burger

Homemade Whole Wheat Burger Buns

August 31, 2016

I can’t believe this is my first time attempting to make burger buns. Gosh, they couldn’t have been easier! Like pizza dough or tortillas, it is now one of those things I will think twice about before buying from the grocery store. Sure it takes a bit more time to make from scratch, but the investment pays significant dividends in taste (and quality).

What used to intimidate me about making breads at home was the yeast. Sometimes the yeast was good, sometimes it wasn’t and I wouldn’t really know until after I had put in all the work. Well let me share with you my tips for using yeast: 1) freeze your yeast so it keeps longer, 2) sugar your water so that the yeast has something to feed on, and 3) create more acidity which the yeast likes.

Sometimes it’s not always possible to do #3, like in pizza dough, for instance. But it’s really easy to do with burger buns. I actually mixed the yeast in a mixture of water, buttermilk, and sugar that I had warmed up in the microwave. Boy, let me tell you that yeast went crazy! It loved that sugary, acidic mixture! And it created some nice springy dough that formed the perfect buns and proofed pretty quickly.

This is helpful because that means I can make these burger buns in under an hour. Once I had mixed and kneaded the dough, I formed them into even balls. I then left the dough balls out on the counter to rise a bit while I went back to work in the kitchen getting the rest of dinner prepared.

I let these bad boys rise until they expanded to about the size of a standard burger bun, which took me about 20 minutes. They will puff up quite a bit in the oven, but they won’t get much wider (if that make sense) so make sure you like the size of them before baking.

And let me tell you, your kitchen will smell amazing while these bake. They should make a candle that smells like fresh baked bread. I would love for my house to smell like that every day.

Anyways….

Because of the egg wash on top, I knew they were ready when they turned nice and golden brown on top. I was totally tempted to cut right into one while it was warm, but I restrained myself. If I had done that, they might have still been a little moist in the center instead of nice and light and spongy. So it’s really important to let them cool completely.

But once they are cool, I cut them in half then toasted them a bit in the oven so they got even more crispy. I used these particular buns for some smokey sloppy joes, which I will be sharing soon. Of course they would be good with burgers of all kinds, chicken breast, and anything else you want to turn into a sandwich!

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:73]

Burger Bowl

May 16, 2016

For those of you who have been on a diet before can definitely understand how hard it is to eat out. You have to question everything that goes into the dish, including that things were cooked in, or whether they have found a way to sneak in sugar or fat somewhere you would least expect it. One the easiest things for me to eat out while on the Whole 30 was a burger, oddly enough. Of course I became that annoying customer who had to modify just about everything, but I had ordering burgers down to a science (“I’ll have the Classic Burger, no bun, no condiments, and can I add avocado on top?”).

Then one day the most magical thing happened – I discovered the burger bowl! One of our favorite burger spots in town actually makes a deconstructed burger in a giant bowl. It was amazing! It was pretty much made for anyone who is eating Paleo. It didn’t have any condiments or dressing and I didn’t have to change anything on my order (“One burger bowl, please!”). It felt so good not to be the high maintenance customer again. I knew I had to add this to my list of Whole 30 meals!

The burger bowl is incredibly easy to put together. I start with a bed of romaine lettuce that I tossed in lemon juice and olive oil. I then added some thick slices of tomato, grilled onions, and some roasted sweet potatoes (to add that french fry element). Then I topped it all with a 4 ounce burger patty that is simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

I actually topped this off with some condiments because I had to cut this round of Whole 30 short thanks to an ill-timed case of food poisoning. I wanted to add just a little bit more flavor (and color) to the bowl, but its not like it really needed it.

And just like the burger bowl at Bang Bang burger, this one totally hit the spot! It satisfied that craving for a juicy burger without that pesky bun. Who needs a bun anyways?

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:31]

Spicy Chorizo Burger

March 11, 2016

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I don’t know about you, but I watch a lot of Food Network. I know, you are shocked. For me, it’s just so easy to sit back, watch people make delicious food, and get inspired. Which is exactly how this chorizo burger came about.

This burger was 100% inspired by a Diner’s Drive-Ins and Dives episode my husband and I were watching last weekend. The episode featured a English-owned restaurant that made a delicious looking chorizo burger. How could an Englishman get a Chorizo burger wrong (sarcasm implied). But of course Guy made it sound like it was the best thing he ever ate. And it really did look good, so my husband and I set about making our own.

Chorizo Hamburger-1

My original intention was to buy pre-made chorizo and just mix that in with ground beef. Turns out, here in North Carolina, chorizo isn’t that easy to find. It also turns out that it’s not that hard to make assuming you have a well stocked spice rack. To make the chorizo, you just mix up ground pork with about a hundred different spices, sugar, and a bit of vinegar.

Chorizo Hamburger-4

Once the chorizo is made, the rest it pretty much like making a regular-ol hamburger. I just mixed the chorizo in with some ground beef and cilantro (just like the DDD recipe) and formed that mixture into patties. In the picture above, you can sort of see the marbling of the pink beef with the orange-tinted pork.

To cook the burgers, I seared them on both sides, then covered them and cooked on medium heat until they got to 160 degrees. Unfortunately, since they contain pork, you probably aren’t going to want anything less then well done.

But what’s is so great about this burger, besides that flavor, is that the pork really makes the burger extra moist and flavorful. The lady a Trader Joe’s told me that it was her husband’s secret to a juicy hamburger.

Chorizo-Hamburger-5b

I topped this spicy burger off with cheese (for my husband, at least) to help balance out all that heat from the chorizo, and I stacked the burger on a heaping portion of guacamole, doused the top with some salsa, and topped it off with lettuce and tomato.

If you are like me and are avoiding bread and cheese, I can tell you that it is just as good without the cheese and wrapped in lettuce, which is exactly how I ate mine.

Chorizo-Hamburger-8b

I hope you give this recipe a try, especially over the Summer when you start firing up that grill. It is a whole new spin on the classic burger that is super flavorful and definitely has a kick.

Enjoy!

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:5]

Naked Turkey Burger

January 15, 2016

Naked-Turkey-Burger-Title

Okay, so today is day twelve of the Whole 30 (I’m sure you’re just as sick of me talking about it as I am), and while I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am also really missing certain foods.

Pizza. Cookies. French fries.

But fortunately when I get those cravings for a cheesy slice of pizza or a big juicy hamburger, I can make something that’s almost as good, like this naked turkey burger with a side of baked sweet potato chips.

Naked Turkey Burger - b-1

Of course a classic beef burger patty would have been even more indulgent and satisfying, but we keep turkey on hand, so this is what we made. While turkey is healthier and leaner, since you loose the fat you also loose a bit of the flavor. To make up for that, I season the turkey pretty generously with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

Naked Turkey Burger - b-4

Now if this were the summer, I would be outside cooking these on the grill. But around here it’s been about 30 degrees so I am staying inside, thanyouverymuch. Instead I just cook these in a cast iron skillet.

Sweet Potato Chips

While the hamburgers are cooking, I slice up a sweet potato and crisp them up in the oven. This is about as close as I am going to get to french fries or potato chips for the next couple weeks, so I savor every single bite of them. I just wish I could dip them in some ketchup.

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To put everything together, I stack up a burger patty, tomato, and a heaping dollop of guacamole. Basically enough guacamole to make me not miss cheese. Which means I put a lot of guac on this baby.

Then I wrap up the whole thing up in some iceberg lettuce. I mean, iceberg lettuce will never be a sweet sesame seed bun, but at least it’s some sort of vehicle to keep my burger and all the toppings together.

Even without the yummy carb-loaded bun and salty french fries, this is a very satisfying meal. And as much as I complain about not being able to eat all these wonderful foods, I will say that I feel the benefits of this “clean” eating. I haven’t felt bloated, gross, or tired after any meal. And overall I just feel more energized and better, like my body is actually working like it should. So now I just need to remind myself of that every time I think of cake. Or cookies. Or cheese.

Oh boy.

[yumprint-recipe id=’92’]

Bison Cheeseburger

June 9, 2014

When we lived in Dallas, my husband’s and my favorite burger was from Twisted Root. Not only did they offer fairly unique burger varieties, they also offered other different meats. Some typical, some exotic (like kangaroo, crocodile, etc). Twisted Root was the first place I ever had a bison/buffalo burger. At the time I really thought I was branching out and being adventurous. Really, bison tastes a lot like beef, maybe a little gamier, but also a heck of a lot leaner. Did you know that bison has less fat than chicken? It is one of the healthiest meats you can eat, which is surprising to some people since it is a “red meat”.

After having my first bison burger at Twisted Root, I never went back to beef. If we are at a burger place and bison is on the menu I will order that without a second thought and with a lot less guilt.

My only issue with bison is that it is not very readily available. In Texas we could buy it from the butcher counter at Central Market. Here in North Carolina, the only place I have seen it is Whole Foods (Trader Joe’s sells frozen burger patties, but I just want raw, ground meat). And it’s not cheap, around $10 a pound, which means that you probably can’t eat it every day. For us, though, it’s nice to splurge on bison every few months to be able to indulge, but also be a bit healthier.

If you have never had a bison burger, I encourage you to try one. Or if you are too intimidated to cook bison yourself, don’t be! Treat is like very lean beef. You may want some extra seasoning to make up for the lack of fat, but I doubt you will miss it!

So for Father’s Day, instead of grilling up Dad a hamburger, why not splurge a bit and make Dad a bison burger?

[yumprint-recipe id=’13’]

Chicken Pita Burger

September 19, 2013

Sometimes, not very often, I head to the grocery store with no plan. No list. Nothing. This happens very very rarely. As much as I find meal planning to be a chore, I hate having to come up with a meal on the fly during the week when all I have in the fridge/pantry is hummus, some spinach, and black beans.

That’s what happened this week.

But, thank goodness I had more than just hummus, spinach, and black beans around the kitchen. Thanks to the ground chicken I didn’t use last week, left over mini pita pockets, Greek yogurt I always have in the fridge, and all the random veggies in the fridge I came up with the idea for a Greek-inspired chicken burger.

Despite the lack of planning and preparation, these burgers turned out so well! B went back for seconds, which is not all that common (I know it’s a good recipe when he goes back for more). And as a bride to be, I really appreciated that these burgers were pretty light, especially since I used extra lean chicken and pitas instead of buns.

Have you ever made something amazing just trying to use up things in your fridge?