What we ate last night : "Eat your Vegetables" Turkey Burger on a Ciabatta Roll with Melted Gouda

 "Eat your Vegetables" Turkey Burger on a Ciabatta Roll with Melted Gouda. YUM. 

I know a lot of you are moms out there in blogland, so maybe perhaps some of you are going through with your 5 year olds, what I am going through with my nearly 31- year old husband...

They WILL NOT EAT VEGETABLES. 

 Belive it or not, this harmless and delicious looking burger up there (on a ciabatta roll, no less) contains no fewer than 4 vegetables.  

This is very much a "use what you have" dish, but the basics are: 

1lb ground turkey meat 

( Makes about 4 REALLY good size burgers) 

1 egg

This binds all the ingredients together when cooked

1 cup plain breadcrumbs 

(sometimes I use already-cooked brown rice) 

Basically this sucks up any additional liquid to keep the burgers from falling apart or being too wet. 

Cheese of Choice (optional)

Last night's veggies were: 

1 carrot (grated)

1 smaller zucchini (grated)

1/2 small onion (finely chopped)

handful of parsley (finely chopped)

5 springs of thyme

1 cup uncooked spinach (you cook this in the microwave for about 90 seconds and then wring out any excess water)

Here's what ya do:
1. Preheat grill or grill pan 

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the meat, breadcrumbs and egg. 

Add salt and pepper to taste (and any other seasonings you want)

 3. Add the turkey meat  and egg and combine, being careful not to over stir

4. Add the breadcrumbs a couple of tablespoons at a time. You may not need all of it. Basically you just want the mixture so it is very moist, not wet, and sticks together when you clump it into a ball. Adding too much starch will make your burgers dry. No bueno. 

5. If you are adding cheese, form the patties around the cheese, pushing it into the center. Hence, the "inside out" cheeseburger. As the burger cooks the cheese will melt and give the burger a whole other level of yummy-ness. Gouda, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Pepper Jack and even goat cheese would be pretty fantastic for this.

6. Place on the grill for about 10 minutes on each side. 

I like this method because when you see the cheese starting to melt out, you know you didn't screw it up and they'll be cooked through.

I like to grill my buns (that's what she said) 

Its a super healthy, nutrition-in a dish. Add in a ciabatta roll and some smoked gouda or goat cheese, you've got yourself a pretty grown-up meal, friend!

What do you think? Anyone gonna give this a shot with the veggie-resistant people in their lives?

xo,

I'm the Mac Daddy, y'all

"Mac" in this case standing for "Macaroon", of course. For my Valentine's Day Crafternooon Tea I'm going to make different kinds of macaroons, to serve as ladylike bites, as well as my contribution to the  treats that travel for our "goodie bags", which will really be boxes that we decorate filled with cookies that we can bring back to our Valentines. Aren't they so pretty? Like a plate full of jewels.

source

 So far I'm thinking about doing:

• Dark Chocolate and Rasberry
• Strawberry and Vanilla
• Chocolate and Peppermint 

I've never made them before so here's hoping they turn out! Any suggestions for flavor combinations or tips on how not to screw them up???

xo,

'Tis the season...of pies!

Can you tell by my background that I LOVE fall? Living in South Florida, though, makes me miss the golden afternoons and blustery soccer games of my childhood in Jersey even more. In any case, what's more fall than baking pies? Delicious pie!

Just in case you get sick of those pumpkin/apple/pecan/strawberry-rhubarb creations and want to go for something a little lighter this holiday season, here's my fool-proof Key Lime Pie Recipe.
This is great to bring to any hostess, or you can also use the little pre-made tartlette shells in the baking section of the supermarket to create individual pies as gifts or favors. The baking time might be slightly less, so keep your eye on them if you take this route.

Easy Key Lime Pie:            
Ingredients: 
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 ( 14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (regular lime juice will do if you can't find key lime)
1 (9 in) prepared graham cracker crust


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine eggs, condensed milk and juice and mix well
3. Pour into crust shell
4. Bake for 15 minutes and let cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge