Lentil-Pecan Burgers with Blue Cheese and Apple

Inspiration:
Cara's Cravings


Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dry brown lentils
  
• 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 cup minced onion (150gm)
  
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  
• 8oz mushrooms, minced
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (2oz)
  
• freshly ground salt & pepper
  
• 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary or thyme
  
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
  
• buns or rolls of your choice
  
• thinly sliced apple
  
• blue cheese (about 1/2 oz per serving)

Instructions:

1. Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for about 5-10 minutes more, until the vegetables are soft. Add the rosemary and/or thyme, the pecans, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool while the lentils finish cooking.
   
3. When the lentils are done, place in a bowl and mash with the vinegar. Add the sauteed vegetables and the oats and mix well. Chill for about an hour.
4. Preheat broiler. Form the lentil mixture into six equal sized patties and place on a baking sheet. Broil for about 8 minutes on each side. Top the burgers with the sliced apple and blue cheese and broil for one minute more, or until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Serve on toasted buns.
   
   Nutritional Info (per burger, without apples, cheese, or bread)
   Servings Per Recipe: 6
   Amount Per Serving
   Calories: 172.3
   Total Fat: 9.7 g
   Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
   Sodium: 2.7 mg
   Total Carbs: 20.3 g
   Dietary Fiber: 8.0 g
   Protein: 8.3 g

Notes:
These were fabulous! Thanks, Cara!
I had a little issue with binding, but I just kind of kept pushing the burgers together, and they turned out fine. If you really want them perfectly shaped, perhaps add an egg to the mixture?

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Bánh Mì

Inspiration:
My love for bánh mì and a marinade from Cooking Light, seen on Elizabeth's blog.


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed
• sliced fresh jalapeños, shredded carrots, and cilantro
• baguette

Instructions:

1. To prepare steak, combine first 6 ingredients in a large flat dish. Add steak; cover and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill or broiler.

3. Remove steak from refrigerator; discard marinade. Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan lightly coated with oil; cook until desired doneness.
   
   
4. Slice steak against the grain; pile on baguette with veggies. Top with fish sauce or a combination of fish sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sugar.

Notes: These were delicious, but I probably won't make them again. Why? Because we are lucky enough to be able to purchase bánh mì from many nearby Vietnamese-owned restaurants for about $2.50 each. If I didn't have that option, I would be making this often.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers

Inspiration:
Cara's Cravings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups water
  
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oi
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 ounces goat cheese
  
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
  
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• whole grain rolls
• lemon-shallot vinaigrette, or other sauce, and lettuce for serving
  

Instructions:

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Discard bay leaf. Place lentils in a large bowl; partially mash with a fork. Cool slightly.
   
2. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly.
   
3. Add onion mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to lentils; stir well to combine. Cover and chill 45 minutes.
4. Divide mixture into 3-4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook patties 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Notes: I *loved* these! I loved the flavor combination--thanks, Cara. Tim is not a big fan of goat cheese, so I made this for myself while he was gone. I kept half of the onion-lentil mixture out when mixing in the egg, breadcrumbs, and cheese. He ate it later as a salad and enjoyed it.

One more note: I obviously used yellow lentils. Don't be alarmed if you use green lentils and your burgers look totally different.

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: n/a

Tim Cooks: Sloppy Buffalo Joes

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

me: I think I have a recipe you might want to make for lunch.
Tim: Frozen pizza?
me: No, Sloppy Joes.
Tim: I LOVE SLOPPY JOES.
me: I know. These are a bit different. They are a buffalo chicken Sloppy Joe, from Rachael Ray.
Tim: Sigh. Do I have to listen to her yammering?
me: No, I printed out the recipe. I'll even chop the veggies.
Tim: Good.
me: :)


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground chicken
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 good quality burger rolls, split and toasted
• 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 large dill pickles, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with wooden spoon, cook 5 to 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onions and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cook 7 to 8 minutes more. In a bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer a few minutes more. Pile sloppy Buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

Liz's Notes: We made a half recipe.
Tim's Notes: Add some Tabasco if you like spicy food.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10

And here's Tim's artistic shot:

Ham and Cheese on Rye Bread Salad

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of seeded rye bread, cut into 1-by- 1/2-inch batons
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 ribs)
• 1 pound thickly sliced smoked ham, cut into 1-by- 1/2-inch batons
• 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup snipped chives

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once, until lightly toasted. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the mustard with the mayonnaise and vinegar. Gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and season with pepper. Add the celery, ham, cheese, chives and the rye bread croutons, toss well and serve.

Recipe Notes: In this fun take on the sandwich classic, Grace Parisi creates a delectable ham salad mixed with crunchy rye bread croutons and bits of Gruyère cheese, tossed in a mustardy dressing with celery and chives. She sometimes likes to wrap the bread salad in Bibb lettuce leaves for an inside-out sandwich.


My Notes: I loved the combination of flavors and textures, and it tasted different than anything I have had recently. Delicious. I used pumpernickel cocktail bread as I had some in the freezer. This tasted much better when the bread was still slightly warm from the oven; later, it was basically dry rye croutons.


Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Spicy Pork Po'Boys

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 medium kosher dill pickles, very finely chopped
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I despise iceberg lettuce, so I substituted mixed greens.)
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the ground pork with the paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Form the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill the pork patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, pickles and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the baguettes.
3. Place 3 pork patties on the bottom of each baguette and top with the lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Food & Wine's suggested beverage: "Juicy, blackberry-rich Southern Australian Shiraz: 2006 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill."

