Friday, November 12, 2010
I know it’s not burger season, and to be honest I made these burgers back in August. I photographed them, but never got the chance to blog them. To say August -October was busy would be an understatement. Remember? My sister got married, my cousin got married, I work approximately 45 hours a week, and we were going through the house-buying process at the time as well (except I was so nervous about it I didn’t want to tell anyone!). But ya know what? You can eat a burger any season, any day. Especially if you have a George Foreman or other type of indoor grill! As I’ve mentioned many times, The Boy is a meat-loving man. He CRAVES burgers. There have been multiple times I’ve found remnants of fast food sacks from Jack in the Box or Wendy’s. I always chastise him for eating “fast food crap”. To help curb his cravings, I like to offer him healthier options. I tend to purchase ground turkey in bulk when I catch a sale. I’ve done a couple different burgers, and quite a few other non-burger ground turkey recipes. Ground turkey is even more flexible that ground beef in my opinion, and so much healthier. Another reason I love to make burgers, is I can typically get 5-6 good sized patties out of 1lb of meat. We’ll eat 1 each for dinner, then I’ll wrap 2 patties in wax paper & plastic wrap and freeze for later enjoyment & a quick dinner. And the other burger or two I’ll wrap in wax paper & plastic wrap and place in the fridge, so The Boy can eat it a day or two later, because we still have leftover buns.
This was a delicious burger. Not only was it moist, it was packed with multiple flavors. I loved that I didn’t need any toppings, because the feta, spinach, and sundried tomatoes are actually mixed in with the burger. It was incredibly simple to prepare, and came together fast. Like I said, I don’t care if we’re not currently in “burger season”. I’m blogging this right now, so I won’t forget about it. I definitely plan on making it again & again!
PS. It’s awesome with a Pale Ale from our favorite local brewery, Yazoo!
Print
Feta, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 Cup sun-dried tomatoes, jarred in olive oil
1/2 Cup fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped
Pinch of Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and garlic salt
buns
Directions:
Place turkey, feta, sun dried tomato, spinach and seasonings into a mixing bowl. Mix until just combined. Form patties and place onto a cookie sheet. Once all are formed, cook however you like to cook burgers. Grill (indoor or out), cook in hot skillet, or broil under broiler. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
Monday, November 8, 2010
And now… the recipe I’ve been dying to share! As I’ve mentioned many many times, J’adore pumpkin. (I’m trying to learn French. J’adore = I love) One item in particular I look forward to every year, is Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter. I literally can’t get enough of this stuff. If you’re familiar with apple butter or pear butter, then just imagine it with pumpkin. If you’re not familiar with other fruit butters, first just get the word “butter” out of your head. It’s not fattening! In fact, it’s pretty low in calories, with just 40 calories per Tablespoon. It was probably given that name because it’s spreadable like butter. It’s just highly concentrated, think of applesauce cooked down until it’s thick & spreadable. You can use apple, pear, or pumpkin butter for many purposes. I’ve been known to spread it on toast, spread it on a sandwich, add it to oatmeal, use it as a waffle topping, but my favorite use for pumpkin butter is to mix it together with plain greek yogurt. I swear, I always feel like I’m eating pumpkin cheesecake!
As soon as I got my hands on my first jar this season, I knew I wanted to do some kind of delicious dessert with it. Different options ran through my mind, but I ended up deciding to make an ice cream with it. Even after I knew I wanted to make ice cream, I didn’t know what flavor combo to do. I’ve already paired Maple Ice Cream with Pumpkin Pie Fudge, which yielded outstanding results. It didn’t take me long to realize that I already love the combo of white chocolate + pumpkin (Pumpkin White Chocolate Blondies, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles), so a white chocolate ice cream with TJ’s Pumpkin Butter Swirled in it was!
This was my very first time swirling something into ice cream. I think I did an okay swirling job, but I might need a bit more practice. The way to do this is to make the ice cream base, churn it, and then when you transfer it to your container, dollop the pumpkin butter in and with a butter knife or thin spatula do a couple quick swirls. You obviously don’t want to do too much, or you’d lose the ripple.
Now, I’m sure you want to know how this tastes? INCREDIBLE. The white chocolate is just the perfect subtle sweetness, and doesn’t overshadow the pumpkin flavor. The Trader Joe’s brand pumpkin butter is perfectly spiced, and I think the smooth flavor of the white chocolate ice cream brings out the cinnamon & other spices in the pumpkin butter. Plus it was really interesting to try a pumpkin dessert where pumpkin is the accent flavor, and not the main focus. This would be the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving dessert table, or just be greedy and make it to eat all by yourself!
**If you’re worried about not having a Trader Joe’s nearby, don’t worry, you can probably still find pumpkin butter in various stores. I’ve seen it at Williams Sonoma & World Market. Or, try making it yourself, like Maris of In Good Taste did! I’ve made pear butter once in the slow cooker, and it was incredibly easy & delicious.**
Print
White Chocolate Ice Cream with Spiced Pumpkin Swirl
Ingredients:
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups heavy cream (500 ml, total)
8 ounces (230 g) white chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks
1/2 - 2/3 cup pumpkin butter (amount various depending on your tastes, add as much or as little as you'd like!)
Directions:
Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and and set a mesh strainer over the top.
Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer over the white chocolate. Stir until white chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir in the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight for flavors to meld.
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. After the ice cream has churned, alternately place the ice cream and a couple tablespoons of the pumpkin butter into your freezer container, carefully swirl a few times with a butter knife or thin spatula. Freeze overnight or at least 3-4 hours before enjoying.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hello! Remember me? I feel as if it’s been ages since I have blogged! I’ve been just a bit busy, what with buying a new house & all that entails! We’re deliriously happy, but also incredibly busy. Oh, and we’re currently without internet as well. Stay tuned though, somehow, some way, I’ll get a new post up, and I promise you it’s a delicious one, featuring my favorite flavor. Can you guess which flavor that would be?
PS. Yes, the kitchen is a vast improvement! I love it!
Monday, October 18, 2010
I’m a bit of an old movie buff. Particularly old romantic comedies. I think it all began with the summer of 1991 when I broke my arm for the first time. (I’ve broken my left arm a total of three times.) So while all my friends were out swimming, playing in the woods, playing softball, and just running around having fun, I was cooped up inside. I can’t remember if we had cable or not, but I know we didn’t have the movie channels. So my aunt recorded a couple movies on VHS and I think I watched that tape at least once a week. One of the movies on it was “Pillow Talk“, which still to this day remains one of my favorite movies, and began my love of Doris Day movies. While I absolutely love her in the silly romantic comedies and have seen most of them, a while back I DVR-ed Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” because I was interested in watching Doris Day in a non-comedic role. In case you don’t know, this movie is about a couple and their child vacationing in Morocco. I remember one of the most interesting scenes to me was when Doris Day & Jimmy Stewart’s characters went out to eat in a Moroccan restaurant. I swear to you, even though the movie is in black and white, I could almost SMELL the aroma of the dishes. Around the same time I watched that movie, I also finally watched “Casablanca“, also set in Morocco.
Besides my love of old movies, I also have a love exploring different cultures, and trying new cuisines. So it’s no surprise viewing those two movies sparked my interest in Morocco. I think it sounds incredibly exotic & intriguing. After traveling to Haiti for a week, I think I’d be up for ANY country. What I love about different cultures and cuisines, is that each have their own unique flavors, smells, and textures. I adore immersing myself in all the sensual aspects of different cultures. From the obvious sights & sounds; to the smells & tastes, and how food actually feels, both in your hands and in your mouth.
Moroccan food is very distinct in it’s spices and flavors, as it’s a country that borders both Africa & Europe. Cumin, coriander, saffron, chiles, dried ginger, cinnamon, and paprika are common spices; and garlic, chiles, olive oil, and salt help round out the Moroccan flavor profile. Couscous (which I often enjoy) is a also typical Moroccan dish. While butternut squash may not be a typical Moroccan vegetable, it can still shine with the addition of Moroccan spices. This soup was spicy & sweet, and warm & comforting. I often find that coriander is one of those mysterious spices people can’t often put their finger on. And I think it gives this soup a unique flavor to set it apart from other pureed squash soups. Definitely a bright point on a cool day (which we haven’t had enough of here in Nashville!).
Print
Moroccan Butternut Soup
from MyRecipes
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 tablespoon sour cream)
Ingredients:
1 (2-pound) butternut squash (I used a combination of butternut & acorn)
2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Pierce squash several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membrane with a spoon. Place butternut squash, cut sides down, and garlic cloves in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pierce squash multiple times with a fork. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until squash is very tender.
While squash bakes, place curry powder and next 3 ingredients in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat; toast 1 minute or until fragrant. Set aside.
Peel cooked squash, and place in a food processor or blender. Remove and discard skins from garlic; add garlic to food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, and process until smooth.
Transfer squash mixture to a large saucepan. Stir in remaining 1 cup broth, milk, salt, and toasted spices. Cook over low heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with sour cream and cilantro if desired.
Calories: 113 Fat: 2.4g (sat 1.3g) Protein: 4.7g Carbohydrate: 21.3g Fiber: 3.3g Cholesterol: 7mg Iron: 1.3mg Sodium: 430mg Calcium: 131mg
Bookmark/Share
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Subscribe via Email
Follow Me on Twitter