Burger Spreads

"Burger Spreads," what do I mean by this title?  To me, it is one of many different types or styles of condiments that enhance your burger.  Now I'm not talking about solid condiments like cheese, tomato slices, lettuce, etc.  I'm talking a sauce of some kind.

Probably the most famous would be that "Special Sauce" on McDonald's Big Mac burger.  I'm sure it is slightly different but it looks and tastes like "Thousand Island Salad Dressing" to me.

Other simple bought sauces would include such condiments as ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce.  But how about making your own "Burger Spread" or "Sauce" to meet your taste and impress family and friends.

You could make your own ketchup or BBQ sauce.  That would be great too.  But how about something a little more unique?  This week I'm giving you 3 recipes for different tastes.

The first one is just called "Burger Spread" and it takes a little work but is well worth it.  On Wednesday the recipe is for a "Mayonnaise Based Burger Spread" using mustard and just 2 other ingredients.  "Basil Mayonnaise Burger Spread" comes to you on Friday and is an extra recipe this week.  It is also an easy one to put together.

These are only a sampling of what is out there for you to try during this year's "Grilling Season."  One of the nice attributes of these spreads is they work on different types of burgers.  They don't just work on a beef style burger.  They taste great with chicken or turkey burgers too.  Even on portabella mushroom burgers for vegetarians.  Now some work best on a particular type of burger and not all.  But that is for you to decide as it's your taste-buds we're trying to please.

Remember, don't be afraid to experiment too.  Take some of your favorite ingredients and mix them with a base of some type.  Mayonnaise is not the only base to try for a burger spread.  Ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce and cream cheese or just a few of other possibilities out there to test.  Avocados and yogurt will work too.

I'm just trying to get you to open your mind and tastes to other opportunities to take this grilling season to the next level.  With all the family get togethers, holiday outings and plain backyard fun, here's your chance to make a statement about your cooking to family and friends.

So "Happy Cooking" and give me feedback on your successes and failures.  Please be sure to spread the word of my food blog as well as spreading your burgers.  Thanks.

Chopped Mexican Salad (GF)

Chopped Mexican Salad (GF)

(8-12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 ears Fresh Corn

2 large Orange Bell Peppers

2 large (1½ cups) Tomatoes, cored, seeded & ¼ to ½ inch dice

1 small (2 cups) Jicama, peeled & ¼ to ½ inch dice

2 large (2 cups) Fresh Avocados, pitted, peeled & ¼ to ½ inch dice

1 can (15 oz.) Black Beans, rinsed & drained

2 heads Romaine Lettuce, cleaned & chopped

1 clove Fresh Garlic, smashed & finely chopped

3 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice

3 tbsp. Fresh Orange Juice

2 tsp. Shallots, finely chopped

1 tbsp. Honey

¼ tsp. Ground Cumin

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

to taste Salt & Black Pepper

¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Grill corn until done and slightly charred.  Cool to handle and cut kernels off the cobs.  Put into a large mixing bowl.  Char peppers on the grill until skins have blackened and blistered.  Remove them to a bag, close and let sit 20 minutes.  When ready, remove skin, core, seed and cut into ¼ to ½ inch dice.  Add to the mixing bowl.  Add tomatoes, jicama, avocados and black beans to the bowl too.  To make vinaigrette, use a small bowl and add the ingredients from garlic to olive oil and whisk together.  Taste vinaigrette and adjust with salt and pepper.  Now add romaine to large bowl and gently toss ingredients.  Next add vinaigrette to mixture and gently toss once more.  Sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve.

Note:               If you are not going to serve immediately, refrigerate romaine and the other chopped salad ingredients separately.  The vinaigrette can be left at room temperature until ready to serve.  If you make vinaigrette day before, refrigerate and remove 30 minutes before serving.  Whisk again before adding to salad mixture.

Note:               You could present this salad as a Cobb salad layout.  Use a large serving platter for this display.  First put down the romaine and then working your way around the platter, place each of the salad ingredients,  sprinkle cilantro on top and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Hearts of Palm Salad

Heart of Palm Salad (GF)

(8-12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups Heart of Palm (see note)

4 medium Avocados, diced

5 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice, divided

2 cups Orange Grape Tomatoes, halved

½ cup Red Onion, diced

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

to taste Salt and Black Pepper

Directions:

Drain hearts of palm in a colander while you prep the remaining ingredients.  Be sure to toss the avocados with 3 tbsp. of lime juice as you wait to assemble salad.  Once drained, slice hearts of palm into ½ inch pieces.  If too thick, slice pieces in half.  Combine all ingredients but last of lime juice in a large bowl.  Gently toss and then add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Toss gently just before serving and place in an appropriate serving dish.

Note:               Heart of Palm can be found in 15 oz. cans and 25 oz. jars.  Either will work.  It will take one jar or two cans to give you approximately the 2 cups needed for recipe.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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More Gluten-Free Information

I'm starting this week's blog out with the recipes of the week.  Then I'll get into the "More Gluten-Free Information" of this week's blog.  The recipes this week are for two salad dishes and are, of course, gluten-free.  Tomorrow's "Heart of Palm Salad (GF)" has a main ingredient that is probably not too familiar to you.  But it is an easy and tasty food worth your trying.  "Chopped Mexican Salad (GF)" is Thursday post.  This recipe combines Mexican flavors with the style of a chopped or cobb styled salad.  So it looks great as well as tastes great.  Please enjoy both of them.

