Hamburger Patties

The BBQ season has started and we do love cooking out on the barbie a lot. This is by far the best way to prepare your hamburger patties. Don't worry about the tabasco sauce. It isn't spicy at all and even my 10 month old daughter can eat this. It's all about the flavor.

Ingredients:

1lbs ground beef
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed/minced
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp curry powder

1.) Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix with your hands until it's all well blended
2.) Split the meat in 4 equal pieces and form hamburger patties. Make the patties larger than your hamburger buns as they shink on the grill
3.) Prepare your Hamburger as desired
4.) Makes 4 servings

Salmon Filets in a Soy-Garlic Marinade

This is yet another one of those family favorites. My husband and the kids can't ever get enough of this. The coolest thing is that it is so flexible when it comes to the cooking part. You can throw it on the grill, make it in the oven (which I prefer) or use a skillet.  My family loves to eat this with jasmin rice and steamed peas & carrots but it also fits very well with my curried rice salad.

Ingredients:

4 salmon filets, about 5-6oz each
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup soy sauce (we like it best with the sodium reduced LaChoy soy sauce)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced/crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
You'll also need a freezer bag to marinate the fish

1.) In a small bowl combine the water, oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper and garlic and whisk with a wire whisk until well blended
2.) place the salmon filets in the freezer bag, add the marinade. Then sqeeze the excess air out of the freezer bag and seal it.
3.) Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for at least two hours or over night
4.) Preheat oven to 380 degrees; take the salmon filets out of the marinade and discard the liquid, place the salmon on a ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes on each side.
5.) If you choose to cook the fish on the grill be sure to oil the grill rack so that the filets doesn't stick, then grill for about 8 minutes on each side
6.) Makes 4 servings

If you have purchased salmon filets with skin please cook the skin side first for about 10-12 minutes, then cook the flesh side for 6-8 minutes. The salmon is fully cookes when it flakes easily with a fork

Brie en Croûte

This is probably the best starter for get togethers and parties. The good thing is that you can choose whether to make it sweet with a hint of jelly or savory with sauteed mushrooms and onions. And since it has to cool off for one hour before serving it is the most perfect little treat to bring to any party.

Ingredients:

13oz - 16oz round Brie cheese, don't remove the white rind
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 Tbs water

Filling #1:
4 Tbs cranberry jelly and 1/4 cup toasted and sliced almonds

Filling #2:
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, 1/8 cup finely chopped onion and 1 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
~ heat 1 Tbs of olive oild in a medium size skillet and sautee the onions and mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste; mix in the parsley just before placing the mixture on the puff pastry


1.) Preheat oven to 400
2.) Unfold thawed sheet of puff pastry and roll with a rolling pin until you have a 14" square
3.) Place the filling of your choice in the center of the puff pastry sheet; set the cheese on top of the filling
4.) In a small cup combine the egg with 1 Tbs of water and blend with a fork
5.) fold over all four corners of the pastry; brushing every seam with the egg wash to seal it and make it stick together
6.) Flip over the cheese bundle and place on a ungreased cookie sheet; brush with egg wash
7.) Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown
8.) Let sit for 60 minutes before serving

You may serve this with your favorite crackers or with french baguette

This item is a MUST HAVE

This item is a MUST HAVE kitchen utensil if you want my recipes to turn out good. I find that store bought minced garlic is disgusting and it really doesn't hurt to use fresh ingredients.



I bought mine at IKEA for 8 bucks

Curried Rice Salad

I do like maccaroni salad as well as potato salad but sometimes you really do need a change. This salad is beyond believe delicious. It's fantastic with fish, chicken, brats and steaks. Probably the best way ever to get rid of leftover rice.

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice, cooked and cooled

1 medium cucumber, diced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1 Tbs fresh parsley, minced

5 Tbs mayonnaise

2 Tbs canola oil

1 Tbs lemon juice

1-2 Tbs honey

1 tsp curry powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1.) In a large bowl combine rice, cucumber, carrot, onion and parsley

2.) In a separate bowl combine  the rest of the ingredients with a wire whisk until well blended, then stir into the rice mixture

3.) The rice salad tastes better if you allow it to sit in the refrigerator for about two hours before serving; You might have to add some additional salt and pepper if you allow it to sit for a while

Sweet Potato and Sausage with Red Bell Peppers

Whoever said that sweet potatoes have to be in a sweet dish? This recipe is very savory, very colorful and definitely my absolute favorite sweet potato dish ever. Even my husband, who otherwise really dislikes sweet potatoes is enjoying this meal a lot. Just be bolt and give it a try.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (8 ounce) jar chunky salsa (you decide how spicy it's going to be by picking mild, medium or hot salsa)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

Sour cream
Parsley

1.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Then drain and set aside.

2.) In the meantime crumble the sausage into a skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

3.) Now add the bell peppers, onion and garlic into the skillet with the remaining sausage grease and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

4.) Add to the skillet the cooked potatoes, sausage, salsa and cumin. Stir and cook about 5 minutes to heat through and blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.) Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with freshly chopped parsley
6.) Makes about 6-8 servings

We do eat this as a main course with a mixed salad on the side. However leftovers also taste fantastic in a tortilla wrap with some shredded cheese.....