Bruschetta Burger

Bruschetta Burgers

Many years ago Applebee's™ used to have a bruschetta burgers on their menu. I liked it so much that I have been making it on my own.

Makes 2 servings                                                              14 WW pts. / serving

1/2 Roma tomato, chopped

1/4 shallot, chopped

4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic olive oil

1/2 tsp. water

1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2  4 oz. burger patties
1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning
2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

2 hamburger buns, toasted

1. Preheat grill.
2. Combine the tomato, shallots, basil, oil, water, and vinegar in a small bowl; Toss to combine.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.; Set aside.
4. Season burgers with steak seasoning.
5. Cook to your desired doneness*; During the last couple minutes of cooking top with cheese and allow it to soften. Note: Fresh mozzarella does not melt like other cheeses. Don't expect it to be gooey.
6. Place burgers on bun bottoms and top with bruschetta.
7. Top with burger tops prior to serving.

Enjoy!

*According to Food Network:
Medium Rare Burgers: Cook them about 7 minutes until the internal temperature reads 135 degrees F.
Medium Burgers: Cook them about 8 minutes until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F.
Well Done Burgers: Cook them about 9 minutes until the internal temperature reads 150 degrees F.

Cheeseburgers with Charred Green Chiles and Onions

Cheeseburgers with Charred Green Chiles and Onions

adapted from Bon Appetit©

Kicking off  the unofficial start of grilling season with burgers.

Ground turkey would make a fine substitute for beef in these Southwest-style burgers.

Makes 2 servings + extra sauce  

2 WW pts for cheeseburger + 1 WW pts / Tbsp. sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Barefoot Contessa's BBQ sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce
2 4 oz. lean beef patties
1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning

2 1/2-inch-thick onion slices
Cooking spray
1/2 poblano chiles

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 thin slices American cheese

1. Whisk mayonnaise and barbecue sauce in small bowl to blend: Cover and chill.
2. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). 
3. Thread the onion slices on a metal skewer horizontally.
4. Coat the onion slices and chile lightly with cooking spray. 
5. Transfer onions and chile to barbecue
6. Grill onions until softened and browned, about 5 minutes per side. 
7. Remove skewers from onions. Chop onions; transfer to small bowl. 
8. Char chiles until blackened; Place in plastic bag for about 10 minutes before peeling, seeding and chopping
9. Add chopped chiles to the onions; Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Season the beef patties with the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
11. Grill burgers until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Top each burger with 2 cheese slices during last minute of cooking. 
12. Divide chile-onion mixture among rolls; Place cheeseburgers on top of the chile-onion mixture. 
13. Serve, passing the sauce.

Enjoy!

Asian Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers

Asian Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers

adapted from Gourmet June 1996

I have never removed the skin from a piece of salmon before cooking it. If you are a newbie to this like me, here is a video to show you how. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be - just make sure you have a sharp knife.

If you do not have light English muffins you can use low carb bread or purchased low carb bread crumbs.

Asian Salmon Burger with Pickled Cucumbers on a bed of Wilted Kale & Shallots

Makes 3 servings                                      0 WW Blue points / serving  

1/4 large seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar substitute

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

1 large egg white

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/3 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 lb. salmon fillet, skin discarded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 light English muffin, pulsed in a small food processor to make crumbs

1 1/2 scallions, finely chopped

2/3 tsp. mustard seeds

Cooking spray

1. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, sugar substitute, red pepper and kosher salt to taste.
2. Add the cucumbers and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, soy sauce and ginger until combined.
4. Add the salmon, breadcrumbs, scallion, mustard seeds and salt to taste.
5. In the same small food processor, puree 1/4 cup of the salmon mixture. Return to the bowl.
6. Stir to combine and form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
7. In a frying pan coated with cooking spray, cook the patties about 2 minutes / side.
8. Place the cover on the pan and continue to cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
9. Drain the pickles.
10. Serve the patties on the patties topped with the pickles.

Enjoy!

BBQ Burgers with BBQ Caramelized Onions

I like to experiment with burgers. The sauce in the meat made it a bit of a challenge to grill but it was worth the effort.

BBQ Cheese Burger
adapted from Bon Appetit June 2000

2 lbs ground beef
5 Tbsp BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
2/3 tsp garlic powder
2/3 tsp kosher salt
2/3 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix together and form into 6 patties. Grill to desired doneness.

BBQ Caramelized Onions
adapted from Bon Appetit June 2000

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp beef broth
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Cook the onions with the salt and pepper in the olive oil until beginning to brown, stirring frequently to prevent them from burning. Add the broth, BBQ sauce and vinegar. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve on top of the burgers

Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayonnaise served with Barley, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing

Who doesn't love a good burger !?! But they don't all have to be beef. This is a great combination of pork and chorizo.

Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayonnaise adapted from Emeril LaGasse

3 ounces cured chorizo (not fresh)

1/2 pounds ground pork
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoons Essence*

1/4 teaspoon salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

4 scallions

Non-stick cooking spray
2 Arnold's Multi-grain Sandwich Thins
2 sliced reduced fat cheddar cheese
Green Chile Mayonnaise**

Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Remove outer casing from chorizo and grind in a food processor. In a large bowl combine add the chorizo, ground pork, garlic, Worcestershire, Essence, salt and cayenne. Mix gently but thoroughly, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form into 2 patties. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium.  

While the burgers are cooking lightly coat the scallions with cooking spray. Grill until lightly charred and softened. During the last 2 minutes melt the cheese on top if using

Place burgers and scallions on the buns and top generously  with Green Chile Mayonnaise to serve. 

*You can make your own or use the commercial preparation available in the spice aisle

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

**Green Chile Mayonnaise:
1 cup low fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 poblano pepper, roasted and peeled
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, poblano, and lime juice and process until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Barley, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing
3/4 cups medium barley
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2/3 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced red onion

1/2 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 ears)
1 cup diced fresh tomato

In a pot of water to a boil, stir in the barley and the salt, and simmer the barley, covered, for 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain the barley in a colander, rinse it under cold water, and drain well. 

In a small food processor blend the vinegar, basil, oil, and salt to taste until the dressing is emulsified. Return the cooled barley to the pot. Toss with the dressing, onion and corn then gently stir in the tomatoes. Chill the salad, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving.