grilled Tortillas and Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Here in Ontario it is a challenge to find decent 'Mexican' food (don't you DARE suggest visiting a Taco Bell). We could make it but then find it a challenge to find the basic ingredients. Then we discovered that a local farm, know for more its strawberries and raspberries, had started growing various peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos; I suspect that the Mexican workers that are hired to work on the farm brought them with them and the rest is history. Happy history if I may . . .

Imagine my excitement when I discovered fresh tomatillos and poblano peppers at the market last week. I knew right away that we would be eating some tasty Mexican food!

One of the recipes I wanted to try was from an old Bobby Flay cookbook 'Boy Meets Grill' - I had avoided it for years because of the title but finally gave in. As I read through it I discovered recipe after recipe that I wanted to try. I shold know better than to avoid a cookbook because of a gimmicky title.

Paul decided that he would make the red chile-citrus marinated chicken breasts with grilled tortillas and avocado-tomatillo salsa for dinner. I was a bit worried - Flay's recipes are scientific but they do seem to involve lots of steps and lots of ingredients. (Don't get me started on titles with 100 words  . . .) Paul was up to the challenge - approaching it as one might approach a puzzle - working through the different steps until it all came together on our plates.

This really is quite an upscale version of fajitas - all made on the grill. It was amazing to sit down to the table on Saturday with a platter of amazing marinated chicken that he had carefully grilled to perfection. We shredded the chicken breasts and tucked the juicy meat into the grilled tortillas (trust me on this - if you have never grilled tortillas TRY IT NOW!) with a generous serving of delicious salsa and grilled poblano peppers. Of course the various flavours came together brilliantly - all playing off one another beautifully.

If you like the zing of Mexican food and have fresh ingredients on hand you should give this a try!

Enjoy!

Red Chile-Citrus Marinated Chicken Breasts with Grilled Tortillas and Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Grilled Tortillas:

1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 6-inch flour tortillas

Avocado and Grilled Tomatillo Salsa:

3 large, ripe Haas avocado, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 tomatillos, husked, washed and coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Marinade:

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons paprika
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil
8 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 poblano peppers, grilled and julienned

For the Avocado and Grilled Tomatillo Salsa: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 2 cups

For the Marinade and the chicken breasts: Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a large shallow baking dish, add chicken breast and turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning once.

Preheat grill.

To grill poblanos, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until charred on all sides. PLace in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 15 minutes. When cool enough to touch, peel, half, and seed.

Remove chicken from marinade and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the breasts, skin side down, for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the breasts over and baste with some of the reserved marinade and cook for 4 minutes. Baste, turn and baste again, cover the grill and cook the breasts for 4 more minutes. Repeat the process once more for a total grilling time of 16 minutes, or until the chicken is well-browned and cook through. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with Grilled Tortillas and Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa on the side.

For the Grilled Tortillas: Brush each tortilla on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 1 minute on each side.

Peach, Prosciutto, and Goat-Cheese Pizzas

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging - one of the longest running food blog 'events' on the web.  This week it is being hosted Rachel from The Crispy Cook. Weekend Herb Blogging was created by Kalyn and is now organized by Haalo, WHB is now in its 4th successful year of showcasing every week delicious (and often unusal) foods prepared using herbs, fruits and vegetables by bloggers around the world.

More on peaches after after the post . . .

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For those of you who adore the salty and sweet flavour combinations - this pizza is for you! Just imagine my joy when this recipe came up in one of my facebook groups. Really they are just temptresses. The timing could not have been better as I had some delicious, fresh peaches in the fridge and all of the other ingredients on hand.

The recipe was originally in the August 2000 Gourmet magazine. I admit that I made some changes . . . the main one being that I love pizza that has been grilled - the crisp, smokey, charred crust. MMM I also love not having to turn on the oven in the summer. LOL I also added some fresh rosemary to the pizza dough.

This is a delicious recipe. Each ingredient comes through, and they dance together on the palate beautifully. The combination of the salty, crispy pork and the sweet peaches was phenomenal.  The peaches, goat cheese and prosciutto would make a wonderful grilled panini on rosemary bread, too.

I'm definitely going to make this again before local peaches disappear from the market - I think I'll try some blue cheese . . .

If you're lucky like we are and have some ripe peaches in the fridge be sure to give this one a try!

Enjoy

Peach, Prosciutto, and Goat-Cheese Pizzas

1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (110–115°F)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 firm-ripe peaches, cut into thin wedges and halved crosswise
8 very thin prosciutto slices, torn into pieces
3 oz soft mild goat cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Stir yeast and sugar into water until dissolved and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl and add yeast mixture, stirring until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface 5 minutes. Put in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat.

Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Quarter dough on floured surface and dust with flour. Shape and stretch 2 pieces of dough into 7- by 5-inch ovals (keep remaining dough covered). Follow the technique for pizza on the grill here.

When one side of the sheels are grilled until crisp remove them from the grill. Working quickly, brush ovals with some oil and top each with one fourth of peaches, prosciutto, cheese, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Return the dressed shell to the grill.

Grill until crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide a metal BBQ flipper under pizzas to remove from the grill.

Shape, top, and cook 2 more pizzas in same manner. Drizzle remaining oil over pizzas.

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Funny thing about peaches - they go on the long list of things I refused to eat as a child yet at some point in my recent past learned to love. Why is it as kids so many delicions fruits and vegetables get ignored only to be discovered later?

Selecting

Look for peaches with skins that show a background color of yellow or warm cream. The amount of pink or red blush on their cheeks depends on the variety and is not a reliable indicator of ripeness. Undertones of green indicate the peaches were picked too soon and will not ripen properly and won't be sweet. Look for plump, medium to large peaches with unwrinkled skins. Choose fruits that are mildly fragrant. Avoid rock-hard peaches and choose those that yield slightly to pressure along the seam, even if they may otherwise be fairly firm. Peaches at this stage of ripeness will soften if kept at room temperature for a few days. Avoid dark-colored, mushy, bruised peaches that are overripe and beginning to spoil. Tan circles or spots on the skin are early signs of decay.

Storing

Store them in a single layer with their stem end down to prevent bruising. Check them daily. When you sniff the stem end, a ripe peach will smell very sweet and peachy. Use them immediately or refrigerate them.

Using

Peaches should be washed thoroughly and can be rubbed with a paper towel to remove the fuzz on the skin. Some people prefer to peel peaches rather than encounter the fuzziness or chewiness of some peach varietal skins. Whole peaches can be peeled easily by immersing a few peaches at a time in boiling water for about 15 seconds and then plunging them into ice water. The skin will slip right off.

Nutrition Information

Peaches are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin and potassium.

Beer Marinated Chicken Tacos

We had the 'Mexican food' cravings last week. I also had some corn tortillas in the freezer that I wanted to 'move' so I started googling about for tacos done on the BBQ.

I found this recipe at the Weber grill site. Given that my three favourite grilling cookbooks are by Weber I was sure that this recipe would be one to try. What wasn't to love . . . grilled chicken that had been marinated in beer served on a tortilla with fresh guacamole . . .

The combination ended up being fantastic. The recipe called for a 2 to 4 hour marinade, but I left it soaking away in a zip lock for far longer (lucky chicken . . .), and the chicken really picked up the deep flavor of the beer. The marinade seemed to caramelize over the high heat, and formed somewhat of a crisp crust. These two factors added a nice contrast to the creamy and fresh guacamole, making each bite a pleasing one.

I did modify the guacamole recipe. In the original recipe it was just avocado, lime juice, and salt. I like my guac with cilantro, tomato, and onion.

If you're looking for a delicious thing to whip up on the grill be sure to give these a try!

Beer Marinated Chicken Tacos

Marinade
1     cup dark Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo
2     tablespoons dark sesame oil
1     tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1     teaspoon dried oregano
1     teaspoon kosher salt
1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4  teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

6     boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 ounces each

Guacamole
2      ripe Haas avocados
1      tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4   teaspoon kosher salt
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

6      flour or corn tortillas (6 to 7 inches)

In a small bowl whisk the marinade ingredients. Place the thighs in a large, plastic resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and salt. Using a fork, mash the ingredients together. Mix in tomato, onion, and cilantro. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface to prevent browning, and refrigerate until about 1 hour before serving.

Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill over direct high heat (450°F to 550°F), with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Cut the chicken into thin strips.

Warm the tortillas over direct medium heat (350°F to 450°F) for about 1 minute, turning once. Pile the sliced chicken inside the tortillas. Top each with a spoonful of guacamole. Serve warm.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Chermoula Sauce

A few weeks ago the Sunday Salad Samplers were making a delicious couscous salad. I decided to continue the Moroccan with some chicken skewers grilled on the BBQ. I searched the internet and came upon these skewers that are both marinated and served with a a Chermoula sauce. The skewers were great served with the salad.

Chermoula is generally used with fish. It is a classic mix of fresh cilantro (mmm), garlic, and spices, bound together with lemon juice and olive oil. The combination of spices varies depending on the cook's preferences, and fresh parsley, fresh mint, or chopped onions may be added, but the basic idea remains the same: to form a thick paste that will be used as a marinade before grilling or baking the fish, or as a condiment at the table.

I discovered that with this recipe, adapted by the eclectic cook,  the sauce also goes brilliantly with chicken!

Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Chermoula Sauce

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Chermoula sauce for marinade and serving (recipe follows)

Cut the chicken into 1 ½ inch cubes.  Pour about half of the chermoula over the chicken and marinade in a covered glass bowl or freezer bag in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Thread the chicken onto skewers, about 5 pieces per skewer.  If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about an hour before using. Preheat the grill to medium. Grill the chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through (165°F). Serve with some couscous and the reserved chermoula sauce for dipping.

Chermoula Sauce
Adapted from Gourmet, April 2001 via Epicurious

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with blender running. Chermoula can be stored in refrigerator for at least a few days. 

Grilled Vietnamese-style Chicken Wings

Another first here on the blog . . . In 970 posts I have yet to post a recipe by Emeril Lagasse. This one comes courtesy of the Food Network where it appeared in 2006 on an episode of Emeril Live. I should confess that I've never been a huge fan of Emeril - all of the 'bam' this and 'kick it up' and 'essence' has just been too much. However when I found this after google about for 'grilled chicken wings' I was intrigued.

The wings marinate in a full-flavoured Vietnamese marinade for up to 24 hous and then are quickly grilled. One of our guests doesn't appreciate the happy burn of spicey foods so we thought that she would appreciate this. I added this to the menu for Sunday and they were a huge hit. 'Someone' liked them so much that the wing that fell on the ground as I was removing them from the BBQ was even consumed! LOL

I apologize for the pic. . . I was so into the laughter with our friends that I never managed to take pictures so this was recreated at 6 a the next morning! Apparently i was a bad blogger. I shall never get a book deal a la Juie Powell!

I followed the recipe as printed with one exception - I did NOT baste the wings while they grilled. I am always nervous about using anything that has touched raw chicken as a basting sauce. I'm sure Emeril wouldn't poison us but I wasn't taking chances.

If you're looking for something just a bit different that traditional grilled wings, do give these a try!

Enjoy!

Grilled Vietnamese-style Chicken Wings

3 to 3 1/2 pounds wings, separated at the joints, wing tips reserved for another purpose
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons chopped green onion bottoms
1/2 cup roughly chopped lemongrass bottoms
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the wing pieces under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside in a large bowl while you prepare the marinade. Combine the garlic, shallots, ginger, green onions, lemongrass, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and peanut oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken wings and place in a plastic resealable food storage bag. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the grill to medium and remove the wings from the marinade. Reserve the marinade to brush the wings while they cook. Place the wings on the grill and season with the salt, and cook, turning over every few minutes and basting with the marinade for the first 18 minutes or so. Continue to cook the wings until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes more.

Place the chicken on a serving platter and garnish with the chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Red Pepper & Caper Sauce

The other day I was having a discussion with some friends about the best way to grill salmon. The conversation moved on to the merits of grilling the salmon on a cedar plank - a technique I had yet to try. As with so many things food-related in my life, there was no reason for this since I had a pile of cedar planks gathering dust mites in the basement  and an ample supply of salmon in the freezer just waiting to be planked, so-to-speak.

I decided then and there that I would have to do something about this failure on my part to use the household resources appropriately. Heck, I even had a recipe all picked out that I wanted to try! No excuses here.

With cedar planked grilling the salmon cooks in it’s own juices making it deliciously moist. This simple method of grilling also solves the difficulties normally associated with barbecuing fish (i.e. having it overcook and disintegrate into bits in front of your eyes thereby causing a call to the local pizza haunt), with the added benefit of the flavour being enhanced with the sweet smoke from the cedar plank.

Though this grilling method hails from the Pacific Northwest, in the recipe I had selected from Fine Cooking magazine it's paired with wonderful Spanish flavors in the sauce and zesty rub.

This salmon was truly amazing! It definitely has a light smokey taste to it from the planking. The rub has a real zing to it from the hot paprika and the sauce really rounds out the entire dish. Both of us enjoyed this meal and I know that it will become a regular in our household. Even better is the fact that it is not to difficult too make!

If you have a grill . . . run out, buy a plank and some salmon, and get busy with this.

Oh yes, we found that the salmon paired wonderfully with a crisp rosado from Spain . . . MMMMM

Enjoy!

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Red Pepper & Caper Sauce

For the sauce:
1/2 cup jarred piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers
1-1/2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 Tbs. brine-packed capers, rinsed and chopped
1-1/2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salmon:
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. hot pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika) or Hungarian hot paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6- to 8-oz. skinless salmon fillets (preferably at least 1 inch thick)
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Make the sauce: Put the peppers, vinegar, mustard, and garlic in a blender and begin to puree. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the capers, parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed.

Prepare the salmon: Soak a cedar plank in cold water for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cumin, pimentón, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the salmon and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Prepare a two-zone fire on a gas or charcoal grill: On a gas grill, set two of the burners to high (one if your grill only has two burners) and leave one burner off. On a charcoal grill, push all of the lit coals to one side of the grill.

