Rockit-Inspired Turkey Burger

The minute I spotted a pretzel baguette at Whole Foods I knew I had to recreate my favorite turkey burger of all time from Rockit Bar and Grill in Chicago.  Rockit serves theirs on a pretzel roll topped with red onion, sliced avocado, and spicy mayo with a side of the mouth-watering sweet potato fries, so I was on a mission to do the same.  I used my new cookbook bible, The New Best Recipe, for a twist on the traditional turkey burger (they add ricotta cheese to theirs) and Ore Ida's NEW Sweet Potato French Fries to cut down on time. They melt in your mouth and aren't that bad for you.

Here's how you make the turkey burgers:

Quick Turkey Burgers:

Serves 4:

1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey

1/2 cup ricotta (I used part skim)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp canola oil

Toppings:

1 avocado, sliced

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

1 pretzel baguette or 4 pretzel rolls, sliced in half

Other:

Ore Ida's Sweet Potato French Fries (about 1 bag to serve 4)

Combine the turkey, ricotta, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a medium bowl  until well blended.  Divide meat into 4-8 burgers depending on the size you want to achieve.  Lightly toss each portion from hand to hand to form a ball, then lightly flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick patty. 

Heat a large, cast-iron skillet (or heavy skillet) over medium heat until very hot. Swirl the oil in the pan to coat the bottom.  Add the burgers without moving them until the bottom of each is dark brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn the burgers over and continue to cook until the bottom is light brown but not yet crusted, 3 to 4 minutes longer.  Reduce the heat to low, position the cover slightly ajar on the pan to allow steam to escape, and cook 8 to 10 minutes longer, flipping once if necessary.  Watch closely as ricotta tends to burn easily.

While the patties are cooking, assemble the rest of the sandwich: Cut the baguette into burger-sized buns, and place on a plate.  Top with red onion, sliced avocado, and finally a (finished burger) topped with spicy mayo sauce (recipe to follow).  Serve with sweet potato french fries.  You can add some brown sugar if you want to get the Rockit effect.

Here are the french fries to look for at the market:

And the recipe for spicy mayo:

Spicy Mayo:

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

Chop the crushed garlic wtih salt and press it to the side of the knife until mashed.  Scrape the garlic into a small bowl and stir in chili powder, lime juice and mayonnaise. Set aside.

Finally, here's how mine looked:

When life throws you (leftover) cookie dough...

Make Chocolate Chip Ravioli!

How to make it:

Start by rolling leftover sugar cookie dough into circular pieces.  Add about a teaspoon of your leftover cookie dough to the center.  Brush the sides with water with a pastry brush.

Top with an additional circle:

And seal with a fork:

Bake at 350 degrees until done. 

And serve with chocolate sauce!

PC: Clumbsy Cookie

French Macarons, dare I say the new cupcake?

I'd like to start by saying:

And I know you will too once you experience them...

They're pretty, they're mini, and they're French (all things I want to be).

These bite-size French pastries were once the hallmark of Ladurée, a small, 148-year-old chain of Parisian tea salons and pastry shops that packaged them in a small pastel-colored box.  Now, you can find them anywhere from the 5th floor at Bergdorf's (if they're out of pistachio you know I'm in the vicinity), online, or Trader Joe's in delicious flavors like pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, or lemon to name a few.  

 

They look as good as they taste and add the perfect touch to any tea/dinner party:

Surrounded by other pastries/flowers:

On an ordinary plate:

On a three-tiered stand

Or else to add that 'Wow' factor to your next dessert!

Moeylicious Cake: (WOW!)

Lollipops:

or a Croquembouche

Want to make them yourself? Let Martha show you how here.

Nutritionplugged, Wall Street journal-Sara Rosso, Bobetteandbelle.com, kristen's kitchen adventure, Vanilla & Lace, Hip Hostess-Mowielicious Macaron Cake, macarondiaries.com, recipe: Martha Stewart

Street Cred

After trying a dozen recipes for perfect Carne Asada (Steak) tacos, I finally found one that is my new Rose (think Le Petit Prince).

