In-N-Out’s Double-Double Animal Style Burger

This is an In-N-Out Double-Double Animal Style Burger - made at home - in CO

This is what it looks like in Heaven. 

3-4 bites later.

Giveratry.  

Key points:

-pre-toasting buns in the oven is genius...and hot (400 yikes!)

-no need to freshly grind your beef if you get it at Whole Foods.  They did mine 30 mins. before I purchased it.

-American cheese bought at the deli counter of Whole Foods seems less bad.  

-2 x 1/8-lb patty combined > 1 x 1/4-lb patty.  I don't get it.  

-smearing mustard on a burger before grilling it is my favorite thing.  It is also very messy and splattery.  

-that scar on my thumb is from turnip grating casualty. 

In-N-Out’s Double-Double Animal Style Burger

from Serious Eats

1/2 pound fresh beef chuck with plenty of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

2 soft Hamburger buns

Freshly ground black pepper

8 dill pickles chips

2 quarter-inch-thick slices ripe tomato

2 leaves fresh iceberg lettuce, white core section removed, torn to bun-sized pieces

1/4 cup yellow mustard

4 slices deli-cut American Cheese

If using a meat grinder: Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Grind meat and refrigerate immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible. Proceed with step three below.

If using a food processor: Place bowl and blade of food processor in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece, and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Working in two batches, place meat cubes in food processor and pulse until medium-fine grind is achieved, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses, scraping down processor bowl as necessary. Refrigerate ground meat immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees while you cook the onions: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally until onions are well browned, about 15 minutes. Once onions begin to sizzle heavily and appear dry, add 1 tablespoon water to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until water evaporates and onions start sizzling again. Repeat process, adding 1 tablespoon of water with each iteration until onions are meltingly soft and dark brown, about 3 times total. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Make the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar in small bowl. Stir to combine.

Place closed buns in preheated oven for 2 minutes until slightly darkened and crisped. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until shimmering. Open buns and add face-down to skillet. Toast until dark brown around the edges, about 1 minute total.

Form ground beef into four 2-ounce patties, using damp hands to press each into a patty about 3/16ths of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to pan, swirl to coat, and heat over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add burger patties and cook without moving until well browned and crusty on first side, about 2 1/2 minutes. While they are cooking, spread 1 tablespoon mustard on raw side of each patty with a spoon. Meanwhile, top each bottom bun with up half of spread, 4 slices pickles, 1 slice tomato, and lettuce. Flip patties with a thin spatula so mustard side is down and continue to cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a slice of cheese. Divide onion mixture evenly between two patties. Place the other two patties directly on top of the onions , sandwiching them between the beef. Transfer patty stacks to bottom bun. Top with top bun, and serve immediately.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 30 min, Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

A real In-N-Out Animal Style Burger (not doubs)

California Club Chicken Burger

So, you know how everyone is going on and on about how great it is that fall has arrived?  So, they can start making pumpkin this.  And chili that.  Well, can we all keep in mind that some of us have been experiencing temps in the upper 80's and low 90's for the past TWO WEEKS!  

Ok, I am not complaining.  Bc I hate cold weather more than just about anything else.  Ever.  BUT, I do love pumpkin this and chili that.  And it is still too hot to heat up the kitchen.  And that is becoming borderline not ok.  I will give CO about one more week.  Then, I'm out.  

Anyways, as you may have noticed, I am still making quick dishes that don't use the oven or any excessive amounts of stovin'.  So......I am not a big fan of a chicken breast sandwich.  In fact, I would seriously never order that or eat that in a million years.  Yikes!  Strong statement.  But seriously, when I sit next to someone, at a burger place, for example, and they order a chicken breast sandwich with nothing on it, then put ketchup on it, I feel.....like all is wrong in the world.  I am not going to lie, it actually makes me angry.  I know, I have problems.

Anyways^2, this chicken burger is fun (and I like that it is ground chicken, which, in my opinion, is much more sandwich-able than a whole breast).  Love a club.  I do like the guac, but it does kind of squish out of the sandwich when you take a bit.  Makes it messy, but still delicious.  And, I did use a toasted english muffin and I liked it!

California Club Chicken Burger

from elly says opa!

