Party Sliders

On Easter, my family had brunch with the traditional foods and then went out to our cottage to do some spring cleaning.  Obviously we generated quite an appetite (even after a big brunch) and had to decide what "I" could whip up quickly and easily but delicious as ever.  My Momma said how about some burgers and a salad.  Since I hadn't had burgers in forever I loved the idea.
Now every time I make burgers I change up my seasonings so I can find the perfect combination of flavors that'll satisfy everyones taste buds, and I think I finally reached that point (well am the closest yet).  Now the plan was burgers but the only buns we had were dinner rolls (aka tiny buns) so I said lets make sliders instead (this would also give me the opportunity to create several different burger toppings.
Now I have never indulged in a crave case at White Castle but I guarantee this recipe is better than any White Castle slider you'll ever eat.  Happy Easter!  Enjoy!

Recipe: (11 2.25oz sliders)

1.5 lbs of ground beef 85/15 (means 15% fat)
1/4 cup and 1tbsp fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp chili powder
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (be careful a lot goes a looooong way)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of hot sauce (of course)
salt and pepper (couple grinds each)

Directions:

Wash hands really well (always want to when working with raw meat) then get out a cutting board and large bowl for fixing burgers (neither should be wood because wood can spread disease easier).
Throw the meat int he bowl and mix around with hands to open up all the pores so the flavors can marinade rapidly.
Next, mix in all the ingredients except the egg and (order doesn't matter much) then mix it throughout very well so every bite has great taste.

Once you've done this, crack an egg in and mix it in to keep the burgers moist (this is the fun part, I love getting my hands involved int he mixing process!)
Form sliders (should be small 2-2.5oz each) so the slider will fit well with the bun you have selected.
Grill at 350 degrees for 4 minutes on each side, keep an eye on them you want a little red in the center and they will be perfect!
Decide what toppings you want on the sliders (remember you can have 2 or 3 of these and change up with each one).  I put on a french cheese with bacon on one and cheddar cheese on another both with spicy mustard, tomato, and sauteed mushrooms.  These were so good, very juicy and flavorful one could honestly eat them alone and be satisfied!

Serve with a nice romaine salad with simple dressing and chips or home cut potatoes.

Black Bean Burgers

My roommate Matt is a vegetarian which has inspired me to experiment more with non-meat meals.  I had made black bean burgers before but I wanted to spice them up (literally) and add some more veggies.  I messed around with several different variations and finally perfected these.  You can make these in 20-30 minutes and, best of all, make a big batch and save them for the entire week.   Here's the recipe.  ENJOY!

Recipe:
2 cups of black beans (soaked and drained) or
1 can of black beans (much easier)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 cup shredded sweet potatoes (1 big 2 small)
3/4 cup shredded zucchini
2/3+ cup good bread crumbs
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (do you dare...)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 egg
3 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)
several dashes of hot sauce (sriracha) http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm


Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350 and cook the sweet potatoes for about 12 minutes just enough so they can be shred easily.  Let cool then shred with a cheese grater (seen above).
Open and rinse the beans and place in a large bowl (seen above).  Mash slightly to allow for other flavors to meld then add the minced garlic, sweet potatoes, zucchini, bread crumbs, and seasoning.  Mix well with your hands (it's not cooking unless you're getting your hands dirty), then add the egg and hot sauce mix some more and you're ready to go.  If you wish, add cilantro as well and form patties (usually makes 4 burgers).  Put some olive oil in pan and cook on each side for about 4 minutes (I like it crispy but you just need to cook them long enough for the egg to cook).  
I serve on a cibata bun with mustard, and goat cheese on the bread and a sliced tomato with spinach and some more sriracha.  Now give them a shot, as they truly are delicious and anyone will love these guys!

Chicken Pesto Penne

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is fast, easy and delicious!  My mom introduced this recipe to me and I have kept it the same (for the most part) and make it all the time.