It turns out that these amazing tacos were the creation of three brothers who were obsessed with bringing the delicious Cal-Mex cuisine to the streets of New York...  And boy did they do it.  Two taco trucks later (which have been voted the top street carts in NYC), they started their first brick and mortar operation: Calexico in Brooklyn. Check it out the next time you're here or else make this recipe to impress that special someone (or else yourself).  They are top notch.

The recipe:

The three brothers (and their cart)

PC: Food & Wine, The Daily News

P.S: I served my tacos with guacamole and sauteed onions and red peppers.  It was divine!

From Napa with Love

I just returned from the most splendid trip to Napa Valley and wanted to share my favorite dish from the weekend:

The Mongolian Pork Chop from Mustard's Grill 

(served with mashed potatoes and sweet and sour red cabbage topped with a honey mustard sauce)

 This is truly the most succulent pork chop I have ever tasted and I can't wait to have it at home! 

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 .

* Note: The prep time does not include the three-hour to overnight marinate time.

six 10-oz. center-cut double pork chops

Mongolian Marinade Ingredients:

1 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tbs. sugar

1-1/2 Tbs.tamari soy sauce

1-1/2 Tbs.sherry vinegar

1-1/2 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 scallion, white and 2/3 of the green parts, minced

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1-1/2 tsp. Lee Kum Kee black bean chili sauce

1-1/2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 Tbs. minced garlic

3/4 tsp.freshly ground white pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, minced

1 Tbs. sesame oil

Preparation:

Trim the excess meat and fat away from the ends of the chop bones, leaving them exposed. Put the pork chops in a clean plastic bag and lightly sprinkle with water to prevent the meat from tearing when pounded. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the meat down to an even one-inch thickness, being careful not to hit the bones. Alternatively, have your butcher cut thinner chops and serve two per serving. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Coat the pork chops liberally with the marinade and marinate for three hours and up to overnight in the refrigerator. Prepare mustard sauce (recipe below). Place the chops on the grill and grill for five minutes on each side, rotating them a quarter turn after two to three minutes on each side to produce nice crosshatch marks. It's good to baste with some of the marinade as the meat cooks. As with all marinated meats, you want to go longer and slower on the grill vs. shorter and hotter, because if the marinated meat is charred, it may turn bitter. The pork is ready when it registers 139 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Offer the mustard sauce on the side for dipping.

Per serving: 449 cal.; 40 g pro.; 11 g carb.; 26 g fat (9 sat., 11 monounsat., 3 polyunsat., 3 other); 126 mg chol.; 591 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 54 percent calories from fat.

Chinese-Style Mustard Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes about 2 cups In addition to grilled meats, this sauce is good for dipping with chicken wings. It's also popular on hamburgers and hot dogs.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Colman's mustard powder

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Preparation:

Put the sugar and mustard in the top of a double boiler and mix with a whisk. When well combined, whisk in the egg yolks and vinegar. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is thick enough to form ribbons when drizzled from the spoon. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. When cool, fold in the creme fraiche. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Other restaurants that we loved: Press & Bouchon

Wineries to check out: Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, Hall, Del Dotto, & Robert Mondavi

There I am, happy as a clam in Napa...

And trying to learn about wine at Duckhorn:

 

Who you calling Shrimp?

Stir-Fried Ginger Shrimp with Brown Rice

This dish is extremely easy to prepare (the stir-frying process is under 10 minutes) and is equally delicious as it is healthy. 'Pretty good' is all I have to say.

You can also add a few of your favorite veggies-I added asparagus.

 Whatever you end up doing, (please) do not get rid of the onion and celery since they truly complement the meal.

Note: Have your fishmonger devein and peel the shrimp to save you the hassle (and your appetite).

Bon Appetit!

Recipe: Cooking Light

Les Salades

Here are some tasty salads I I just added to my cookbook:

Brussel Sprouts Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Parmesan (they serve something similar at one of my fave's: Morandi)

Mediterranean Salad with Proscuitto and pomegranates (I omit the fennel)

Winter Greens with Goat Cheese Croutons and Black Olive Vinaigrette (I omit the anchovies)

And some wonderful serving pieces:

Michael Aram's Coral Reef (I own this in white)

Atticus Madison Bowl with tongs:

Nambe:
 

***I actually sell these through my business if interested

101 Cookbooks, Epicurious, Bon Appetit, & Fine cooking, Michael Aram, Atticus and Nambe

Cocktail Party-Barefoot Style

Watching 'Barefoot Contessa' is one of my all-time favorite pastimes. Whether it's a small or large occasion, Ina Garten truly knows the in's and out's of entertaining and isn't afraid to share her secrets. She's my kind of woman.

