The Best Ever Onion Burger with a French Twist

I love a good burger. I love French Dip Sandwiches. This is the best of both worlds – we’re talking a big, thick burger, served on a buttery grilled bun with plenty of onion-intense Au Jus for dipping. These aren’t wimpy burgers, no sir. You need a big half-pound burger grilled to perfection to stand up to all that warm, flavorful Au Jus. The Au Jus is so delicious, with just the right amount of paper-thin grilled onions and a few splashes of white wine, that you’ll want to soak up every last delicious drop. And if that isn’t enough to get you hooked, these burgers are super easy to make, perfect for busy cooks.

French Dip Burgers with Onion Au Jus
INGREDIENTS – HALF-POUND BURGERS
2 lbs Ground Sirloin
1 Package Dry Beef-Onion Soup Mix
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1-2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 Steak Rolls, split

INGREDIENTS – AU JUS DIP
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon Flour
A Couple of Splashes of White Wine
2 Cans Beef Consommé
Pepper to Taste

FOR BURGERS: In a large bowl, mix ground beef, dried onion soup, salt, pepper and a little Worcestershire Sauce. Mix well.

Divide meat mixture into 4 sections, form into oblong patties slightly larger than rolls, about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside until ready to grill.

Slice onion into paper-thin rings. (I’ve got one of those wizzy potato slicers for making potato chips in the microwave – it works well for anything you want to slice paper-thin). Set aside onions until ready to use.

Heat gas grill (quick) or build a medium-heat fire in barbecue (longer but more intense grilled flavor).

FOR AU JUS: In a skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove half the onions, set aside.

Pour beef consommé into a sauce pan, add a splash of wine and warm over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining onions with flour and another splash of white wine. In a slow, steady stream, add beef consommé. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce to simmer and let simmer until ready to serve.

If desired, sprinkle au jus with a little pepper to taste.

TO GRILL & ASSEMBLE: Place burgers on grill, cover and grill 10-15 minutes, turning once mid-way through. While the burgers are cooking, warm the buns.

Split rolls, lightly brush with a little soft butter. Heat a flat skillet or griddle to medium heat.  Grill rolls split-side down until nice and golden. Turn and grill the outside 1-2 minutes longer.

Place patties on rolls, cut diagonally and serve with Au Jus for dipping.

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you enjoy these scrumptious burgers. I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to chat any time.

Best Ever Cinnamon Bread French Toast

cinnamon breadIf you have a Costco near you, RUN don’t walk to the bakery section and pick up a loaf of Greenleo’s Best Cinnamon Bread. We are talking Handmade Artisan Bread the way we would bake it if we had the time. I kid you not, this sticky, sweet bread will transform into the most awesome Cinnamon-Roll-French-Toast extravaganza and your entire family will be doing a “It’s a Beautiful Morning” happy dance around the breakfast table. So quick, so easy and oh so delicious!

Cinnamon Bread French Toast
1 Loaf Greenleo’s Best Cinnamon Bread
3 Large Eggs
1 Cup Half and Half
1/2 Teaspoon Fine Baker’s Sugar
1/2 TEaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Pinch Nutmeg
Powdered Sugar for dusting, if desired
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans for garnish, if desired

Using a blender or electric mixer, blend together the eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg until smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow dish or bowl large enough to dip the bread into.

Heat a flat griddle to about 300 degrees.  Lightly butter hot griddle. Slice bread in half. Dip bread into egg mixture. Grill bread for about 3 minutes or until nicely golden, flip and grill other side about 2 minutes.  Once bread has been flipped, smear on a little butter so that it melts into the bread.

If desired, dust with powdered sugar and chopped pecans or serve with warm syrup.

Asparagus and Tomato Salad with a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Have Salad – will travel. A few years back, our holiday plans for Easter went sideways. My family usually spends Easter at my youngest sister’s home since she is the one with small children. For whatever reason, she thought we weren’t coming and made plans to go elsewhere. Instead of bringing a dish to my sister’s to share, we loaded up the family car and headed out to the farm to have dinner with Dad and his wife. Dad’s getting up there in age, so whenever we get together at the farm, I usually do most of the cooking.

That Easter morning, Kiddo made the vinaigrette dressing, while I prepared the salad. Then Kiddo pulled it all together just before serving it up. Talk about a hit! Everyone loved the salad. I’m not sure, but I think Dad had a third helping of salad. It was delicious. But then what’s not to love? Tender-crisp asparagus, luscious tomatoes and a subtly sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette – out of this world good!

On the downside, locally grown asparagus is a spring crop, which means we’ll need to shop at the mega markets where seasonal restrictions are almost non-existent. On the up side, summer is the height of the tomato season and our garden is bursting with beautiful red tomatoes. Love summer salads!

Asparagus and Tomato Salad with a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Asparagus and Tomato Salad
1 bunch of asparagus
4 large tomatoes
1/4 heaping cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Remove the woody ends from the asparagus. Lay asparagus on a cutting board, tips even. Beginning at tips, cut trimmed asparagus into thirds.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Using a large slotted spoon or small strainer, pluck asparagus from the boiling water and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let asparagus remain in ice water for about a minute. Remove asparagus from ice water, place on paper towels to drain, folding more towels over top to absorb excess water.

Place blanched asparagus into a large bowl and set aside.

Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Rinse, removing seeds and pulp. Pat dry with paper towels and place into bowl with asparagus.

Lay three or four basil leaves in a stack. Roll into a cigar shape. Cut width-wise into thin ribbons. Sprinkle over salad. Toss to combine. Chill well until ready to serve.

While salad is chilling, make dressing.

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 large clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Whisk together until combined and honey has dissolved.

Place dressing into a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside until ready to serve.

When ready to “dress” salad, shake dressing well to emulsify. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve remaining dressing along side salad with a small spoon to drizzle as desired.

Fried Lobster Ravioli with Two Cream Sauces

Many moons ago, a restaurant and brewer opened just down the street from where we were living at the time. They brewed the usual – beer. They also brewed some of the most incredible Root Beer I have ever tasted. Hubby and I are not beer consumers. As for Kiddo, now that he is of the legal age to drink, he doesn’t mind a draft every now and then. However; he is our child – with a weakness for top-shelf Margaritas and a good Merlot. When it comes to wines, he’s become a bit of a snob. He feels the cork, sniffs and swirls, giving the illusion that he has been drinking wines for eons, and that he knows exactly what he is doing. Like Hubby, Kiddo prefers a red that is deep and full-bodied, the product the small berries of Cabernet Sauvignon, while I prefer the more delicate fruit of the Pinot Noir vine.

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Chicken Teriyaki with Pineapple Rings

Years ago, a couple of friends opened a restaurant in a little strip-mall food court. Their place was called “The Teriyaki Hut”.  They were Filipino-Hawaiian transplants to the Nevada desert. Their little eatery predominately specialized in dishes from Hawaii (although Teriyaki is actually a Japanese cooking technique of broiling or grilling foods that are glazed in a mixture of soy, mirin and sugar).  I often wondered why they didn’t concentrate on the Filipino side of their heritage. After all, Las Vegas has a huge Filipino population. I suppose my friends wanted to set themselves apart since there were already a number of established strip-mall eateries serving up Pancit, Adobo and Lumpia.

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Smokey Pan Seared Asparagus

This is a recipe I picked up a while back from everydayfrenchchef.com. It’s one of those recipes that you read, tell yourself “how simple” and file away, believing that the best way to serve asparagus is steamed with some sort of sauce such as Hollandaise. And then one day, you pull it out and cook it up. Much to your surprise, it’s not only wonderfully delicious, your non-asparagus eater (aka Kiddo) wants seconds.

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Vintage Lemonade – a Turn of the Century Recipe

Today is the 4th of July – America’s Independence Day. You can bet there will be plenty of backyard barbecues and time spend reminiscing about the good old days. Why not serve up a refreshing Lemonade that brings back all those childhood memories and more?

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American Flag Bean Dip

When I saw this awesome American Flag Bean Dip over at kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com; I could not resist. While the bean dip recipe is mine, the arrangement is completely her inspiration. How utterly cleaver!

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French Onion Burger with Chips

I’ve been collecting and tweaking recipes for years.  I have bookshelf after bookshelf stuffed full of cookbook, some over a hundred years old. The reality is, I will never be able to sample every recipe I’ve tucked away over the years.

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Mexican Taco Ring and Family Game Night

I’ve made this Mexican Taco Ring several times now. I can’t believe I haven’t shared this fun recipe before.

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The Pride of the South – Tomato Sandwiches

Each morning, after my first cup of coffee for the day, I tend to our garden before it gets too hot. We’ve enjoyed the fruits of our labor in herbs, peppers and small bright tomatoes. The only plant that has yet to release its bounty are the beefsteak tomatoes. They are big and beautiful and very, very green. In a few days, I’ll be picking a couple of big green tomatoes to take up to the farm. Fried Green Tomatoes 1My people have a hankering for Fried Green Tomatoes lately. I feel obliged to pick some of my big tomatoes while are still a beautiful shade of green. Did you know that the tomato originated with the Aztec people of South America? While tomatoes are grown around the globe thanks to explorers, sailors and trade merchants, tomatoes have always been a “Southern” thing. No people on the planet have a greater love affair with the tomato than Southern Folk. Think about it. Have you seen a greater sense of pride than a southerner for their vegetable gardens? And the heart of any respectable southern garden are the tomatoes – especially those of the beefsteak and heirloom variety. Fried Green Tomatoes? Beefsteak-Tomato-SeedsMake it a beefsteak. No wimpy tomato will do. Tomato Sandwich? Again, big, beefy tomatoes are a must. While I adore my Cherry tomatoes, Roma and grape tomatoes, my absolute favorite are of the giant variety with deep color and intense tomato flavor. These are the tomatoes that stand on their own, refusing to be a supporting role in a leafy green salad. These are tomatoes to be eaten like a bright red apple. When I’m working in our garden, eating tomatoes straight off the vine is such a wonderful treat – all warm and delicious dripping down my chin. How I love our tomatoes. Oh sure, we grow other things, but the tomatoes are the focal point of the garden. Yeah, I know – I’m not a southerner. The furthest south I have ever lived is Southern Nevada. Being southern isn’t just a matter of where you were born, it’s a question of true heritage. Southerners are born southern or “have people” of the south. For me, it is my Dad. He is an Okie born. While we don’t typically think of Oklahoma as a Southern State,  the settlement of the Oklahoma territory began as a direct result of the Civil war, with southerners escaping the Northern invasion of reconstruction. So while I’ve never been to the south, I feel a connection.

There isn’t so much a recipe for Southern Tomato Sandwich as there are rules. Or more accurately, the one rule. For a tomato sandwich to be a true southern sandwich there can be no – I repeat – NO deviations to the set ingredients. There are only five ingredients found in a Southern Tomato Sandwich. The most important ingredient, surprisingly enough, isn’t the tomato. It’s the bread – cheap, store-bought white bread. No fancy breads, no whole wheat or Artisan breads. And absolutely no toasted breads. A tomato sandwich must be made with soft, white bread, It is a rule. Next comes the mayonnaise. Real Mayonnaise – nothing lite or fat-free. Best Foods west of the Rockies, Hellmann’s to the east and Dukes in the south. No exceptions and no excuses for using anything else. Don’t be stingy with the mayonnaise – lay it on thick. You can’t have a tomato sandwich without the tomato. It has to be big, beefy, beautiful and most of all ripened on the vine. Farmer’s Market or home-grown. The best are those still warm from picking. Never, ever refrigerate a tomato. While there have been those who suggest peeling the tomato, that is another big no-no. Slice your tomatoes thick. The only seasoning necessary would be a light sprinkling of salt and a good helping of fresh black pepper.

Southern Tomato Sandwich
8 Slices thick White Bread
½ cup whole Mayonnaise
2 large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Lay four slices of bread on your work surface. Spread a good helping of mayonnaise over the bread.

Cut tomatoes into rounds. Place 2 thick slices of tomato on each slice of bread. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. (It’s okay, even preferred, if the salt and pepper season the bread at the same time so don’t worry about being neat).

Spread remaining four slices of bread with tomatoes. Place bread on top of tomatoes and press down lightly.

Slice sandwiches in half and serve with plenty of napkins or enjoy standing over the kitchen sink.

Southern-Tomato-Sandwich-640x481

Deviations from the Classic Southern Tomato Sandwich:

  • Use Buttermilk Ranch Dressing instead of Mayonnaise
  • Garnish the sandwich with shredded basil
  • Serve as “Tea” sandwiches with the crusts removed, bread spread with cream cheese and tomatoes topped with thin slices of cucumber.
  • Add sliced avocado to the tomato sandwich

While no self-respecting Southerner would openly tolerated these “Yankee” deviations, then are none the less delicious.

Enjoy!

 

Old Fashioned Butter Brickle Ice Cream with Home-Made Toffee

Okay; so now I am putting the cart before the horse so to speak. I’m getting ahead of myself – sharing a recipe that I have yet had the pleasure of playing around with. However; this is so straight forward, it’s almost fool-proof. I am so excited about the prospects of having Butter Brickle Ice Cream whenever I want that I could not wait to share.

Gunther's Ice CreamUp until a year ago, we lived just south of Sacramento. That meant we could have a cone on a warm summer’s night at Gunther’s Ice Cream parlor. If it isn’t “world-famous” it should be. Gunther’s has been around since 1940. Their ice cream is the absolute best. End of discussion. Patrons line up around the block – you stand in line for what seems to be forever!

Don’t like lines? Me either. When we lived further north, we could take a beautiful drive along the Sacramento Delta to a little hole in the wall town – Locke. In Locke, there was a little hole in the wall joint called Mel’s Mocha and Ice Cream that served up cones, shakes and malts all featuring Gunther’s Ice Cream. Needless to say, Hubby, Kiddo and I routinely made an afternoon of heading out to Locke. I always got the Butter Brickle Ice Cream in a sugar cone. Yum! I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but here if you want Butter Brickle Ice Cream you have one of two choices – Gunther’s or homemade.

