This week has flown by thus far!  In a way it is good as the weekend is approaching but on the other side of the coin another week is gone and the house is not completed.  We are still shooting for early December but some people are looking at me funny when I mention that.

Remember back on Tuesday I shared with you a simple cranberry preserve?  Today I wanted to talk about another one of my favorite yet classic preserve – MUSTARD PICKLES.  These pickles are drop dead amazing if you like mustard pickles at all.  The tartness of the vinegar combined with the crunch of the cucumbers and the silkiness of the sauce = YUM.

This can be a  little bit of chopping project, however the cooking process is very quick and simple.  For me, mustard pickles are such an awesome addition to a meal.  Whether it is on the side or a roast chicken dinner, or in the bread of a nice hearty beef sandwich – I chalk this up as a must have preserve.

Ingredients

• 20 Cups Cucumbers
• 3 lbs. Onions
• 1 Cauliflower
• 1 Red pepper
• 1 Green pepper
• 7 Cups white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. tumeric
• 4 Tbsp. coarse salt
• 1 1/2 Cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 2 Tbsp. mustard seed
• 4 Cups vinegar

Method

1. In a large pot peel and cut up fine, cucumbers, onions, peppers and cauliflower.











2. Mix all dry ingredients together; add vinegar slowly, mix well.
3. Pour over vegetables and bring to a full boil.
4. Boil two minutes.
5. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal immediately.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The pickles will thicken slightly after the cooking process is completed so do not be concerned if you think the mixture is too thin when you go to bottle.

Well I hope you enjoyed another preserve recipe.  It really is a big party of fall cooking.  This is such a popular preserve down here especially when the pickling cucumbers are out in full force – late summer, early fall.

Question of the day

Do you have a favorite pickle?

Have an awesome Thursday, before you know it the weekend will be here.

Take care

zesty

Ever crave a good old fashion cheeseburger?  Well this kid craves them all the time.  I know it is not great for you but listen to this… How about some extra lean ground beef, a whole wheat bun, mushrooms, onions (if you like them), dash of mustard, and a splash of ketchup.  Oh wait – you can’t forget the cheese.

For my cheeseburger, I play a little game called “Hide the cheese”.  I can hear you saying “Oh dear, this zesty guy is crazy”.  Well that is partially true but hear me out.  I like to put the cheese inside the burger when I mix it.  For this I cut the old cheddar cheese up in little cubes and add it to the beef mixture. By doing so, it ensures the beef to be juicy and gooey and embed the flavor in every bite.

I went ahead and paired the burger with some savory potato wedges, some sweet potato chunks and a simple salad. They were a huge hit as always.Follow along below and check out the process.  Pretty simple but fun and let me know what you think of the zesty tip today.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef
• 2 Eggs
• Black Pepper
• Button Mushrooms
• Onions
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Cheddar Cheese

Method

1. Prepare the ground beef in a large mixing bowl





2. Preheat grill to medium high heat
3. Add eggs and pepper too beef and mix well.
4. Cut cheese  into small chunks and add to beef



5. Using your hands, incorporate the cheese into the beef



6. Form the patties to the size of your liking ( I prefer to have them a larger circumference and a thinner height)



7. Place patties onto a plate and press your thumb in the center of the burger making a slight indentation



8. Clean your grill as it is reheating.
9. Place the burgers on the grill and do not move them until a nice crust is formed.  You can do a half turn for grill marks if that tickles your fancy.





10. In a frying pan, over medium heat add olive oil and saute the onions until translucent.



11. Add mushrooms and continue cooking down until golden brown.





12. Turn the burgers over, add your favorite barbecue sauce if so desired and continue cooking until no longer pink



13. Remove from heat and let rest.
14. Assemble the burger to your liking.





15. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To prevent the burger from puffing up in the center as it cooks, I press down in the center.  Also another great tip is too not add sauce to your burgers to early. It will just burn as most sauces have sugar in them.

So I guess that wraps up the “Zesty Ultimate Cheeseburger”.  This was a really fun post to do and I hope you enjoy it!  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send me an email.  Have a great Thursday and I will see you with a weekday wrap up tomorrow.
Take care

zesty