Last night I learned a few tips that I thought I would pass along (in case you didn't spend your night on the couch like I did)

-Always serve 6 different appetizers for your party. 

-3 store-bought and 3 homemade (if you can). 

-Try to use a combination of hot and cold appetizers as well as different textures and tastes.

The menu:

Homemade:

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Spicy Horseradish Sauce (a wonderful change from the normal shrimp cocktail)

Blue Cheese and Walnut Homemade Crackers

Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

Store-Bought

Salted Marcona Almonds

Fresh Olives

English Cucumber witih Sliced Sopressata

This menu is pretty easy and allows the host to mingle with his/her guests-which is how a party should be.  She also recommends lining up the glasses on a bar (or table) with pretty linens and flowers. Finally she suggests to have 3 glasses on hand for each guest since people tend to lose their cup here and there (and want to try different kinds of wine).

Cocktail parties are a wonderful alternative to a dinner party.  Invite over your friends and mingle!

Barefoot Contessa (footnetwork.com), Gourmet sleutch, amazon

Italian Night Made Easy

Last night I had a some extra time on my hands so I decided to make whole wheat pizza dough along with a pasta dish that I recently had Piadina. I was pleasantly surprised (by 'pleasantly', I mean I called my Mom to tell her how proud I was of myself for making a dough that actually rose) and had so much fun doing it that I made a few extra to freeze for future use. I mean, it's not every day you get bread to rise.

The recipes:

Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomato and Ricotta
(this is a VERY easy dish and it only takes about 25 minutes to prepare); pair it with a caesar salad and you're set. I also use part-skim ricotta and whole wheat rigatoni to make it healthier.

and

Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.

An Apple A Day

Being home in Ohio brings back so many wonderful memories... most notably going to the apple orchard every Fall to enjoy the fresh fruit and scenery. I'll never forget dipping apple fritters in hot and spicy apple cider. Nothing beats the simplicity of childhood.

As an adult, I still crave those apple orchard trips (and fritters) and love incorporating them into my Fall meals. Here are some interesting recipes that are sure to please:

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar

Apple Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Root Vegetable Pan Roast with Chestnuts and Apples

Upside-Down Butterscotch Apple Sour Cream Cake

Hot Apple Toddy

***also, a really easy and delicious appetizer can be sliced apples (I love Gala or Fuji) with brie drizzled with honey and chopped walnuts.

Feel free to send me your favorite Fall recipes and I'll feature you on my blog! Happy Friday!

Health.com, Bonvivantevents.com, Food & Wine, Lost Forest After Dark

Da Bears...Party

Here is a menu I plan to use this Sunday:

Store-bought Pigs-in-a-blanket: an old favorite that never cedes to make 'em happy (serve with good spicy brown mustard)

Delicious and Easy Buffalo Chicken Wings with blue cheese dressing and celery(finger-lickin' good)

Half time Chili (halftime never tasted so good)
-serve with chopped onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chives

BLT Salad: (one that the boys will even eat)
Buy iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, and bacon from your butcher if possible (pancetta will also do the trick). You can serve this salad as a wedge or else chop up the lettuce, tomatoes, and pan fry the bacon (keep an eye on it, as thin pieces tend to cook quickly). If you want to just throw the bacon in the oven, that works too (preheat to 400 degrees, and bake for about 15 minutes). You can throw a little brown sugar on the bacon before baking to make them nice and sweet.

Allow the bacon to cool and mix together the ingredients and toss with ranch dressing
*you can also add some blue cheese since you would have it on hand (but then it would be called the blt-c salad)

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits (that melt in your mouth)

Drink: Beer (of course!) Time to whip out those engraved beer mugs if you actually registered for them. (I didn't) Drinking out of the can is just as cool.

Dessert: S'mores Bars (featured in The Tastiest: Barnone)

Go Bears!

Bon Appetit, Messy Cuisine, Ehow, ThePerfectPantry.com, cowpiebuzz, mydreamwedding, bakingbites.com