My Notes: This was really easy! The pork patties did not taste that much different than a spicy pork sausage blend, so you could buy bulk sausage if you want a super-quick dinner. Tim loved the sauce so much, he gave this recipe an 11 out of 10.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 11/10

Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise

Inspiration:
Ina Garten
and the most gorgeous heirloom tomato from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 10 to 15 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 baguette, sliced horizontally, OR 2 slices country loaf bread
• 1 heirloom or Israeli tomato, sliced

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic.
   
2. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the top of 2 slices of bread. Place the sliced tomato on top of one bread slice. Place the remaining slice of bread, mayonnaise side down, on top of the tomato. Cut the sandwich in half and serve.

Notes:
This is so, so good. I can't believe how such a simple recipe can be so tasty. You must use quality ingredients (great bread, fresh summer tomatoes, fresh basil) for this to be amazing. I think that Ina's proportions are a bit off -- 1 cup of mayonnaise for 1 sandwich? I made 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture and still had a lot leftover.


Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim didn't get to try it, poor guy.

K.M. Pizza Sandwiches

Inspiration:
My high school "hot lunch"


Ingredients:

• white bread
  
• softened butter
  
• pepperoni (regular or turkey)
• shredded mozzarella or "pizza blend" cheese
• pizza sauce
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  

Instructions:

1. Warm pizza sauce in pot or microwave. Heat griddle. Butter two slices of bread. On non-buttered side, layer pepperoni, cheese, and 1-2 tablespoons sauce. Assemble sandwich with buttered sides out.
2. Cook until brown on each side.
3. Serve with remaining pizza sauce.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers

Inspiration:
Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds ground chicken
  
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 6-8 pieces of naan (or 4 whole wheat pitas)
  
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced on the diagonal (optional)
  
• fresh cilantro

Cumin Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• coarse salt and ground pepper

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Set aside for at least 10 or up to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for cumin-yogurt sauce.
   
3. Make 6-8 patties, and grill or fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until done.
4. Put two pieces of naan on each plate. Place one patty on each, as well as cucumber (if used), a few sprigs of cilantro and the cumin-yogurt sauce and serve.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Wisconsin-Style Bratwurst

Inspiration:
A love for bratwurst due to our Wisconsin upbringing.

Ingredients:

• fresh bratwurst
  (not pre-cooked; preferably from a local butcher)
• hard rolls
• spicy mustard
  (my favorite is Beer'n Brat Mustard)
  
• 24 ounces beer
  (preferably Miller, since these are Wisconsin-style brats, but really any beer but Budweiser!)
• large sweet onion, halved and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
  
• sauerkraut
  (preferably bagged or Frank's Kraut)

Instructions:

1. Prepare coals in a charcoal grill.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot on medium-low heat, simmer/boil brats and onion in beer (add water to cover if necessary) until brats are cooked through.
3. Continue to boil onions in beer after removing the brats.
   
4. Grill brats until nicely browned.
5. Serve in hard rolls with mustard, onions, and sauerkraut.

Notes:
In a discussion on a cooking board I frequent, we shared different bratwurst preparation styles. Some people, like me, prefer to boil the brats in beer and onion prior to grilling. Other people swear by grilling the raw brats first, then soaking in beer and onions before serving, because it soaks up more beer flavor that way. Finally, some people add green pepper to the beer-onion mixture. In my opinion, green peppers do NOT belong with bratwurst! Italian sausages, maybe, but not bratwurst.

I hope you enjoy our method.

Lentil-Walnut Burgers with Yogurt Cilantro Sauce

Inspiration:
Everyday Food


Ingredients:

Lentil-Walnut Burgers:

• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, cooled
• 1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 cup lentils, cooked, drained, and cooled
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• pita bread
  

Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil; pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should remain whole).
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg. Add lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
3. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
4. Prepare sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon; season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve lentil-walnut burgers in pita bread; drizzle with sauce.
   

Nutritional Information (burgers only): Per serving (without sauce): 460 calories; 28.9 grams fat; 18.7 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 13.6 grams fiber

Notes: This vegetarian meal was delicious, if not low-calorie! We loved it. You must toast the walnuts; it adds so much flavor.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Egg Salad with Radishes and Scallions

Inspiration:
A recipe from our CSA's newsletter. (Our farmer's wife is a chef.)

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 medium scallion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1/2 medium stalk celery, chopped fine (about 3 tablespoons)
• 3 medium radishes, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• ground black pepper
  

Instructions:

1. Place eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray of water (or equivalent). Transfer eggs to ice water bath with slotted spoon; let sit 5 minutes, peel and dice medium.
2. Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl, including pepper to taste. Serve.

Recipe Notes: Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Tuna Melts

Inspiration:
www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of tuna in packets
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices bread
• 8 slices ripe tomato
• 8 slices swiss or cheddar cheese
• paprika, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven broiler.
2. In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, parsley, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and broil 1 minute in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and spread with the tuna salad. Place 1 cheese slice over the tuna salad on each piece of bread, layer with a tomato slice, and top with remaining cheese slices.
4. Return layered bread to the preheated oven, and broil 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 7.5/10