05-15-2016-delta-farms-8

The delta drive is not as convenient now that we’re living further south. No connection to the river I love so much. And no Butter Brickle Ice Cream – oh my! You can imagine how thrilled I was to find a recipe for my favorite Ice Cream from Chef Savvy.  She makes it all look so delicious and oh so easy at her site with beautiful step-by-step pictures. (http://chefsavvy.com/recipes/butter-brickle-ice-cream-made-with-homemade-toffee/)

Old Fashioned Butter Brickle Ice Cream with Homemade Toffee
Homemade Toffee
1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted Butter

Add brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. If the mixture is getting too brown turn down the heat.

Pour mixture onto a silicon baking sheet and allow to cool.

Once cooled, shatter the toffee into small pieces and set aside. (Smacking the brickle with a small hammer works well. Just be sure to cover the toffee first to keep the pieces from flying about the kitchen).

Butter Brickle Ice Cream
2 Cups half and half
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at lease 4 hours or overnight. (This helps get the ice cream really cold before churning mixture).  While mixture cools, make toffee (recipe below).

Take chilled ice cream mixture out of the refrigerator and add to your ice cream maker. Follow manufactures instructions.

Once the ice cream mixture has finished, place in a freezer-safe container with a good cover. The ice cream will be soft-serve at this point. Add broken bits of Toffee and mix well with a spoon to incorporate the brickle into the ice cream. Cover and freeze for several hours until firm. Serve and enjoy.

Butter Brickle

I must admit there were certain advantages to taking a drive along the river for some ice cream. There’s the delta itself with all its different draw bridges, old river towns and the standard detour to the Delta Farmer’s market just a little further downriver. Nothing like locally grown fruits and vegetables. Now that we’ve moved from the area, a trip to the farmer’s market is an 80-mile drive. We have a lovely garden for vegetables, still I miss the fresh fruits of the delta.

Hamburg Helper Style Cheesy Jambalaya

Well folks, it’s been a while since we’ve made a Hamburger Helper Style supper – not since April have I shared a Hamburger Helper Style meal. Think of this as installment number three in the Hamburger Helper Style renditions

I know my family loves the whole Hamburger Helper concept, I like the fact that I know what is going into the pot so to speak. All around it’s a win-win for everyone. Rarely do I need to make a special trip to the market since most if not all the ingredients are things I have on-hand anyway. Who doesn’t have a few pounds of ground beef in the freezer at any given time – and the spices are your usual in-the-pantry items.

Don’t forget; putting together the dry ingredients; the seasoning package and instructions in a nice little gift bag or pretty little box makes for a great gift for new moms, college students or care givers – it shows a personal touch. You could even box up a few meals up to keep in your pantry for those “I’m too bushed to even think about cooking” night. We’re talking brown, simmer, eat. What can be easier?

Hamburger Helper Style Cheesy Jambalaya
Ingredients – Cheesy Jambalaya
1 lb Lean Ground Beef (or Turkey)
¾ Cup HOT water
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Converted Rice
1 Cup Stewed or Diced Tomatoes, plain
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain well.

Add tomatoes, water, milk and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in seasoning package.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender.

Stir in 1 cup of cheese, cover and simmer a few minutes more to allow cheese to melt.

Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken.

Ingredients – Seasoning Package:
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot or other tasteless thickening agent
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Basil
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Sugar (optional)
½ Teaspoon Paprika

In a small bowl or sandwich bag, mix all the ingredients to make a seasoning package. Blend well and set aside until ready to use.

Other Hamburger Helper Style Favorites for your consideration:

Hamburger Helper Style Chili-Cheese Macaroni

Hamburger Helper Style Skillet Lasagna

 

 

Angle Food Cake with Luscious Glazed Berries

Okay – confession time. I really don’t have much in the way of a recipe. I mean, how much of a recipe do you need? Store bought Angle Food Cake, store-bought glaze. Whipped cream – okay maybe a recipe for whipped cream would be a good idea. Strawberries? Fresh is best.

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Italian Mushroom Asiago Chicken over Simple Garlic Linguine

I love all things Italian, especially the foods. The herbs, the mushrooms, the aromas of garlic filling the kitchen. I adore warm breads dipped in olive oil, pastas with little or no sauce and the clean beauty of a colorful Caprese Salad.  When I saw this recipe at bakeatmidnite.com, I knew I had to give it a try.  It just seemed to go perfectly over a bed of simple garlic linguine. This is a wonderful meal for the whole family. Add a Caprese Salad and a bottle or two of Chianti and it’s perfect for a leisurely summer supper to share with friends.

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