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed

3/4 tsp. kosher salt ground pepper

4 thick cut slices of bacon, cooked and cut in half

1/2 cup guacamole or 1 sliced avocado

4 toasted buns

Lightly mix together the chicken, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Grill, pan-fry, or broil the patties until cooked through. Top with 1 slice (2 pieces) of the cooked bacon and guacamole, and serve on toasted buns.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 25 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  5/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

PW's Favorite Burger (for now)

It has been burger mania up in here.  I know everyone has been saying it...but this summer has been the hottest summer I have experienced in a long time.  I don't ever remember having to use such extreme measures to avoid heating up the house.  The extreme measures being using the grill or not "cooking" food. 

And not wanting to use the dishwasher or dryer.  

And I have been taking cold showers so that the hot water doesn't heat up the house.  Or me.  

It is just weird.  Especially for Boulder.  

The good news is I have gotten to try out so many great burger recipes.  This one from Pioneer Woman is one that I have had saved for a long time.  Remember that magical red onion marmalade?  Well...it is just as amazing on top of a burger.  And with some blue cheese.  Delicious.  Pioneer Woman's recipe doesn't include the addition of balsamic vinegar, but I did add some.  Yum!  Try these for sure.  

PW’s Favorite Burger

by Pioneer Woman with modifications by foodforscot

1 pounds 80/20 Ground Beef

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoons Black Pepper

Tabasco Sauce, To Taste

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Red Onion, Sliced

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1/8 cups Real Mayo

Kaiser Rolls

1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Your Favorite Lettuce

Next, for the onions, heat a medium skillet over low heat. Add in 2 tablespoons butter. Dump in the sliced (not too thick, not too thin) red onions. Now add 2 generous tablespoons brown sugar. Give it a toss to combine the ingredients, and then allow the onions to caramelize over low heat for about twenty minutes, tossing occasionally.

While the onions are caramelizing, make the spicy mayo: Place mayonnaise into a small bowl and simply add a few dashes of Tabasco. Stir together and test for taste.

Place the ground beef into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. With your hands, mix the meat and seasoning well. Set aside.

Next, slice the Kaiser rolls in half and spread each half with about 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Place them face down on a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Lightly grill the rolls so they’ll be tough enough to hold the spicy mayo. Let the rolls cool on a plate until you need them.

Form the meat into four patties and place on a grill pan or skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Allow each to cook about 3 minutes, then using a spatula, rotate 45 degrees, leaving it on the same side. Flip the burger and cook it for a couple of minutes, rotating it 45 degrees again to get the nice grill marks. Now add a large helping of caramelized onions over top of that glorious patty, followed by an equally generous helping of crumbled blue cheese.

As it finishes cooking, spread the spicy mayo on the Kaiser rolls and transfer the burger onto the bottom half of the bun. Top with a handful of greens and top with the bun.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 25 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Turkey Burgers

We love these turkey burgers.  I can't believe I haven't gotten around to making them yet this summer!  

Ground turkey (or chicken) is one of those things that needs a lot love.  You can't just patty it up and throw it on the grill.  For any ground meat, but especially the lean stuff, I always add some fat, some veg, some spices and then throw in some bread crumbs and an egg, for good measure.  And well, for binding it all up.  

I would marry coriander if I could.  And cilantro.  I think I already told you this.  But, that plant is my food husband.

So...I forget where I was going with that.  I think I was just trying to tell you that these patties are graced by the presence of the plant in both forms.  With some celery and green onion, this makes for a very light and refreshing burger.  We almost always eat it topped with lettuce and pico de gallo, but this time I made a little avocado sauce.  It was one avocado, mashed up and I added the juice of one lemon, about 1-2 tbsp of sour cream, 1 tbsp of mayo, chopped cilantro and salt and pepper.  I thought it went well with the burger.  

Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1 egg

1-2 celery stalks, finely minced

2 green onions, finely minced

1 small handful of cilantro, chopped

2 tsp of coriander

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients just until combined. Don’t overmix.

Divide into four portions and form four patties. Grill over medium high heat, about 5 minutes on each side, until fully cooked through.

Serve on bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion and sauce of choice. They are also great with pico de gallo.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Bison Poblano Burgers

We loved these burgers.  I have had buffalo burgers on numerous occasions, and these are now my favorite!  

