Hilary's Eat Well "World's Best" Veggie Burger

I'm on day 3 of 30 of the 30-Day Bikini Body Meal Plan and on today's menu was a ham and egg microwave breakfast (effin' terrible!) that tasted like rubber and also a veggie burger that was a success!

Sunday morning I planned ahead by mapping out of my meals for the week and made my grocery list before going to Whole Foods. A veggie burger... hmmm... I have never made/bought a veggie burger and had no idea what to expect. I took to the Internet to find some direction and came across a blog, Yum Veggie Burger, and scrolled through until I saw a post about a veggie burger made from a frozen patty. This sounded like an easier approach then making my own veggie patty or not being in control of the calorie count by ordering one out.

I followed the inspiration from the blog and pan fried the patty then dressed it up with sauteed garlic spinach, roasted red pepper, and a black pepper mayo.

This is a filling burger without giving you an overstuffed feeling. The patty fries up nicely getting a crispy coating and it is absolutely tasty. As far as the "world's best" veggie burger... well it's the best I've ever had. Ha!

Hamburger Steak with Onions and Egg

I came across this recipe for Hamburger Steak with Onions and Egg while reading through this Secret Recipe Club entries. This recipe came from the blog, Stuff I Make My Husband. I had all of the ingredients on hand and was beyond giddy to give this "recipe" a try.

This is great for breakfast or dinner. I guess I should throw lunch into the mix since that is when I had this. While Itty Bitty napped I made a single serving and enjoyed a quiet sit down lunch.

A seasoned hamburger patty is topped with caramelized onion and an over easy egg. I choose to add some heat with a couple splashes of hot sauce. Yummy!

Hamburger Steak with Onions and Egg

Stuff I Make My Husband

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 4 oz lean ground beef hamburger patty seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• onion - I used red onion since that is what I had on hand. Thinly slice the amount you prefer.

And Action:

Cook the hamburger patties to desired level of doneness in a skillet. Set aside and cover with foil to keep warm.

Cook the onions in the remaining juices. Add a little butter or oil if necessary. Set aside.

Cook the egg in the same pan until cooked but yolk is still runny.

Top each hamburger steak with onions and the egg. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

I have linked this to:

Turtle Burgers

Hear me out on this one... Received this idea in a forwarded email this morning. Would love to know who came up with this one to give credit where it's due. So creative! Cute idea for the little ones.

Turtle Burgers

Handmade ground beef patties topped with cheddar cheese, and wrapped in a bacon weave. Hot dogs are then added as the heads and legs. Cut slits in the hot dogs for the toes and nails. Place on baking sheet covered loosely with foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Ricotta Smothered Mushroom "Burgers" with Sweet Onion-Olive Topping, Prosciutto, and Arugula

There's a large portobello mushroom cap hiding under all that ricotta cheese!

That recipe title is a mouthful and so is this mushroom burger. There are so many flavor players in this burger that it's hard to even put into words. On a toasted kaiser roll is a portobello mushroom cap that is marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil then roasted in the oven and then smothered with a ricotta cheese and pesto topping. The sweet onion-olive topping is red onions and kalamata olives in a tomato paste. You'd think that would be where someone would stop adding to this burger but not Rachael Ray! Layered on top of the ricotta smothered portobello mushroom cap is two slices of prosciutto and then a handful of arugula.

Heads up: Don't mash the burger down in hopes of "thinning" it out to fit your mouth around this. The ricotta will ooze out of the sides. In fact, Mr. Sideline Chef and I agree that half the amount of ricotta topping could be made since so much of it ends up on your plate instead. Double the sweet onion-olive topping instead, you'll thank me later for that suggestion. If you're looking for a "Meatless Monday" meal you could even leave out the prosciutto but it does add another layer of flavor. The peppery arugula is a must! So much flavor play going on sandwiched between one kaiser roll.

This is one hefty burger and made a meal all on it's own. Adding a salad as a side dish would have been overkill seeing as how I almost had to be rolled to the couch after eating this.

For a quick and easy meal give this mushroom burger a try!

