Greek Burgers & a Cocktail!!!

I really cannot get over the beautiful weather that El Paso has been having lately. I absolutely love it. This type of weather screams fun in the sun and to me there is no better way to have fun in the sun than having a cocktail in your hand while grilling delicious food for friends and family. But sometimes grilling can get a little mundane when you cook the same few things over and over.

I think everyone can agree that burgers are one of the easiest and most common meals to grill. Think about it, how many times have you gone to a barbeque and that has been on the menu? Lots, right?! And don’t you feel like you could cook burgers in your sleep because I know I sure feel that way!

Your standard burger can get a bit tired, so here is a delicious recipe that will mix up your repertoire! And I promise that it just as easy to make as a “regular” burger and 100 times tastier!!!

I have also included a recipe for a refreshing cocktail that my friend Adrienne shared with me that will ensure everyone drinking it is having fun in the sun!

Enjoy!

Greek Turkey & Lamb Burgers with Special Sauce
(Serves 4)

Ingredients for Sauce:
1/4 cup mayo
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 ground cumin
1/8 ground red pepper

Directions for Special Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix, and then put in the fridge to chill until burgers are done.

The sauce should look something like this!



Ingredients for Burger:
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
8 ounces ground turkey
8 ounces ground lamb



Directions for Burger:
Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl, mix well with your hands, and then form 4-6 patties (depending on how big you want them).



Now spray the grill with cooking spray so that the meat doesn’t stick. Next, fire up the grill- getting the temp to about medium- then throw the patties on there. Cooking for about 4-5 minutes on each side.



Once the burgers are done, place them on a bun, a pita, or big piece of lettuce how I did, add a dollop of the sauce, and enjoy the deliciousness!!



Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Caipirinha Cocktail
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:
1/2 lime, quartered
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 ½ ounces of cachaca
ice cubes

Directions for Caipirinha:
In a large rocks glass, squeeze and drop in limes. Add sugar- crush and mix well with a spoon. Pour in the cachaca and plenty of ice. Stir well and drink that sucker up!

Recipe courtesy of I Want That

Something New & Something Old

i have been getting pretty tired of making the same recipes, so this morning i decided i was going to make something new. i knew i wanted seafood, but i didn't feel like the usual salmon or trout.

...then it hit me- use the scallops you bought at Costco over the weekend!!!!

i have to admit i was a bit nervous because i have never tried scallops. yes... i know.... this is completely bizarre coming from someone who eats seafood more than anything else!

anyways, since i have never made scallops before and i am trying to eat healthy, i decided to head over to CookingLight to find a recipe.

**SIDENOTE** If you have never used a recipe from CookingLight you are missing out! EVERYTHING is healthy and delicious!

anyways, i ended up finding a recipe not only for scallops but also for some asparagus; i have become so bored with how i usually make it so it was refreshing to find a new and EASY recipe!

i also made your standard brown rice.

this meal was SERIOUSLY amazing. i am totally going to start cooking with scallops more often!! so quick, so easy, and so healthy!

this entire meal was only 325 calories!!!

again, i forgot to take a picture because i was so starving!!

but thanks to Cooking Light you can get an idea of what it looked like!

Fresh Fish & Veggies

i love to grill. i love fish. and i love veggies.

when the weather warms up grilling is one of my FAVORITE things to do!!

this past week it really warmed up here. i am talking mid 70s people!!

so i grilled this



what we have here is salmon that i spiced up with potlatch seasoning , zucchini, that i sprinkled with EVOO, minced garlic, a dash of salt and quite a bit of pepper, fresh avocado and a little bit of rice.

this is so easy to make!

all you need to do is turn on the grill and get it up to about 400, place the salmon on some foil and throw that on the grill for about 10-12 minutes (depending on how you like your salmon cooked).

at the same time i put on the salmon, i put the zucchini on with the skin side down for the first half, then flipped it over for the remaining time.