Bison is so lean, that I usually find the burgers too dry for my taste.  Adding roasted poblano peppers and shredded cheese keeps these burgers super moist.    I used Monteray Jack cheese (it has recently become my fave shredding cheese).  This recipe includes a chipotle ketchup.  I thought it worked well with the burger.  We just topped our burgers with the chipotle ketchup and caramelized onions.  

If you have never tried ground bison, it is a very likable meat.  And a little bit healthier than your typical ground beef.  However, it is more expensive, so feel free to substitute ground beef.  The cheese and roasted peppers make this burger a whole new experience.  

We had our burgers with a chopped salad dressed with a mustard vinaigrette and slices of watermelon.

Grilled Bison Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup

from a doctor’s kitchen

2 poblano peppers

1 teaspoon macadamia nut or canola oil

1 pound ground bison (buffalo) or ground beef sirloin

2 ounces aged provolone, coarsely grated

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup ketchup, preferably Heinz

1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle peppers (canned chipotles in adobo), seeds

and membranes removed

1 teaspoon adobo sauce, seeds removed

Preheat the grill or broiler to medium-high.

Rub the poblanos with the oil and grill or broil, turning every few minutes, until the skin on all sides is blistered and blackened. Transfer to a paper bag. Close the bag and allow the peppers to steam for 15 minutes. Remove the charred skin,

stems, seeds, and membranes from the peppers. Chop coarsely and cool completely before continuing with the recipe. (Poblanos may be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.)

Place the ketchup, chipotles, and adobo sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to blend well. (This makes a spicy ketchup. Add more ketchup or less of the chipotles and adobo to decrease the heat, or more chipotles to increase it. The ketchup may be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.)

Combine the bison, provolone, salt, black pepper, and poblanos in a large bowl. Without overmixing, gently blend and form into 4 equal patties, approximately 1 inch thick. 5. Prepare the grill with an oiled rack and preheat to medium-high. Grill the burgers 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of the ketchup.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Ina Garten's Sliders

I love sliders!!!  I actually can't believe the name has stuck around.  Sliders (or slyders) got their name from the mini burger served at White Castle (according to Wikipedia and me).    

Before college, I had never even heard of White Castle.  All the engineering boyz in my class introduced sliders to me sophomore year of college.  They basically tied me up and forced me to go experience White Castle.  Then, they continued to harass me to try these slyders.  All I remember is that there were HUGE boxes of 30 + slyders that they ordered,  each of them ate between 10-20, our lab stank so bad, they kept placing slyders in my work area hoping I would give in, and I never took one bite.  

First, they told me they were called sliders because they are so greasy that they slide right through your digestive system.  They explained it in a much grosser way.  Second, they were some ridiculous price like 10 cent each.  

Ew. 

A few years ago, sliders started showing up on menus as appetizers or happy hour food.  I was hesitant because, obviously, I have been slightly traumatized.  But, I eventually gave in.  And I have almost never been disappointed.  

I think making the burgers smaller makes it easier to perfectly cook the meat.  They are made small with the intention that you will eat more, but actually one is the perfect size really.  And they are just so cute.  I love mini things now.  I am turning into Giada!

These burgers are flavored with garlic and Dijon.  And then topped with melted Gruyere, tomato, red onion and baby arugula.  I made this sauce and really liked the horseradish with the rest of the flavors.  It was recommended as a dipping sauce for the oven fried onion rings that we had with these sliders.  But I didn't think the onion rings needed a sauce.  

Ina Garten’s Sliders

by Ina Garten via Food Network

2 pounds premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)

1 tablespoon good Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill

1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

3 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces grated Gruyere

12 small Brioche buns

4 ounces baby arugula

3 medium tomatoes, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds

2 small red onions, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds

Ketchup, for serving

Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 12 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.

When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the sliders over with a spatula and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, until mediumrare, or cook longer if you prefer the sliders more well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, place 1/2-ounce Gruyere on the top of each burger and close the grill lid. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.

Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill. Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato and red onion. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with ketchup.

(Servings: 12, Prep time: 25 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Salmon Burgers with Cilantro Mayo

"I would eat these over beef burgers any day."

That is what Scot said.  He isn't a meat only kind of guy (you know the guys I am talking about...when asked what kind of burger they want, they answer, "animal"), but it does still say a lot about these burgers.  They were reallll good.

