I should ask the people at In N Out for some pointers.

What is it that I'm doing wrong with burgers? If I've learned anything from the Food Network, it's that pressing down your burgers on the broiler/grill makes them dry. And so I make them all pretty and flat and big, thinking they'll stay that way, and then as soon as they hit the heat, it's like a cotton sweater in the dryer type situation.

Or maybe I just need smaller buns.

Anyway, doing some Sam recipes this week, cause fast and easy prevails. I love that he cooks like I do, with super unspecific measurements, but I know that drives some people crazy, so I try my best to accommodate y'all when I do his recipes. He says to use 1/2 cup of any type of fresh herb combination (thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro etc.) here, so just know that you don't have to use what I used if you like other herbs. And all I had was dried thyme, so, you know. Use whatcha got.

*Is it gross that my photo was post-bite(s)? Sorry. My bun was dwarfing my dainty little patty, so it was the only way I could show layers.

Honey Mustard Burgers
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup total of basil leaves, finely chopped (a good handful of leaves) and mint leaves, finely chopped
About 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Good pinch each of salt (sea) and fresh ground pepper (white)
Romaine or other lettuce leaves
Tomatoes, sliced
Buns (I used Hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls)
Horseradish mayo (optional)

In small bowl, combine honey and mustard. (Voila—Honey Mustard. I know.)

In large bowl, combine meat, herbs, S&P, and 1/4 cup of the honey mustard mixture. Mix well with your (clean) hands. Divide into four clumps and shape into patties. Hopefully you're better at this than I am.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, and spray with just a bit of cooking spray. When hot, add in patties, and cook 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. They may get a little burned looking on top, but that's ok.

Toast buns, and spread honey mustard on each. I also spread a little bit of horseradish mayo on one side. Top with lettuce, tomato and patty.

Served with a mix of really unfortunate looking (read:burned) sweet potato fries and steak fries, so I avoided getting those in the pic.

Extra Schlooppy for you.

So I have a confession...I've eaten Sloppy Joes like, twice in my life. I have no idea what they're supposed to taste like. And I have no idea what the appeal is. I mean, it's ground meat and onion and sauce...just make a burger. That way you can have lettuce and tomato on it and it's somewhat more balanced and tastes like grown up food. I just don't get it.

Me: So? Whaddya think? Are they good?
Hubby: Oh, yeah, they're good.
Me: Huh. (Examines my Joe carefully.)
Hubby:...what about you? Do you like them?
Me: I...I don't know...I'm very confused...

Anyway, he had two. One was plenty for me, but I was all over the Asian slaw I made for the side. So, you know, here are both recipes.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
half an onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
a good squirt mustard (2 tsp or so)
One cup of ketchup
Good pinch each of S&P (1/4 tsp each?)

Spray a pan lightly with cooking spray and sauté onion and bell pepper for a couple of minutes. Add beef, and cook over medium high heat until brown, 5 minutes or so. Place in crock pot and stir in remaining ingredients.

Cook on high for 4 hours (or however long you've got). Serve on lightly toasted buns.

Asian Coleslaw
2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Small piece of ginger (about the size of a garlic clove), minced
1 tbsp peanut or canola oil
About 3 cups of coleslaw mix (cabbage, red cabbage and carrot)
half a bell pepper, thinly sliced and halved
handful of cilantro, chopped

Combine peanut butter through oil and set dressing aside. Mix veggie mix, bell pepper and cilantro, then toss with dressing right before eating. It gets a little soggy for leftovers, so keep that in mind.

And I don't even like chipotle that much...

To clarify, I'm talking smoked jalapenos. Not the restaurant. The restaurant is always a good idea. Just throwing that out there.

I know I've griped before about the stupidity of oversized chipotle/adobo sauce packaging, but it's happening again. Seriously, who made the inane decision to put a dozen chipotle peppers and sauce in a can when you need, like, a TEASPOON per dish? Bobby Flay's kitchen aside, who uses more than that? (I have a similar beef with tomato paste, but that's a bitch for another day.)

Anyway, hubby wanted to invent a Southwestern burger, which means we're stuck with the vast majority of a large can (it was all we had, and I'm pretty sure all they sell) after this meal. I'm planning a chipotle-centric menu for the next few days—If you have any great suggestions, let me know.

Chipotle Turkey Burgers
Burgers:
Ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1/4 onion, grated
Fresh pepper
salt
Chipotle Mayo:
About 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
2 tbsp light mayo
big pinch garlic powder
Chipotle Ketchup:
About 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
3 tbsp ketchup
pinch garlic powder
big pinch cumin powder
Burger Toppings:
Arugula
whole canned green chiles, split open flat
sliced pepper jack cheese
sliced onion
buns

In large bowl, combine burger ingredients well (use your hands). Mold into four patties and refrigerate while you prep the sauces.