Ricotta Smothered Mushroom "Burgers" with Sweet Onion-Olive Topping, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings



Stars of the Show:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• salt and black pepper
• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 rounded tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese - I used fat free ricotta cheese.
• 3 tbsp store bought pesto sauce - I laughed at the fact that she wants you to use store bought pesto sauce. If you make it yourself I promise I won't call you out for it. I used a basil with nuts pesto.
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 4 crusty Kaiser rolls, split in half, and toasted
• 8 slices prosciutto di Parma (optional)
• 1 small bunch arugula, washed and trimmed of any thick stems

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large Ziploc bag combine the balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the portobello mushroom caps. Zip the bag completely and then shake the bag to coat the mushrooms. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking sheet gill side up. Roast the mushrooms for 12 minutes or until tender and cooked through. While the mushrooms are roasting prepare the caramelized onion topping.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the sliced red onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes, or until nice and brown. While the onions are caramelizing prepare the ricotta cheese topping for the mushrooms.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and pesto well. Once the mushrooms are done roasting for 12 minutes remove them from the oven and divide the ricotta mixture evenly among the 4 mushroom caps onto the gill side. Return to the oven for about another minute just to heat the cheese.

Add the chicken stock and chopped olives to the onions. Turn the heat to high and continue to cook until the stock has reduced almost completely.

Arrange one cheese topped mushroom on the bottom of each split roll. Top the cheese with some of the caramelized onions. Top that with two slices of prosciutto and some arugula. Place the top of the roll on, roll up your sleeves, brace yourself with elbows on the table, lean over your plate, and enjoy!

Marking #10 off of my "Stir the Pot" page. 5 down 19 more to go!

For a chance to win Tru-Kid Cool Conditioner, Silly Shampoo, and Bubbly Body Wash check out Smart Girl Reviews and tell her the Pretend Chef sent you!

Cacciatore Burgers

I've heard of Cacciatore but have never had it. To tell you the truth I don't even know what goes into it. My saving grace, YAHOO!, and a quick search and I was on the path to knowledge. I found out that Cacciatore implies that something is cooked with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, and sometimes wine. The etymology is Italian, from cacciare, meaning to hunt.

In Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook she offered up a recipe for Cacciatore Burgers. After a quick scan of the ingredients list and deeming this a "might-like" for Mr. Sideline Chef I added this to our menu lineup.

Her burgers don't include tomato or wine. She missed the mark on this one being Cacciatore-esque. Although I did have to "hunt" for the ingredients since I went shopping at Krogers since I needed fresh fish this week and I am not a regular there. I had to back track quite a few times trying to find all of the items on my shopping list.

Getting to eat a burger, even a turkey burger, makes me giddy. I love the indulgence of a burger. Sinking my teeth into a meaty patty and the flavors from all of the toppings and the grease that may or may not drip down to my elbows. This Turkey Cacciatore Burger is unlike anything I have ever had. The aroma that filled the house is reminiscent of a Philly cheesesteak. My mouth was watering and stomach growling the entire preparation. The final product looked like heaven between a bun.

On top of a broiled bun brushed with butter and garlic laid the turkey burger that had Worcestershire sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. The burger was topped with sauteed sliced portobello mushrooms, onions, cubanelle peppers, and hot cherry peppers then topped with the broiled bun top.

A spring salad mix with an olive oil-lemon dressing was served as a side dish with roasted garlic bagel chips as well. The burger was the only star. "Pretty good." This coming from Mr. Sideline Chef is saying something. He had seconds and thought it could have even had more of a kick. He told me, "It was even heat to tease me." Finally! Another recipe that can be inserted in the "Mr. Sideline Chef's Favorites". This is a must try burger!

Cacciatore Burgers

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings



Stars of the Show:

• extra virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, plus 4 tbsp
• 1 lb ground turkey breast or ground chicken - I used ground turkey.
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves (2 cloves chopped, 2 cracked from skins and reserved)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 medium yellow onion (1/4 of the onion finely chopped and the other 3/4 of the onion thinly sliced)
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used dried parsley since that is what I have on hand.
• 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded - Once again I used dried basil.
• generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced - I scraped out the gills. They gross me out.
• 2 cubanelle pepper, seeded and sliced - I used Anaheim peppers.
• 2 hot red cherry peppers, chopped, plus a splash of their juice
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 4 crusty rolls, split
• 3 tbsp butter
• 12 oz mixed baby greens
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped - I used dried thyme.
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 sack of fancy chips such as olive oil and rosemary flavor or Terra's garlic and onion Yukon golds - I used New York Style Roasted Garlic Bagel Chips.

And Action:

Preheat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan to medium high heat.

Drizzle some olive oil in a bowl and add the ground turkey or chicken, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped onions, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Combine to form 4 large patties and add to the hot skillet. (I had to turn my heat down to medium because it was starting to burn the burgers.) Cook for 6 minutes, then flip the burgers. Cook for 5 minutes on the other side.

Heat a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushroom caps with the sliced onions and cubanelle peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off. Add the hot cherry peppers and a splash of their juice.

Place the Provolone over the burgers and turn off the heat in the pan. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese.

Preheat the broiler to high. Toast the crusty rolls until golden. (This happened within a minute and I actually burnt some of the edges.) Melt the butter with the remaining cracked garlic in the microwave. Brush the garlic butter on the rolls.

Place the turkey or chicken burgers on the buns. Top with the peppers and onions and replace the top halves of the buns.

Toss the spring salad greens with the thyme, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the greens alongside the Cacciatore Burgers with the chips of your choice.

Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Good. Now that I have your attention: That my friends is a 1/4 lb. of beefy-cheesy-roasted green chile heavenliness. If you are looking for a juicy and flavorful burger look no further. When grilled up these babies were the true star of Sunday's BBQ. Succulent enough that they were best left condiment less and everyone agreed. Although, on second thought, bacon and more bacon would enhance the flavor also. The recipe below when followed will produce a mild heat so feel free to really kick it up with other types of peppers and pepper jack cheese.

Even the grown men only ate one (with sides of potato salad and baked beans) and were left comfortably stuffed. It was one of those burgers you eat that leaves you wanting more and craving it for breakfast the next the morning. Crumbled into pieces and scrambled with eggs and topped with salsa... lip smacking and a hearty start for the day.

The recipe calls for roasted green chiles and sure enough I could have just bought canned green chiles but I thought I would try my hand at roasting my own. I had to do my research first and after reading the directions I was shocked to see how easy it was. Broil the peppers until blackened, cover with saran wrap to steam for 15 minutes, peel the skins, seed them, and dice away. We had to open the windows while doing this step of the recipe to air out the house because the aroma they were giving off was the same as someone smoking weed. The smell made me nauseous but I managed for the sake of the final reward.

If you've never roasted your own peppers or even tried your hand at forming burger patties by hand then slap yourself in the forehead and get to the store this morning so you can make yourself (and end up with a happy man) a mouthwatering burger. You could easily double the recipe to feed a crowd. The recipe makes 4 (1/4 lb.) cheeseburgers.

 Green Chile Cheeseburgers

From MyRecipes.com and many thanks to Sunset Magazine's July 2006 issue.

Stars of the Show:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck - Feeling ambitious... grind your own meat... once I buy a meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid I will be doing so.
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced (If you want a bit more spice since these were mild than I would recommend not seeding the peppers. If you recall from yesterday's post, Mr. Sideline Chef said "we" should try it with jalapenos next go round.)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (You could even use pepper jack cheese for more heat depending on your taste preferences.)

And Action:

1. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and gently incorporate the ingredients with your hands.
2. Divide the combined mixture into 4 equal parts and form into patties making the centers thinner. They shrink when cooking.
3. Heat the grill (make sure it's well oiled to prevent sticking) and throw these bad boys on. 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 for medium-rare, 4 for medium, and 5 for well-done. We went for medium and they were so moist and juicy. One word to sum it all up... orgasmic!
4. You could top with cheese as we did to make it well, obviously, more cheesy.

Hints:

• The fresher the meat, the more tender and flavorful.
• The more you handle the meat, the tougher it will become.
• Keep formed burger patties chilled until time to grill. This helps the flavor carrying fat stay locked in.
• If using a gas grill cook with the lid on. If using a charcoal grill cook with the lid off.
• Flip the burgers only once and don't press the burgers down. Don't want to lose any of those delicious juices that will drip down your arms.
• Let the burgers rest a few minutes before eating.

Nutritional Stats:

Calories: 439 (62% from fat) Trust me, the hour and half walk to burn off these calories will be worth it.

Protein: 39g

Fat: 30g (14g Saturated fat)

Carbohydrate: 0.8g

Fiber: 0.1g

Sodium: 847mg

Cholesterol: 136mg

“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”