Scot and I had a little incident last night with our beef burgers.  We were so excited to eat the burgers on the homemade buns, that we were both chowing down.  Then, we both realized that our burgers were completely raw.  And that we bought ground sirloin on manager's special.  And that we both had a stomach ache.  We spent most of dinner talking about how and when we were going to get sick.  Wondering if it would be a 12 hour food poisoning or just a quicky.  And I am a medium/medium rare kind of girl, so don't be thinkin' we are just babies.  It was like eating uncooked ground beef.  Whoops!  

Well, turns out, we could handle it.  We survived!

These salmon burgers were a refreshing change from last night's catastrophe.  First, they were cooked.  Bonus!  Second, they were perfect with the homemade buns.  Third, they were seriously amazing.  Perfect with the cilantro mayo.  It has that fish sandwich flavor combo that we all love.  

I didn't follow the recipe exactly...but kind of.  Hard to say.  I did add some chopped green onion and cilantro to the salmon mixture.  The burgers stay together pretty well, but you do have to be careful with forming and flipping.  If they really aren't working for you, add more panko or egg, as necessary.  It also helps to fry in a bit more oil than you might want to.  Kind of seals the deal.  

Salmon Burgers with Cilantro Mayo

from Annie’s Eats adapted from Paula Deen via Food Network

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

6 tbsp. panko bread crumbs

1 clove garlic, grated

1 lb. salmon fillets, skinned, boned and finely chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

11/2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

For the cilantro mayo:

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup cilantro

Dash of cayenne pepper

Squeeze of lemon juice

For serving:

Burger buns

Green lettuce

Sliced red onion

Sliced tomatoes

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced bell pepper, panko, garlic and salmon. In a small bowl combine the egg, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt. Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the salmon and toss gently until well incorporated. Form the mixture into four equal patties.

To make the cilantro mayo, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well combined and smooth.

Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Place the burgers on the buns, spreading one side of the bun with the cilantro mayo. Top as desired with lettuce, onion and tomato.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Burger Buns

Yo, yo...my peeps!

Sorry.

Sometimes I have hard time figuring out how to start out my blogs.  Mainly because about 50% of the time I want to start "O.M.G...these were so..." etc.  But then I am afraid people who don't know me will...x their browsers.

Weeeeeellllllll, lemme tell you something.  Hands down...best buns ever.  Burger buns.  

Making crazy things like hamburger buns from scratch is kind of like the best and worst idea ever.  The best because when these are baking, you will experience one of the most amazing smells ever.  And best because, they seriously make the world of difference for your next sandwich or burger.  The worst because you will have a hard time eating store-bought "whatever you make" again.  

For me, I detest, strongly, in a very strong way, the smell of store-bought breads (including flour tortillas, pitas, and ESPECIALLY buns).  If I close my eyes and nose, I don't notice it.  If we grill them, it isn't so bad.  Whole Foods helps me sometimes.  I get through it.  I try not to be a store-bought bread snob.  But I am.  Yeah, let's just be honest, I really am.

Can I make these every time we have burgers?  I wish.  I hope.  They weren't too hard to make.  Dealing with yeast (especially at high altitude) is always a little difficult for inexperienced bakers like me.  I actually had no problems because my blogging friend, Monet, gave me some tips.  She is also at high altitude and bakes all the time.  She told me to let the dough rise in a warm oven with a dish of water on the bottom rack.  It helps control the humidity (since it is so dry up here).  And she also explained that we high altituders can't just simply follow recipes.  For all yeast doughs, you want a tacky but not sticky dough.  Therefore, while it is kneading...add water and flour as necessary.  And I did need to add some water to this dough to get it right.  I also find that the cooking times are usually way different.  I baked these for about 10 minutes, and the recipe says 15 minutes.    Oh, mountains, I love you.

My only change is that next time I will probably make 10-12 buns out of this amount of dough.  It is also possible that I allowed them to rise too much and that is why they were so big.  But that is unlikely because my second rise only took 30 minutes.  I prefer a quarter pound of meat and these buns were too big for that size burger.  

We also had this wonderfully simple salad from smitten kitchen with our burgers.  It was perf.  It was napa cabbage, celery and radish with a buttermilk dressing.  

Light Brioche Burger Buns

from Annie’s Eats and smitten kitchen

3 tbsp. warm milk

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. instant yeast

21/2 tbsp. sugar

11/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

3 cups bread flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

21/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:

1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash

Sesame seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the butter. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover loosely

with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating

halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

(Servings: 8-12, Prep time: 3-4 hrs., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

Black Bean Burger

I had never really heard of black bean burgers until very recently.  I was inspired to make these because there were some frozen ones served at a BBQ I just went to.  And also, this post, which recommended a Mexican/spicy version.  They were very good and perfect with avocado, red onion and some chipotle mayo.  I also made some oven fries.  My favorite recipe is from Cook's Illustrated.  I will have to share it soon.  Amazing.  

Black Bean Burger

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely diced

1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed

3 ounces of queso fresco (optional)

1-2 tsp of chili powder

1-2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

1 egg

Sauté onion and green pepper in a little bit of olive oil. Add sautéed veggies and rinsed black beans to the food processor. Pulse several times until well blended. Add spices and pulse a few more times. Add bread crumbs and egg and pulse until well combined. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Place black bean mixture in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour, but the longer the better. It helps with forming the patties.

When ready to cook, form black bean mixture into 4 patties. Preheat skillet and add 1-2 tbsp of oil. Cook each patty, allowing a light crust to form. Serve on bun with avocado, red onion, and a chipotle mayo.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers with Greek Quinoa

First of all, I am NOT a veggie burger kind of girl. In fact, I have never had one (before tonight). Mostly because whenever I have come in contact with a veg-burg, they are one of those frozen things at a cookout for the vegetarians. I always feel really bad for the vegetarians in moments like that. But, I believe there isn't a food I don't like. Well, if it is made right. And if it isn't processed. I am never going to like you, cream of mushroom soup. Or you, Velveeta. What ARE you?

Sorry. I have to voice my opinion on the blog every once in a while. Anyways, these burgers were very tasty. I loved them. I think I have said before that people always think I am a vegetarian. I truly am nothing close to a vegetarian. But, I love stuff like this. And most vegetarian dishes. And most vegetarians. They are so cute, and vegetarian.

Ok, so these burgers are pretty healthy. Cara makes 4 patties from the recipe below and said each burger was about 170 calories! I made them smaller so I got 6 patties. I was a little bit worried about the Scot guy. Would this fill him up? How many burgers would it take? That is why I chose to make the hearty quinoa as a side. But, turns out, these are hearty burgers too and he was quite satisfied after 3 (they were relatively small). I was satisfied after one. That is our typical food ratio.

For the sauce, I made the honey mustard sauce that I always used to make in my college cafeteria. It is dijon mustard, yellow mustard, honey and mayo. The amounts are biggest to smallest in that order. I love it.

A few notes...I subbed a whole regular egg for the egg substitute. My quinoa was much better this time! It still took 25 minutes which is longer than what most people say. The difference this time, is I kept it covered while simmering it. Which seems so obvious now. But, it had such good texture. I just tossed mine with some sauteed zucchini, tomatoes, and feta. Greek...not really. But, feta! Kinda greek. It was tasty. I am into the quinoa.

Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers

by Cara’s Cravings

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup dried lentils

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion (150gm)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large carrot, grated

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 ounces goat cheese

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (30gm)

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/4 cup egg substitute

Place lentils, water, and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until lentils are tender. Remove bay leaf. If all of the water has not been removed, drain the lentils. Set aside and let cool. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions the onions, garlic, and carrot for 5-8 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar, increase heat to let it reduce, and then set aside until lentils are done.

Combine the lentils, sauteed vegetables, and remaining ingredients in a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or overnight.

Heat a skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Divide the lentil mixture into four equal portions, and shape each portion into a patty. Place the patties on the skillet and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 90 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Greek Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

1 small zucchini, diced

1 tomato or 3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup of feta, crumbled

olive oil

salt

pepper

Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water and good pinch of salt in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is soft and chewy (for me it was about 25 minutes).

Preheat small skillet and add a little olive oil. Sauté zucchini for about 5-7 minutes (seasoning with salt and pepper after about 3 minutes).

Mix quinoa, cooked zucchini, tomatoes and crumbled feta. Taste and adjust seasoning.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 0 min, Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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