Seriously SOOOOO delicious, SOOOOO healthy, & SOOOOO easy!!!

Momma's Spaghetti Sauce

It has been a while since I posted any recipes so here it goes:

What you will need
enough olive oil to coat pan
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2- 1 yellow onion (diced)
mushrooms- however many you happen to have on hand; i like a lot so i could easily use an entire package (optional)
1/2 finely chopped carrot (optional)
1 large can of peeled whole tomatoes (use a smaller one if making for less than 2-4 people) crushed by hand or w/a masher (reserve the juice)
Salt (to taste)
Splash of worcestershire
1tbs dried thyme
bay leaves (for garnish)
Parmesan Cheese

How to Make
1. heat up your pain on medium low with the EVOO
2. once warm throw in the onions and garlic and cook until the onion is soft.
3. add the thyme and carrot & shrooms if you are using and cook until they are somewhat soft.
4. add the tomatoes and juice, stir, and begin to bring to a boil
5. while its on its way to boiling land, add the salt, some drops of worcestershire, some pepper, and maybe an italian seasoning if you are lucky enough to have some!
6. next, get started on boiling a big pot of spaghetti and cook according to the package
7. once you start the noodle process turn the sauce down and let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes- you want the sauce to be pretty thick. When I made this earlier this week, I made the mistake of adding too much water (i had put too much salt in the sauce and was trying to mellow out the taste) AND not letting it simmer long enough. LET IT SIMMER!!!
8. once everything is done, mix together, add some bay leaves and parm and eat up this yummy goodness!!!

Enjoy!

i wish i had a picture, but i was soooooo starving i forgot to take one!

Thanksgiving Yumminess!

This Thanksgiving was awesome! It was my two brothers, my SIL, and my dad. Me and L, my SIL, made most of the meal and it was seriously one of the best, if not THE BEST, Thanksgiving meal I have ever had! Onto the best part- what we ate!

We started out with a shrimp cocktail that I completely forgot to take a picture of!

Here is the turkey that I made! I prepped it by rubbing coarse sea salt all over it and then washed it off. After that, I stuffed it with half an onion, some garlic cloves, and half a lemon. I also put in some sprigs of rosemary and some salt and pepper. This year I decided to use a cheese cloth that I had soaked in a dry white wine and 1 cup of butter. The turkey roasted for about 4.5 hours and the cheesecloth was on it up until the last hour. Every 30 minutes I basted it with the left over butter and wine sauce and the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan. It was seriously the most tender and juicy turkey I have ever made- I have made three previous to this. I am not sure what I can attribute that to, but my guess is either the cheesecloth or the fact that I got a natural kosher turkey this year.

I also made homemade gravy. The recipe can be found here. As you can tell, I got the turkey and salad recipe from this newsletter as well!

Next up we had a delicious mixed greens salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts, and a homemade dressing! I used arugula, radicchio, and endive. It was amazing! I didn't even know I liked endive! The dressing is muy bueno and super easy to make. You take 3 garlic cloves, 2.5 teaspoons of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar and whisk them in a bowl. While whisking you slowly add in 1 cup of EVOO and then season with sea salt and pepper to taste!

One of the sides I made was a brussel sprout and dried fig dish. My friend D sent me a link from the New York Times with a list of Thanksgiving sides and this one looked delicious! It is also soooo easy to make! You put 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a pan and then throw in some chopped bacon and fry it until it is cooked the way you like it. I did mine for about 7-8 minutes. After that, throw in some chopped brussel sprouts and a handful of dried figs, mix it all together a couple of times then add in 1/3-1/4cup of water. Then just let it sit there and occasionally stir it. You will know when it is done when the figs and sprouts are tender. This was seriously so delicious! My SIL even said later that she didn't even know she liked brussel sprouts and wanted the recipe!

To me, it is not Thanksgiving unless you have green bean casserole! Such a classic! You can find the recipe here!