Set the cedar plank on the grill over the hot zone, cover the grill, and wait until the plank starts to smoke, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, rub the skinned sides of the salmon fillets with the oil. Slide the plank to the cooler zone and arrange the salmon on top, oiled side down and thicker ends closest to the hot zone. Cover the grill (vents open on a charcoal grill) and cook until the fish is almost cooked through with just a touch of pink in the center—make a nick with a paring knife in the thicker part of a fillet to check—or an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thick part registers 135°F, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer the fish (still on the plank) to a serving platter and serve with the sauce.

Make Ahead Tips: The sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

From Fine Cooking 94, pp. web only

Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

It was Paul's turn to cook on Sunday and he determined that he was going to make a treat for my mom. I don't know why she was deserving of a treat nor can I recall the last time he whipped up a culinary treat for me, however I shall be the bigger person (for once) and move on.

A few weeks ago mom was over and happened to see a Food and Wine magazine laying about - she took one look at the cover and declared that the burger depicted there looked amazing! Paul overheard her lusting after the cover recipe and decided that that was the treat he was going to make for her.

Now lest you shake your head and suspect that I have lost it - burgers can be special and anyone of you who has eaten a burger that wasn't wrapped in waxed paper from McDonald's, Burger king, Wendy's or Harvey's (for my good Canadian readers) knows this. These burgers are relatively simple - the patties are just meat, salt, and pepper. No additives here.

This is where the simple burger stuff ends . . . the patties are soaked in ice water for 30 seconds (yes, soaked in ice water - not unlike a fine beer at the lake) and then grilled. While they grill you brush them with melted butter (in case the fat content of the meal wasn't already sufficient for you).

Once grilled they are served with homemade tarragon russian dressing (which was so darn good mom refused to believe that Paul had made it), melted cheddar, and crisp bacon. Oh wow! Park your diet at the door  . . . remember that the odd indulgence isn't evil.

Superb!

Soaking the meat in the cold water and basting with the butter while grilling ensured that the burgers remained incredibly moist. The butter also helped to enhance the flavor of the meat. The sauce was very easy to prepare and the flavors perfectly complimented the beef and the bacon.  The only negative I have is the burgers tasted so good I over indulged in my eating them.

Make these burgers with a twist for good friends and I can guarantee that they will be visiting you again . . . soon!

Enjoy

Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces thickly sliced bacon
1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck
1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 6 slices
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
6 iceberg lettuce leaves
6 slices of tomato
6 slices of red onion

In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, red wine vinegar, onion, parsley, tarragon and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain and cut the bacon into large pieces.

Light a grill and fill a large bowl with ice water. Gently mix the ground chuck with the ground sirloin, salt and pepper. Form the meat into six 4-inch patties, about 1 1/4 inches thick. Submerge the patties in the cold water and let soak for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the burgers to the grill and brush with some of the melted butter. Grill over high heat for 9 minutes for medium-rare meat, turning once or twice and brushing occasionally with butter. Top the burgers with the cheese during the last minute of grilling and let melt.

Spread the Russian dressing on the buns. Set the lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the bottom halves and top with the burgers, red onion and bacon. Close the burgers, cut in half and serve right away.

Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Salad and Minted Yoghurt

One of my birthday gifts was the new grilling book by Weber: Weber's Way to Grill. I have two other grilling books by Weber and they are both wonderful so I was happy to receive this new one. As I flipped through it there was recipe after recipe that I felt the urge to make - at this rate I shall be grilling twice a day well into the new year!

The first one I tried was this Greek sounding recipe for grilled lamb meatballs. The meatballs are infused with the delicious taste of garlic and ground herbs. They contrast nicely with the fresh chopped salad and simple mint yogurt sauce.

I looked at the suggested cooking/prep time and then the list of ingredients and thought 'you've got to be kidding me . . . there is no way this will be ready in under an hour'. Of course it was and we were quickly sitting down to a meal that was, as Jamie Oliver might say, bloody amazing!

Enjoy!

Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Salad and Minted Yoghurt

For the Salad:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t finely grated lemon zest
1 t minced garlic
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 chopped Italian parsley
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb ground lamb
1 T minced garlic
2 t ground cumin
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups plain Greek style yoghurt
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 t salt

4 - 6 Greek pita (without the pocket)

Extra-virgin olive oil

In a large, non-reactive bowl wisk the oil, vinegar, lemon zest, and garlic. Add in the rest of the salad ingredients and gently toss with the dressing.

In a medium bowl, gently mix the meatball ingredients with your hands. Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough. Form into 24 meatballs. Thread 4 meatballs onto each skewer. Lightly brush with olive oil.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat

In a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the meatballs over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they have browned but are still slightly pink in the centre (4 - 6 minutes), turning occasionally. During the last 30 seconds of the grilling time heat the pita bread over direct heat.

Place 4 meatballs down the centre of each pita. Top with a generous spoonful of sauce and some of the salad.