4 posts tagged “burgers”

Yeah, so earlier in the week I had posted about staring at Peter’s (of Kalofagas) delicious Eggs Benedict recipe…Staring at Peter’s recipes is nothing new for me.  His site is a daily read.  He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is a phenomenal cook.  You should SEE some of the delicious things he cooks up!  He is of Greek descent, and, luckily for us, he shares his mouthwatering recipes, and the fun stories of Greece and his heritage that go along with them.  Not too long ago he had posted his recipe for Cheese Stuffed Keftides (couldn’t you just *die* at how good those sound?)…well, I knew I had to put those on the menu.  I mean, Come ON!  Keftides?  Stuffed with Cheese?  I may have fainted into my keyboard.  Actually, I’m pretty sure I did, because I had these weird square bruises on my forehead. This week, I could wait no more.  Monday I bought the ingredients to make his hellaciously good recipe. 

I’m not going to post Peter’s recipe, because I actually followed it pretty much to the letter…I had to substitute Gouda cheese (see it trying to escape there? lol) for the Greek cheese, though, since I can’t get the types he recommended for the recipe.

To go along with these delicious morsels of Greek joy, I decided to make a fresh tzatziki (pictured here) and hummus (pictured below).

The hummus was an excellent dip for both the keftides and the pitas.  I tell you, this is perfect summer food, you guys. The next time you plan on grilling plain old burgers? Forget that idea, and make these instead! Seriously, they are amazing.

For the tzatziki and hummus recipes, please visit: http://canarygirl.com/?p=182

So, um, HIIIIII!!!!!  Jeez I’ve missed you guys!  :D  My parents’ short visit is now over, and it’s time to get back to daily life.  We had a great time eating, drinking, swimming and generally playing around for the whole time they were here.  I have a couple of new recipes to share…stuff that I made up especially for Mom and Dad, and I can’t wait to share them with you.  This is one of those recipes. :)  Let’s start with the title: Fiery Buffalo Chicken Burgers….

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language:

“Adjective: 

Consisting of or containing fire.
Burning or glowing.
Using or effected with fire.
Easily ignited; flammable.
Feverishly hot and flushed: fiery cheeks.
Being in an inflamed, usually painful condition: a fiery boil.”

Buffalo wings are one of our favorite party foods.  Hot and spicy, perfect with a beer.   Everybody loves Buffalo wings, right?  So I got to thinking…We love chicken burgers, why not try to make a Buffalo version?  Wonderfully delicious, tangy and spicy, with a little blue cheese and celery to cool it down just a touch…This particular recipe might burn the roof off of your mouth if you’re not that into nuclear holocaust hot, so keep that in mind if you do decide to try these. lol  The heat can easily be scaled back by using Frank’s rather than Tabasco, and leaving out the extra cayennes.  But why on Earth would you want to do that?  ;)

recipe is here: http://canarygirl.com/?p=161

buffalo-burger

It’s so weird how certain foods seem to appear all at once around the blogosphere…I have been craving onion rings for weeks, and finally decided to make them this week…well, while making the rounds I saw that Kevin at Closet Cooking had also made onion rings recently! LOL  Great minds think alike, that’s all I can say. ;)  Are you guys familiar with the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer at the Outback?  Yeah, right?  I love the seasonings they use, but that thing is such a Pain (capital P) to make at home…plus, it never turns out the way I imagine it…usually it breaks apart and winds up being some sort of onion mess rather than looking like the pretty flower it’s supposed to.   Onion rings are much easier to do, and if you have a deep fryer, well, then all the easier yet.  So, I thought why not make a batter with similar flavors to that of the ”Bloomer,” (hehehehe I had to, folks.  I just had to) but in ring form?  Perfect.  Seriously.  They went fabulously well with my bacon and Gouda burger, a bit of alioli (I should post the recipe for that, it’s so easy) and the requisite ketchup and mustard. 

Recipes are here: http://canarygirl.com/?p=155

I'm going to recommend a Pilsner Beer for this as well...Dorada is one of our island beers, and it is *so* good.  Perfect for burgers and onion rings!

bacon gouda burger and rings

Ahhhhh burgers.  There are probably a million and one ways to prepare them, but lately, this is our favorite.  I'd say that it's a lighter, healthier version than it's beef counterpart, but, sadly...I'd be lying. LOL  The patty itself is made with boneless, skinless chicken breast, but the toppings betray it's healthful beginnings.  But, then again, what the heck?  It's a great way to have a burger, and I'm sticking with it. :)

chicken burger

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast (turkey works too)

1 egg

salt, pepper, garlic powder and dehydrated onions to taste

1/2 pound bacon

1 avocado

6 slices gouda

6 burger buns or hard rolls

burger toppings of choice (I like lettuce, tomato and red onion, and a bit of barbecue sauce)

Preparation:

Preheat broiler.

Fry the bacon in a larger skillet or grill pan.

Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings.

Combine chicken with egg and seasonings and form 6 patties (the mixture is a bit flimsy, I find it's best to make the patties and then place them directly onto the grill pan or skillet, lightly drizzled with bacon drippings).

Fry burgers over medium heat approximately 6 minutes per side...or more until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, toast the buns under the broiler, taking care not to forget about them and burn them to a crisp. (shuddup!  I have done this more than once. LMAO)

Place cooked patty on buns and top with gouda, avocado slices, bacon, and any other toppings of your fancy.