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Bar and Grill Veggie Burger with Secret Sauce

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Sherri

I tried to start this blog with a funny headline but no one in my family laughed. First I thought “A veggie burger walks into a bar and gets sauced” . . . . . . . . get it, . . . . . . . because of the secret sauce? When that didn’t work I simplified it with “A veggie burger walks into a bar… ba – dum – bump!” While it made me laugh, and I think my sister-in-law Barbara would appreciate it, my family heckled me to the point that I just wrote what it is – a veggie burger recipe! Wait, here comes my husband chiming in with a joke of his own! I’d better start writing this post…

A friend of mine told me she went to a restaurant last week and when she asked about the veggie burger on the menu the waiter said it was a frozen Morningstar Farms black bean burger. She was horrified to learn they use a frozen burger you can buy in the grocery. Plus, it’s not the healthiest and definitely not fresh tasting. She inquired as to why they didn’t have a house-made one and they said they’ve never found a good recipe for one. I find it difficult to believe in today’s day and age they couldn’t find a really good recipe or come up with one of their own. She told them they should take it off the menu, and I agree.

One thing you’ll learn about me pretty quickly is that I love good veggie burgers – and, I can be a bit of a snob about them! Even the frozen brands, that’s why I like to make them myself. I don’t like the kind that pretends to be meat. I like the ones where you can see the vegetables and grains. You know the kind that say “hey look at me! I’m healthy and delicious!” Here in Columbus, we’re lucky to have Northstar Cafe where their veggie burger reigns supreme! It’s filled with brown rice, black beans and beets, it’s very different and very delicious! Bare Burger (an up and coming NY chain) has a few vegetarian burger options, including mushroom and quinoa and recently opened in town. Sad is the restaurant that serves a frozen brand when they are so easy to make.

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I was watching a show on the Food Network the other day featuring a bar and grill. All of the customers were raving about their veggie burger. The chef was making what he called bar food kicked up a notch. A few days later, I watched the show again, wrote down all of the ingredients and then tried to figure out the quantities of each component. I substituted shredded hash browns for mashed potatoes in the original to keep calories down and for simplicity, however, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, go for it and use that instead.

I must have done a great job because everyone in my family loved them. Everyone from my son who is a pescatarian (vegetarian who will eat fish), my other son who is a carnivore (meat lover), and my husband who is an adventurous eater as long as there is a good sauce. Then there’s me, I’m a bit of a wild card. My diet is different from everyone in my family. I am happy with a piece of grilled salmon on a salad any day of the week! While I enjoy a good burger, I can’t remember the last time I actually had one. I usually opt for a turkey burger, tuna burger, and obviously a veggie burger!

So here you have it, my version of an upscale bar food veggie burger, I hope you Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out if you make it! Oh, and while I don’t think it needs cheese, if you just have to have it, select something like fontina, brie, or port salut; mild and creamy that won’t take away from the deliciousness of the burger.

1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 red pepper diced fine
1 cup shredded frozen hash brown potatoes (or mashed potatoes if you have them on hand)
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup cooked barley
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup scallions sliced thin both green and white parts
2 teaspoons – no salt seasoning
1 extra large egg (omit if you want to keep it vegan and add extra potato)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
canola or light olive oil to pan fry the burgers

Toppings:
Use a good lettuce like crispy frisée or spicy arugula or mixture of both
sliced tomato
slices of avocado

1 soft challah roll, ciabatta roll, or pita
1 to 2 tablespoons of special secret sauce (recipe follows)

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While the barley and rice are cooking, prepare everything else. It took about 1/2 an hour to assemble and another 15 to cook. Cook the barley according to package directions. I purchased mine from Trader Joe’s and it was a quick cooking barley that took only 10 minutes. Cook the brown rice according to directions on the package as well.