So, yeah, prep the sauces. Mix them in small bowls. Cover. Chill.

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Cook patties about 5 minutes. Flip, and add chiles to skillet to heat. When the second side is almost done, add slice of cheese and cover. Now's the time to toast the buns, if you want.

When cheese is melted, smear one side of bun with mayo and one with ketchup, and place cheesy patty on bun. Top with chile, arugula and onion.

Serve with sweet potato fries and more chipotle ketchup.

Sandwich of the day: Chicken Salad

When I was a kid, I loved when we had baked chicken for dinner; it always meant I was getting a chicken salad sandwich for lunch the next day.

I looooove me some chicken salad. I have definitely been known to eat it straight out of the bowl, sans bread, especially when I was anti-sandwich for so long. (Even besides/before the whole gluten thing, I went a long time without eating them. They're weird. I can't explain this one. I was fine with them as a kid...I must have had some sort of traumatic sandwich experience that I've blocked out.)

But it is also damn good on some wheat bread. Things have changed, and it is completely out of my control. I want sandwiches. And I want them all the time. So tonight we're going back to school, so to speak, and doing it mom-style (with just a little twist).

Chicken Salad Sandwiches
(Makes several sandwiches, plus enough for leftovers)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 medium celery stalks, trimmed and diced
1 green apple, cored and diced
About 1/4 a red onion, diced
About 3-4 tbsp light mayo
Dash of garam masala or curry powder
Splash of lemon juice
Wheat bread
Whole leaf Romaine lettuce

Cook chicken at 375 for 30 minutes. Chop into bite sized pieces and let cool. Mix in celery, apple, onion and mayo. Stir in lemon and curry, if using. If it seems dry, add a bit of mayo (I don't like a lot of mayo, so you may need more).

Make a sandwich. I just used a tiny spread of mayo and a big piece of romaine, but Hubby also toasted his bread and added tomato slices.

It's falafel...sort of?

I guess you can call this a Mexican version of falafel...cause I have no idea what else to call it. To be honest, I was pretty skeptical while making it...the "avocado spread" was a little weird (needed some heat and did not need the sour cream—or greek yogurt, in my case-I've adjusted for this recipe), the patties were super sticky and needed to cook way longer than the recipe called for, and I didn't have any greens...but really, it tasted pretty good.

So, you know, follow theirs, follow mine, don't follow at all. Up to you.


Pinto Falafel & Avocado Pita Sandwich
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup crushed low-fat tortilla chips
2 tbsp or so coarsely chopped red onion
very small handful cilantro
about 1/4 tsp cumin
1 large egg white
small squeeze of lime juice

1 peeled avocado, mashed
2 tbsp chopped tomato (or about 5 chopped cherry tomatoes)
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp 0% greek yogurt (optional)
squeeze of lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch of fresh black pepper
dash of hot sauce (Tabasco works)

Canola oil
Whole wheat pitas, cut in half crosswise
Thin red onion slices, separated into rings

In food processor or blender, combine first 8 ingredients (beans through lime). Pulse until blended. (I have a mini food processor, and everything fit perfectly in it, though I had to add the beans a bit at a time.) If you don't have a blender, just cut everything really small and then mash it all up with a fork.

In large skillet, heat a bit of canola oil over medium high. When oil sizzles (test it by throwing in a drop of water-it should go crazy), take a smallish handful of bean mixture (1/4 cup or so), shape it into a patty-like shape, and fry it about 4 minutes a side or until dark golden brown on both sides and they stick together.

While they cook, combine the avocado ingredients. Open the pita and spoon in some avocado, top with a cooked patty or two, and arrange a couple onion slices (and green stuff if you've got it. I think even lettuce would work).

Almost summer...and you know what that means...

Summer food! Bright colors and flavors, oven-free cooking, sitting outside...I loooove cooking this time of year. And I have got a new one just for you, courtesy a little gem from Cooking Light.

It's vegetarian (and could easily be vegan if you swapped out the cheese and mayo), but got a big thumbs up from hubby, though I shouldn't be surprised—he's usually a good sport with meatless meals. We both thought it was crazy tasty...plus minimal clean up is always a plus. I used the Il Fornaio burger buns from Fresh & Easy, which are hands-down my favorite kind, even though they're pretty hearty and therefore not the lowest in cals. But I figured we made up for it by going meat-less, so I got over it.

Served with microwave-roasted sweet potatoes (wrapped in damp paper towels and cooked about 6 minutes, flipped over and cooked 6 more). Color and flavor (and fiber!) galore, let me tell you.


Portabella Cheese Burgers (for two)
1 large clove garlic, minced or finely sliced
cooking spray
2 large Portabella caps, gills and stems gently removed
Worcestershire Sauce (Or balsamic would also work)
S&P
2 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced thinly (Use jarred to save time)
thinly sliced red onion
Arugula, washed and trimmed
2 sets of burger buns

Drizzle worcestershire over cleaned mushroom caps, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat large saute pan over medium, coat with spray. Add garlic, stirfry til softens a bit, less than a minute. Remove to small bowl. Add cheese and mayo to garlic, stir well to combine. Set aside.