Sorry that the pic is a bit out of focus! These are the delicious Yukon Gold mashed potatoes that my SIL made. They were seriously so creamy and fluffy!

She also made a delicious stuffing! I cannot remember all that was in it, but I think there were onions and celery. So good!

To top it off, my SIL made a delicious pecan pie. I have never in my life tried pecan pie, but this was TO DIE FOR! Seriously, I think pecan might beat out pumpkin pie as my favorite! She also made a pumpkin roll. None of us have tried it yet because we were stuffed like a turkey, but I assure you it looks like it is going to taste great! We also had some bubbly- Moet Chandon!

And lastly, a pic of the entire spread!

New Twist on Traditional Potato Salad

I am a sucker for all things potato and I REALLY enjoy potato salad. However, I am not a huge fan of mayo or mustard so I was really excited when I found an alternative to traditional potato salad in my Cooking Light cookbook.

Here it how it is done:

First, start boiling some water in a big pan. Then cut up some potatoes and throw in there once boiling. I think I boiled for about 15 minutes but honestly I can't recall. Just pick a potato out and see if you like how hard or soft it is... yes, that is what she said ;-)


While the potatoes are boiling, slice up some cucumbers, tomatoes,green onions, red and yellow bell peppers, and olives. Throw them in a bowl. (The onions and olives are not in this bowl cuz my SIL does not like them so I had them in separate bowl and added them once she got her serving)


Then you want to put some canola oil (1/4 cup) , rice vinegar (seasoned or plain) (2tbsp), some salt (1/4tsp) and pepper (1/8tsp) in a bowl and whisk it all together.

Once the potatoes are finished, drain them and put into a big bowl then add in the oil vinegar mixture and the veggies and toss around to coat. I forgot to take a pic of the finished product, but it should look like this.

Thanks Cooking Light

90 Calories per 3/4 cup!!!!

I hate love pasta!

Ok, so I am was not a huge fan of pasta. However, I have been getting a little tired of the dinner routine around here which consists of: fish, chicken, or steak. I cannot remember the last time I made it before tonight; it has been that long. And let's just say that after tonight's meal I will be making it much more often!

Here is what you need and what you will do:

A few portobello mushrooms. You can use big caps like these or pre-sliced ones. Be sure to take the stem off and brush them off with a wet towel; though not too hard or you will tear the skin off



Then cut the shrooms. First in half then across. You can do them however big or small you want.


Next heat up a large pan with 1TBSP of butter and olive oil. Once that is melted, throw in your sliced shrooms and let cook for about 8 minutes


You know they are done when they looks like this.


While your shrooms are cooking, cut up some asparagus (remember to cut off the hard ends!) using however much you like. I used about 3/4 of a bunch.


Next start to boil some water. While that is getting started go ahead and turn the heat on the shrooms down.

And throw in some chicken broth


As well as 5 ounces of Boursin cheese. If you can't find that, just ask anyone at the supermarket what cheese they suggest to substitute with or you can be super crafty and make your own. Paula Deen has a good recipe. Just google it!


And just let the suckers simmer; stirring occasionally of course.

Once the water is to a boil throw in medium sized pasta shells and let boil for about 6 minutes. After that, throw the asparagus into the boiling water with the pasta and cook for another 4 minutes.

Once the pasta/asparagus is done, drain it and mix in a large bowl with the sauce!! You can also add in a protein if you like. I didn't eat any today so I quick thawed some cooked shrimp, cut them up and threw them in the bowl.

Voila!!!


Buon Appetito!!

BTW, this recipe is relatively fast to make!

Never Doubt Trout!

Here is a delicious and easy trout recipe!

You will need:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (You can use dried if that is all you have, just cut the amount in half as dried herbs are much more potent than fresh!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (8-ounce) dressed whole trout
4 (6-inch) rosemary sprigs

What you do:

1. Turn grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Cut 3 diagonal slits on each side of fish (You have to use a really sharp knife because the skin is kinda touch to pierce) and rub rosemary mixture evenly over fish.

4. Place 1 rosemary sprig in cavity of each fish.

5. Place the fish on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

This is seriously an EASY recipe!! We grilled some fresh veggies with the fish but I forgot to take pictures!

Fish with Rosemary Mixture on it!


Not so little fishies grilling!

Eyeball YIKES!!

Momma eating the eyeball!!

My favorite Cat

My favorite Cat besides my niece Kitty is the catfish. It is soooo incredibly delicious and does not really have a fishy taste or smell (if bought @ the right place- trust me, I know!).

Tonight I made Cornmeal Crusted Catfish w/couscous and a salad!

To start out, you dredge the Cat in yellow cornmeal that has been mixed with creole seasoning. I didn't use measurements this time as I have made this dish so often that I no longer need any. However, I will say that you just need enough cornmeal to cover the Cat- nothing too extravagant. And as far as the creole seasoning goes, WATCH OUT, a little goes a long way! If you end up putting too little, don't worry because you can always sprinkle some on the fish after it is cooked and you have tasted it!


After dredging, the next step is to heat up and pan that has either been oiled or sprayed with pam. I start out on high to warm it up, but when I place the fish on the pan I move it down to medium high/medium. You cook the Cat for roughly 5 minutes on each side.

While the Cat was cooking, I started on this great 5 minute couscous that I bought @ Whole Paycheck.

It ended up looking like this:


I also made a salad! I used a spring mix and added cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red onions, an artichoke heart, freshly ground pepper, parmesan, and an olive oil dressing.



Seriously, this is a really easy and fast meal! You can literally make it in under 10 minutes!!! That deserves an A+ in my book!!! :-)

Quick Meal: Fish

Tuesdays and Thursdays are extremely busy for me. I am in class literally all day and by the time I come home for both lunch and dinner I am usually too tired to make anything because I "think" it will take too long. In reality it is just an excuse to eat like sh*t and pick up some fast food. Thank God for Quick Meals that are healthy AND delish!!



My sister T introduced me to this fish recipe: Baked Lemon Cod. It is extremely easy to make and really yummy! If you don't like cod, you could substitute it for any white fish such as tilapia or sole.



2 pieces of Cod

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup of flour

2 tablespoons of lemon

salt

pepper

paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350
   
   
2. Toss the butter into the mikee (microwave) for about 40-45 seconds (until melted)



3. Add the juice of one whole lemon (usually one half of a lemon is a tblsp)
4. Mix these two in a bowl and set aside.

5. Add the flour, salt, and pepper into a bowl. I like to use a fork to mix the ingredients around. And use as much or as little S&P as you like.

6. Now take the Cod and place into the Lemon and Butter bowl.
   
   
7. Then place the cod in the Flour mixture. I like to tap the fish up and down because the last time I made this I rolled it around in the flour and it got clumpy and gross.

8. Next, place the cod in an ungreased baking pan. Add the remainder of the Butter and Lemon mixture and top it off with as much or little Paprika as you like!



9. Throw the tray into the oven and bake for 27 minutes!

I like to get some carbs and veggies in with every meal, but because I am on the go I need something fast; so no grilling summer veggies here!!!!



For my veggie on a quick day, I like green beans from a can. If you don't want extra sodium, they sell it "salt free". If you have a few extra minutes to spare, you can cut up some yellow onions and tomatoes, saute them in the pan, then dump the green beans in. It gives it a good flavor that isn't so mundane.



For carbs, I like Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Rice. I never thought I would like brown rice, but seriously, it tastes better than white rice! This isn't really a recipe because you just follow the directions box if you are making instant rice how I am. To put it simply: Just take a package out, toss into a medium sized pan, and fill it up with water until about 1-2 inches from the top of the pan. (If you want to give the brown rice some flavor, u can always throw in 2 garlic cloves!) Bring it to a boil and then cook it for 10-12 minutes. When done, rinse off and cut open the package.



Enjoy!