Recipe: (serves 4-6)

1 lb of chicken breasts 

1/2 cup of half and half

1 lb of whole wheat penne pasta

1/3 cup of pesto 

15-20 grape size tomatoes 

1/3 cup parmesan

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

black pepper

salt

Wash and cut the chicken breasts (blood and fat) and place on a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper only one side (my mom always says only one side)

and bake for 10-15 minutes at 375.

Start boiling some water for the penne and add the pasta right away.

Meanwhile take a large frying pan and turn the heat to medium and pour the half and half in the pan.

It will start bubbling, which is good, just keep stirring the sauce so it thickens (about 3-5 minutes) and then add the pesto. Continue stirring.

Once the chicken is done place on a cutting board and cube it (eatable pieces) and add it to the pesto sauce and coat the chicken with the sauce.

Turn the heat to low and keep on eye on the sauce while you cut the tomatoes into halves.  

Once the penne is done, add it along with the tomatoes to the sauce and mix together.  Sprinkle most of the parmesan on and mix a little more.

Add the garlic powder and red pepper flakes and serve in a large bowl!  Use remaining parmesan for garnish.

Serve with a good bread (french or multi-grain)

and some sautéed zucchini.

Breakfast Pizza!

This breakfast pizza is worth the hour plus time it takes to make it as I have found it is 10 times better than a frozen pizza kind, yet it is super easy to make.  Being in college and living with 6 other guys (and knowing how to cook) food of all types is appreciated.  When I first made this homemade pizza my roommates ate the first and asked when the second one was getting out of the oven HAHA guys.  What I like most about this pizza is it gives you freedom to use many different ingredients (even vegetarian if you wish) to please everyone.

Dough Recipe:

1 package of dry yeast 

3 cups of AP flour 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tspn salt

2 tspn sugar

Meat Version:

Again this is up to you but here is 

what I use in my breakfast pizza.

3 tbsp cream cheese

1/2 lb of chorizo (mexican sausage YUM)

3 scrambled eggs

1/2 cup of cheese (I prefer Mexican)

2 tbsp of parmesan cheese

1 whole tomato chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp oregano

couple cranks of black pepper

Olive oil (for crust)

OH and hot sauce

Vegetarian Version: 

Believe it or not this might be the tastier (and healthier) option

3 tbsp cream cheese

1/2 lb of soy chorizo (found at my favorite store Trader Joe’s) 

you can also use tofu or your favorite meat substitute

3 scrambled eggs

1 whole tomato chopped

1 cup of spinach

1/2 cup of cheese 

2 tbsp of parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp oregano

Black pepper

Olive oil

Hot sauce 

Preheat the oven to 400F 

For the dough heat the water so it is between 110 F and 125 F.  This is important otherwise the yeast will either not activate or die, so it is vital that the water temp is somewhere in this temperature range.  Add warm water to yeast and let stand for 7-10 minutes.  

In a large bowl add 2.5 cups of flour, the sugar, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and the yeast mixture.  Spread extra flour on table top and beat well (about 5 minutes).  Let stand and rise for 30 minutes, spreading last bit of oil in the bowl to keep dough from sticking (cover bowl with plastic wrap).  

Meanwhile...

For both types, fry (you want to cook the meat so it is about 90% cooked as it will finish off in the oven on the pizza) up the (soy) chorizo as you’re waiting for the dough to rise and scramble the eggs after the sausage is done (leave the grease in the pan for the eggs-sausage grease is a flavor enhancer).

Once the dough is done roll it out and fit it in the pan (you can almost any size pan for this dough)  Take the cream cheese and spread it on the dough and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and half the oregano.  Next, spread out the chorizo or substitute and eggs followed by the cheese of your choice (hold on to the parmesan for now).

For the vegetarian pizza, layout the spinach then the tomato pieces (on both).  

You’re almost ready!

Take some olive oil and brush it along the edges of the crust (brown it better and make it crunchy).  Then sprinkle the parmesan and remaining spices on the pizza.

You’re ready for the oven, throw it in for about 20 minutes but keep an eye on it just incase.  Once it is done, dash your favorite hot sauce on it, cut and serve!