Coat pan with spray again, and add mushrooms. Cook about 4 minutes a side or until tender. Turn off heat.

Toast buns (if you like), spread mayo mix onto the bottom buns. Top with mushroom, cap side down, and top with arugula, onion and peppers, and top with other bun. Or do it whatever order you want—Cooking Light says to put the mushroom on top of the veggies. I don't follow directions either...

Roughly 250-300 cals a serving, depending on bun type and mayo brand.

Going All American

In honor of Super Bowl week, (AKA, 'I don't have to watch football for months and months' week.) I thought we'd go a bit more traditional than normal.

I somehow stumbled across a tasty little recipe for tomato soup the other day while perusing Cooking Light for cheap recipes (not only are we on a diet, but a budget as well), and figured I'd play with it a bit and try my hand at an "all American" meal.

Why does tomato soup go hand-in-hand with grilled cheese? I know that tends to be the norm, but I never ate them together growing up, as far as I can remember, so I figured I'd try it out for myself with some grown-up homemade versions of each.

I'm going to go ahead and interject that I'm, as you probably have realized, off the wheat-free kick. I have two reasons:
1. Vitamin D. I take a boatload of it a day. My mom insists it's just a placebo effect, but my dermatologist recommended it, so I'm gonna go ahead and go with it.
2. CeraVe lotion. I got so hooked on their cream that I also have the night and day face lotions now, too. It's fantastic.
Between those two things, I am hardly itching and quite the happy camper. And had I not needed a second opinion from a second dermatologist (Kaiser=Fail, CBCC=Win) I'd still be back in miserable I-hate-gluten land.

And so, without further ado, low-fat, grown-up grilled cheese and tomato soup. Hubby didn't have a grilled cheese, but his official soup review was, "Wow, you can make this anytime. Was it hard? This is better than Fresh & Easy's."

*Blushing*

Grilled Cheese (per person)
2 slices sourdough
dijon mustard
one slice provolone
2 thin slices of ham
a few thin slices of green onion, separated
small bit of shredded sharp cheddar or other cheese
cooking spray

Spread dijon on each slice. Stick everything else in between (you know how to make a sandwich). Spray skillet or griddle with cooking spray, cook about 3 minutes a side.

Tomato Soup
One peeled brown onion, chopped coarsely
Olive oil (about 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp flour
1.5 cups chicken broth
Large can crushed tomatoes (the kind with basil is great)
6 tbsp fat-free half & half (a bit less than a 1/3 cup)
S&P (good pinch each)
Small pinch of cardamom (optional)

Saute onion in oil a couple minutes until soft. Add flour, mix in well for about a minute. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Turn off, and either blend in batches until all is smooth, or use an immersion blender (buy one.) to blend in the pot. Add half and half and return to simmer. Turn off and add S&P, etc. to taste.

See? Not hard. In fact, super, super easy. And yes, better than Fresh & Easy's...and I do love me some Tomato Basil from F&E.

Meatballs!

Meatballs in Marinara
1 slice bread, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
About a 1/4 cup shredded Romano or Parm
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Salt and pepper
1 pkg lean ground turkey
Olive oil
1 jar marinara or other pasta sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained

Mix bread (gluten free works), garlic, egg, cheese, turkey, and a good pinch each of basil, thyme, oregano and S&P with your hands. Roll into balls, any size you want (up to about 2 inches across.) Stick in the fridge til ready to use.

Heat oil on high heat, and brown the balls on each side as best you can for a couple of minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or til the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over pasta. About 5 servings.

I'm sure the husband would put meat on it.

In college, one of my many jobs was working at Boudin's, a sandwich and soup place...I'd think that's partly why I'm not big on sandwiches, cause I was sick of looking them, but I still love soup, so...anyway. They had the best Vegetarian sandwiches. Three kinds of cheese, sun-dried tomato aioli, roasted bell pepper, cucumber...all kinds of deliciousness on squaw bread. Amazing. So when I was looking at a half full jar of roasted bell peppers this afternoon, wondering what the hell to do with them, I decided it was sandwich time.

So good. I wish I had squaw bread and some pepper jack. Actually, I should clarify-I wish I had pepper jack without mold on it. Buh.


Quick Veggie Cheese Sammy
Bread
Mayo
Sun dried tomato
Three slices of white cheese (Havarti, swiss, pepper jack, etc.)
Lettuce
Roasted red bell pepper
Thinly sliced onion
Cucumber slices

Mix mayo and tomato (only if they're pieces-if they're whole just layer them in with everything else), spread on bread. Layer everything else. Mmm.