While they are cooking, assemble all of your other ingredients. Dice the red pepper in a small dice, and slice the scallions finely. Measure the shredded potatoes (I used the Trader Joe’s shredded hash brown potatoes), peas and corn and place in a large bowl then set aside. Finely shred 2 or 3 carrots (depending on size to make a cup). Do the same with the zucchini. I like to buy smaller zucchini when I can find them, they have less seeds and are less watery. It’s okay if your measurements aren’t exact. If it’s a little more or less of an item, it will still turn out well. Just don’t overdo it, keep well within the recipe guidelines especially the first time you make it. Then make it your own!

Into the bowl with the potatoes, peas, and corn, add the rice while it is hot and it will defrost the other ingredients and cool down the rice. Rinse the barley and add that in as well. Next, add in the shredded carrots, zucchini, red pepper, and scallions, Mix well with a fork. Add the salt, pepper and no-salt seasoning and stir gently. Side note here… I like the Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning from Costco or Trader Joe’s 21 Salute, but any no-salt seasoning you like will do.

Add in the egg, mix and then add in the breadcrumbs until everything just comes together enough that you can make a patty. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop out the portions so they would all be the same size. Mold the patties tightly so that they’ll stay together and place on a plate.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle with a couple of tablespoons of canola or extra light olive oil on medium heat. When the oil starts to bubble, place the burgers into the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side – approximately 6 – 8 minutes a side.

This recipe makes approximately 10 burgers and they freeze very well. Just make sure to individually wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and then place in a zipper bag in the freezer. The only problem is that these are so good, they’ll never make it to the freezer!

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Knee High by the 4th of July Grilled Corn on the Cob

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Sherri

Knee high by the 4th of July is a saying in the Midwest that years ago meant it’s going to be a good crop that year. It doesn’t mean that anymore but people still say it. I remember when we moved here that first August, I didn’t really pay too much attention to a lot of what was going on here agriculturally. We were living in a new place with no family, building a house, attending a new school, making new friends and corn was the last thing on my mind. Those first few summers after we moved here we spent back in NY so by the time we came home, if there was corn growing anywhere, we didn’t see it!

Then one summer both my boys went to sleep-away camp and my husband and I had to drive east for their visiting day. I hate to sound like a country bumpkin but there were corn fields for as far as your eyes could see – it was amazing! Growing up in Florida I could say the same thing about palm trees, but there was never a big coconut market I was aware of, oranges and grapefruits sure, coconuts not so much.

Ohio has close to 4 million acres of corn planted each year and we rank 6th in the United States in corn production. That’s a lot of corn! There are local farmers that will set up a little cart off the side of the road and sell corn 10 for a dollar – 10 ears of corn for a 1 dollar, that’s crazy! We also have farmer’s markets all around the city and it’s not unusual to see trucks filled close to overflowing with corn. It’s no surprise corn is the star of many dishes I cook during the summer.

Sometimes I steam it, but whenever I can, it’s straight to the grill baby! There is nothing more delicious than a fresh ear of corn straight from a farm that’s grilled. It gets caramelized and sweeter with a hint of a smokey flavor. Let’s start with how to grill corn right on the cob…

There are a 3 ways to grill corn on a barbeque. One way is in the husk, another in aluminum foil and third, straight on the grill. I’m not a fan of the 3rd as it ends up tasting burnt to me so I will share the other two ways that I like it best.

In the husk:
Heat your grill between low and medium heat. Pull the outer husks down gently to the base and clean away any silks from each ear of corn. Then fold them back and place the corn in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the corn from the water and shake any excess water off. Place the corn on the grill, cover and grill for about 20 minutes turning every 5 so it cooks evenly. You can pull the husks back a little to see if it’s done. If you can’t tell, you can pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife.

Remove the husks and eat the corn right off the cob. At this point you can brush it with butter if you choose. We like it just the way it comes off the grill.

In aluminum foil:
Heat your grill between low and medium heat. Pull the husks off the cob and clean silks from each ear of corn. Wrap each ear individually in aluminum foil.

Place the corn on the grill, cover and grill for about 20 minutes turning every 5 so it cooks evenly. You can pull the foil off a little to check it and when you see it browning in spots and caramelized, it’s done. If it’s not browning but you think it’s done, you can pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife.