I'm continuing with the labels on products you buy from a lot of different sources.  The other day I went in to a grocery store to buy some bone-in turkey breasts.  I have a smoker and enjoy both the smoking of food as well as the eating of smoked food.  To my surprise, the frozen bone-in turkey breast that this store had on sale contained gluten

Folks, it's meat!  There's no gluten in meat.  Well, there is in this day and age.  The turkey is injected with a liquid to help make it tender and moist.  That liquid contains gluten because they use wheat as an ingredient for some reason.

There is NO gluten in meats as long as they are just that, the meat.  But there are so many different turkey, chicken, pork and beef products being offered to consumers today.  Many of these products have injected, marinated or sauced ingredients in them that now contain gluten.

You have to be so careful today when buying groceries.  Hot dogs are another product to have their label read.  There are brands out there that are gluten-free and just as many that contain gluten.

Meats are not unique to this fact.  I have found the same with frozen hash brown potatoes.  Some brands are gluten-free and some are not.

Now when reading labels, you'll find many that you're not sure which way they go - gluten or no gluten because the company doesn't test the product.  So a label may not mention it contains gluten.  Manufacturers are not sure of the ingredients they buy through outsourcing to make their finished product.  So they can't say one way or the other on their product.

The labeling laws in the USA are changing and getting better about identifying gluten in the product.  But products produced outside the USA, each county is different as to what they require of manufacturers.  So read labels all the time.

I'll have more gluten-free information in 4 weeks as I continue my series.  Until then please continue to read my food blog each week.  I am trying to mark recipes that are gluten-free with this sign (GF) after the recipe name.  So be sure to look for it.  "Happy Cooking" until next week and continue to spread the word of my food blog to family and friends.  Thanks.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed Potato Pancakes

(12 cakes)

 

Ingredients:

3 cups Chilled Mashed Potatoes

2/3 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 tbsp. Green Onions, white & green parts (extra for garnish)

1 large Fresh Egg, lightly beaten

3 tbsp. plus ½ cup all-Purpose Flour

3-4 tbsp. Canola Oil

as needed Salt

as needed Sour Cream

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, cheese, onions, egg and the 3 tbsp. of flour (see note).  Using your hands, form mixture into 12 equal balls.  Be sure to compact the balls and then flatten into pancakes ½ inch thick.  Make sure edges of pancakes will hold together before dredging them in the ½ cup of flour remaining.  Lightly shake off excess flour before placing in a large skillet with hot oil over medium heat.  Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy on each side (about 4 minute’s total).  Add more oil as needed to keep bottom of pan coated.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.  Place in a 200 degree oven until all are done and ready to serve.  Serve with sour cream and additional chopped green onions.

Note:               If potato mixture is not holding together add an additional egg.  If mixture is too wet, add more flour one tbsp.. at a time.  You want a consistency that holds together well but not too moist so it crisps up.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Hash Brown Egg Bake (GF)

Hash Brown Egg Bake (GF)

(Slow Cooker)

(8-12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (30 oz.) Mr. Dell’s Hash Browns, thawed (see note)

1 lb. Bacon, cooked & chopped

8 each Green Onions (white & green parts), sliced

8 oz. Roasted Red Peppers (jarred), chopped

1½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

12 large Fresh Eggs

1 cup Milk

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:

Spray a 6 quart slow cooker and layer the first 5 ingredients, using a third of the product at a time.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs and then add the milk, salt and pepper as you continue whisking.  Pour egg mixture over ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 4 hours.  You may have to adjust time based on your slow cooker.

Note:               Cooking time will vary also if you use a smaller slow cooker because product will be thicker.  If using a 4 or 5 quart cooker, try for something between 5 and 6 hours.

Note:               Not all hash brown products are Gluten-Free.  If gluten is not a concern, then use your favorite brand.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Breakfast Dishes with Potatoes

"Potatoes" at breakfast makes one think of the side dishes you get with your eggs.  You know the obvious ones, hash browns (shredded or diced Southern style) or American fried potatoes.

Personally, I prefer the shredded hashes with my eggs (no matter the style of eggs).  But like them even better when you melt slices of cheese on those hash browns.  Varying the cheese flavor helps keep them interesting too.

American fried potatoes are another way I like my potatoes.  For those of you that don't what American fried potatoes are;  they're sliced potatoes that are pan fried in oil or butter (combination is best).  They are seasoned and fried to a nice browned crust.

I'm not a fan of the Southern style hash browns.  These are diced and have seen them in various sizes of the dice.  Most of the time they are deep fried.  If I  wanted that, I'd just get French fries of some kind.

These are not the only types of breakfast potatoes available to you.  Some will make potato cakes using shredded potatoes.  On Thursday's blog post, I have a variation of these (Mashed Potato Pancakes) using mashed potatoes.  They make a great way to use up any leftover mashed potatoes.

Another way to use potatoes in the morning is to use them in breakfast casseroles.  Here I've found the best potato to use is the frozen shredded hash brown.  Just be sure to thaw them before using.  Usually placing the bag in the refrigerator the day before in enough time for them to thaw.  On tomorrow's blog post I have a recipe called "Hash Brown Egg Bake (GF)" which can be Gluten-Free.

For those needing "Gluten-Free", the key here is the brand of frozen hash browns you buy.  Not all brands are Gluten-Free.  I  have found "Mr. Dell's" and "Ore-Ida" brands to be marked Gluten-Free.

When making most breakfast casseroles, you find bread of some kind as an ingredient.  I love them and they are great dishes.  But there are times when you want something a little different.  The recipe using hash browns this week is just one of many out there for you to try.

So "Happy Cooking" and see you again next week.  Remember, please spread the link to family and friends.  Also, let me know if you have questions too.