Ok, where do I start.  The New Years eve gala was nothing short of amazing.  When you see the food line up I think you will agree.  On top of all the food the night included some adult beverages, some funny board games ( FART and Apple to Apples ) as well as some great music and even some dancing.  I will not delve to far into the dancing aspect of the evening.

For these toasts, I listed the ingredients and method for each of the three flavors.  You will also see in the pictures that there was a 4th toast which was called Fig and Balsamic.  This was a pre-made spread from the superstore so I didn’t include it in the post.  It was quite tasty nonetheless.

Roasted Onions

• 1 or 2 Onions ( sliced)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1Tbsp. butter
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tsp Rosemary, thyme, oregano

Method

1. Slowly brown onions in butter and olive oil.
2. Season with salt and pepper as well as those herbs desired.
3. Dried and fresh herbs can be used but the more delicate herbs should be added near the end of the cooking time.
4. Total time will probably be over 30 minutes as this avoid the onions burning.
5. Little attention is required during this time.

Sauteed Mushrooms

• Mix of mushroom types sliced, Portabella and Shitake were used. Quantities depend on how much is desired.
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Method

• Brown in heated pan that has butter and oil added to melt.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook until mushrooms brown and reduce in size

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheese

• 2 Red Bell Pepper
• 5 Oz soft goat cheese
• 1 Tsp. minced shallot
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Roast peppers until skin is blackened and place in paper bag to steam. This will make peeling the skin easy.
2. The peppers can be roasted on grill, over a gas burner or through broiling.
3. Dice the peppers once cooled and peeled.
4. Mix with the remaining ingredients and allow flavors to blend.

Slice baguette to about 1/2 inch thick. Grill on one side, or drizzle olive oil over parchment paper lined pan and place toasts on the paper. Add toppings and again drizzle with olive oil and bake in 350 F oven.

The bottoms will toast and crust from the olive oil, and the parchment will prevent sticking.

The first of quite a few great dishes to remember 2009. Stay tuned for some more great recipes that you can make for you and your family.

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