We did a little taste test last week to see if they tasted any different. We found that in the husk, the corn stayed juicier with fewer caramelized areas. In the foil, the corn developed a much more smokey flavor. In the first photo of this post, the 2 in the forefront were cooked in the husk, and the 2 in the back in foil. You can see the slight differences. Both were equally delicious and you can try a taste test for yourself to see which way you like the best. In any case, grill and Enjoy!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Celebrate with fish tacos!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Sherri

So, I’m a day late and a dollar short. Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. Usually that means my boys come home from school and tell me they have to bake something for Spanish class. Oh, and did I mention they usually need it the next day! So being the girl scout that I am and always prepared, I generally have all the ingredients to make any variety of food (well most foods anyway)! The good news is that my boys help out, especially since we always make desserts. Jarred genuinely likes to cook and Ethan likes to lick the bowl!

This year as May 5th approached I asked my younger son Ethan what he wanted to bring in to school. He said the teacher didn’t ask the class for anything – I was shocked yet at the same time being in the throws of baseball season very relieved. Over the past 6 years I have been in my kitchen making: Mexican wedding cookies, horchata or Arroz con leche (rice pudding), flan (Mexican custard), dulce de leche (caramel), churros, oh and let’s not forget to send in Mexican hot chocolate, and cafe con leche to wash it all down! Last year I made bridagderos (a chocolate candy that is a cross between fudge and a truffle) stay tuned for that recipe, it’s delicious although technically wasn’t considered Spanish for the class since it’s Brazilian! As you can see, I’m not the grab a bag of chips and salsa to bring in kind of mom! This year I was planning to make paletas (frozen popsicles) that I saw on the Food Network. I might just have to make those sometime this summer.

Since it is a baseball night, I had to make a fast dinner so I decided to prepare a make your own taco or burrito bar. Being short on time, I purchased flour tortillas, guacamole and cuban black beans from Trader Joe. They have the best homemade flour tortillas! Salsa is another story entirely and I should probably have a post dedicated the the brands I have tried. So for tonight, any jar of salsa you have in your house will be great – remember, short on time.

To set up the buffet, you’ll need a main protein (in my case grilled tilapia) toppings of your choice, shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole, rice, corn, black beans, tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

For the recipes… roasted corn and onions, grilled tilapia, brown rice.

Taco Spiced Tilapia
3 to 4 tilapia filets (account for 1 piece of fish per person)
Penzey’s taco seasoning (or brand of your choice)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put a non-stick grill pan on the stove top on medium heat. Meanwhile prepare the fish. Rub both sides with olive oil and sprinkle the top with taco seasoning. When the pan is hot, place the fish seasoned side down. Sprinkle the other side with a little more seasoning. Grill until done about 5 minutes a side depending on how thick your fish is.

Roasted Corn Recipe

There is a restaurant in NYC called Canyon Road. They make a roasted corn dish that is to die for. In the summer, I roast my own corn on the grill but for a nice shortcut, Trader Joe has roasted corn in the freezer section. How easy is that? It’s made with caramelized onions and very deliscious, I hope you like it.

one onion finely diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 bag frozen roasted corn from you guessed it… Trader Joe!
salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon of each)

In a large skillet heat 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium to low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are nice and caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes then add the corn. Cook until the corn is hot, add salt and pepper to taste.

Chipotle Restaurant Style Rice
2 cups of water
1 cup brown rice
1 small shallot diced fine
2 tablespoons dried cilantro or parsely (or combination)
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons zesty lemon seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (no salt added)

In a 2 quart saucepan add the water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add the rice and the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover and cook as directed on the package.

Ole!

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica…

Cinco de Mayo, ( Spanish: “Fifth of May”) , also known as the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, national holiday in Mexico in honor of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III. When in 1861 Mexico declared a temporary moratorium on the repayment of foreign debts, English, Spanish, and French troops invaded the country.