Potsticker Sliders

If you are looking for a flavor packed burger variation, this is a great one to try. It has all the flavor of potstickers without the labor. They are a bit delicate, so I would suggest cooking them in a skillet or grill pan instead of the actual grill.

The sauce is a nice glaze and a little goes a long way. It also goes great on veggies, rice, or stir fry.

Potsticker Sliders 

Patties:
1.5-2 pounds ground pork and/or turkey
1.5 cups thinly sliced cabbage (the bagged "angel hair" cabbage slaw in the salad section works well)
1/2 cup canned water chestnuts, diced small
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced/grated (or 2 tsp granulated dried garlic)
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
1 egg
4 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari or aminos)

Sauce
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp-1 tbsp sriracha sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
2 tsp rice wine vinegar (I've used red wine vinegar or balsamic in a pinch)
1 clove grated/minced garlic (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp water

1 (12 count) package hawaiian king rolls

Directions

Combine all the patty ingredients well, but don't over mix. Divide and form 12 patties. Heat up a skillet or grill pan. Spray/coat with oil of choice and cook patties 3-5 minutes on each side, or until done. Probably will be in batches.

Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and tomato paste in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium until boiling. Combine water and corn starch and add to sauce. Lower to medium low and simmer 3-5 minutes

To serve, place a patty on a bun and drizzle some glaze on top.

Apple Brined Porkchops

If you have never brined anything, you are missing out! It brings flavor and moisture like you would never believe. Many people brine a Thanksgiving turkey. Amazing! I haven't done a full on Thanksgiving yet, but that is what I would do.


Personally, I always hated porkchops. Boring, bland, tough. Then I came across a apple brine in a George Foreman cookbook of all places. It was FANTASTIC. Moist, tender, and FULL of flavor.

Brining takes 5 minutes of prep work, and a few hours of soaking, but it makes making a flavorful piece of meat easy.

Apple Brined Pork Chops

4 pork chops (bone in or boneless, doesn't matter)

Brine ingredients:

2 cups apple juice or apple cider (I get the can of concentrate  because I don't keep apple juice in the house. Ick)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 onion, quartered and peeled
1 apple, quartered
a pinch of ground thyme (or a sprig or two if you have fresh on hand)
2 smashed garlic cloves
ice

In a small sauce pan, heat all the brine ingredients, minus ice of course. Once salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat. As long as its not insanely hot, we are good to move on.

Yummy, no?

In a large ziplock, place all the meat. Pour the brine in. Fill with ice. Slosh around to make sure its all in between the meat.

Place in bowl in fridge (still in bag) for at least 1 hour, better if its 4 or 5. Try no more than 6 though.

Once ready to cook, rinse pork and discard brine.

Cook however you would like. Its great grilled (be careful of burning because of the sugars). Or you can sear in a pan and then cover and cook on the stove top or oven until cooked through.

Santa Fe Burger

AKA the best burger ever. Oh my. So yummy.

I'll admit, I am not a big fan of Bobby Flay's attitude. He is a cocky mo fo and he bugs the crap out of me. In fact, I watch Throwdown JUST hoping he will lose.

But, the guy knows how to cook. Not only does his meatloaf knock my socks off, but this burger was the bomb. Totally worth being one of our meat meals for the week.

Burger slathered with queso, topped with roasted poblano and crumbled blue corn chips. Yeah. Told ya. Put it on a fresh baked challah roll, and you will die very very happy

Santa Fe Burger
Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

1 lb 80/20 burger
Montreal Seasoning
1 lg poblano pepper
1 tsp oil
4 hamburger buns or challah rolls

Queso:

1tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
8oz fresh grated monterey jack cheese
salt and pepper

Form the 4 patties and season well with the Montreal Seasoning. Cook on grill to desired doneness.

Coat pepper in oil and roast in 375 oven for about 15 minutes, until skin browns. Remove from oven, put in bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Peel off the skin. Remove seeds, and dice

Heat skillet to medium. Melt butter. Add flour and cook 1 minutes Add milk, turn up heat to high, and stir constantly for 5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese. Keep warm

Top burger with diced pepper, a generous helping of queso, and a few crumbled corn chips. Ah-may-zing.

Pineapple Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

This was a family favorite. Its a different twist on boring grilled chicken. Very flavorful and fun.

Pineapple Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
4 pineapple rings
4 slices of provolone

marinade:

1 cup light soy sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp dried minced onion
3  smashed garlic cloves
1 inch knob ginger, grated

Cover chicken with plastic wrap and hammer down thick parts to make a even piece of meat.

Combine marinate ingredients in a large ziplock bag and add chicken. Let sit in fridge at least 2 hours.

Grill chicken.

In last few minutes, top with pineapple ring and cheese.

Sauerkraut Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Holy yumminess. This is a way to take a hot dog up a notch with just a few more minutes of prep.

Sauerkraut Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs
Adapted from Simplyrecipes

Ingredients

4 jumbo kosher hot dogs
2 oz of block sharp cheddar cheese, sliced into sticks
1 cup sauerkraut, drained well
4 slices of bacon (not thick cut)


Cut the hot dogs from end to end, but not cutting all the way through. I cut about half deep and pulled it to open a little more.

Put the sticks of cheese in the cut.

Top with a few tbsp of sauerkraut.

Wrap bacon around the hotdog (not super tight) and secure with toothpicks

Grill, turning 1/4 turns until the bacon is cooked

Balsamic Bruschetta Grilled Chicken

This recipe is fast. Spend a minute on the marinade and then throw them on the grill that night.

Balsamic Bruschetta Grilled Chicken

4 servings:

4 chicken breasts

Marinade ingredients:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large crushed garlic clove
pinch of red pepper flakes

Topping:
4 oz of fresh mozzarella, cut into 4 slices
1 large tomato (on the vine is BEST)
4 basil leaves, rolled tight and cut into strips.
salt and pepper

Cover the chicken with a sheet of plastic wrap and hit the fattest part of the breast to make a even piece of meat so it cooks evenly.

Place in a large ziplock bag and add the marinade ingredients. Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Grill as you would any chicken breast.

At the end, top with cheese.

For topping, quarter tomato and scrape out the seeds. Dice and toss with the basil and salt and pepper.

Once chicken is done, top with tomato salad.