Thursday, March 28, 2019

PIZZA ONION BURGERS (RACHAEL RAY)


These burgers are from the April 2018 issue of Rachael Ray Every Day magazine.



Rachael says:  Steak pizzalola (panfried steak with wine and pizza sauce) is an Italian American classic.  This recipe takes that idea and serves it up in burger form.

PIZZA ONION BURGERS
Makes 4
To get that pizzalola flavor, this burger is topped with onions cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.  I call them pizza onions.

PIZZA ONIONS:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
Salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
About 1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp. Calabrian chili paste or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock or water

BURGERS:
1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
6 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Drizzle of olive oil
4 slices each provolone and mozzarella (from the deli counter)
4 Italian rolls or 4-to-5-inch pieces of soft Italian bread, split
Little Gem lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, and basil leaves, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium.  Add the onions, season with salt and the oregano.  Cook, stirring often, until very soft, about 20 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and chili paste and stir until coated, about 1 minute.  Add the wine and stir until evaporated.  Add the stock.  Reduce heat to low.  Let the pizza onions simmer while you make the burgers.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high.

In a large bowl, season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper and mix together.  Form into 4 patties thinner in the centers for even cooking.

In a small bowl, mix the parsley, butter and garlic.

Drizzle the patties with oil.  Cook, turning occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes.  Top with the garlic butter, then the cheeses.  Tent with foil to melt the cheeses.

Top the roll bottoms with lettuce, tomato, basil, and the cheeseburgers.  Add the pizza onions and roll tops.






Wednesday, March 20, 2019

PASTRY FOR SINGLE CRUST PIE

I love pies.  I don't love making pie crust.  It never turns out right for me.  It's either so dry it falls apart or so sticky it's on my hands and not in the pie plate.  And then there was the time I kept adding flour and...  Well, let's just say it made good wallpaper paste.

This recipe, though, sounds easy enough even for me.  I'm going to give it a try.

PASTRY FOR SINGLE-CRUST PIE
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
4-5 tbsp. cold water

In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture, gently toss with a fork.  Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl.  Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened.  Form dough into a ball.

Monday, March 11, 2019

SOFT GINGERBREAD

This is a recipe my great-grandmother used to make as a treat for us kids.  I haven't had it in a long time.  I tried to make another recipe, but it didn't turn out.  I'm so glad I found her old cookbook with this recipe in it.


SOFT GINGERBREAD

Ingredients:
1 cup New Orleans molasses
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup water
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir the molasses, sugar and butter together; add the water, then the flour, salt, soda and spices sifted together, and beat hard. Bake in two well-greased pans in a moderate oven about half an hour. 

Yes, this recipe from the late 1800s does not say what size pans nor what a moderate oven is.  I used a 9 x 13 pan and 350*F. oven.  (177*C)

When I took my first bite of this treat, all these wonderful memories came flooding back.  It was so good and I hadn't tasted this in many years.

This may not be the healthiest dessert, but it tastes great and after all, it's a treat for maybe once or twice a year, not a regular part of your diet.

GREEN EGGS AND LAMB BURGERS (RACHAEL RAY)

These burgers are from the March 2018 Rachael Ray Every Day magazine.



Rachael says:  I love Green Eggs and Ham.  I've often riffed on the book in my recipes.  This, however, is the first time I've gone with a pun rather than a literal interpretation.  I give you -- Green Eggs and Lamb!

GREEN EGGS & LAMB BURGERS
Makes 4

Green Harissa
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
2 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup (packed) mixed fresh cilantro and flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
About 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Burgers
1 1/2 lb. ground lamb
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil plus a drizzle for the eggs
1 tbsp. store-bought red harissa paste or chili paste
2 cloves garlic, grated or pasted
1 tbsp. ground sumac or paprika
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. fennel pollen or crushed fennel seeds
About 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
4 large eggs
r brioche buns lightly toasted
Little Gem lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced tomatoes, seedless cucumber, and red onion

For the green harissa:
In a dry small skillet, stir the seeds over medium heat until tasted, about 1 minute or so.  Transfer to a food processor and pulse to coarsely grind.  Add the jalapenos, scallions, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice; season with salt.  With the machine running, stream in the olive oil to form a sauce; transfer to a bowl.

In a medium bowl, season the lamb with salt and pepper  Mix in 1 tsp. olive oil, the red harissa, garlic and spices.  Form into 4 patties (thinner in the centers for even cooking).

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high.  Cook the patties for 7 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally; transfer to a plate.

In a small bowl, season the yogurt.  Mix in the dill.

In a nonstick skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium.  Crack in the eggs and cook until fried, over easy or medium.

Build the burgers by stacking the bun bottoms, the dill yogurt sauce, lettue, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, lamb patties, eggs, green harissa, and bun top.