Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Cajun Cool Cheeseburgers

From Cooking Light

4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons paprika
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/2 pound ground turkey
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup green onion tops, cut into 2-inch julienned strips

Prepare grill.

Combine cheeses; set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions; shape into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Remove the center of each patty and stuff with cheese mixture; replace meat removed until it hides the cheese.

Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Place buns, cut side down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce, 3 tablespoons onions, and top half of bun.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Calories: 463 (33% from fat); Fat 17g (sat 7g, mono 5.6g, poly 2.6g); Protein 33.1g, Carb 43.1g; Fiber 2.1g; Chol 82mg; Iron 5.2mg; Sodium 956mg; Calc 194mg

*NOTE: The original recipe called for the cheese to be placed on top of the burgers while grilling. Instead, I used a generous tablespoon of both feta and blue cheese (2 tablespoons total) to stuff the burgers. If you wanted an extra-cheesy treat, you could stuff the burgers with 2 tablespoons of the cheese and use the remaining cheese to top the burgers while grilling.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tangerine Teriyaki Pork Chops

6 pork chops
3 strips tangerine strips
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup tangerine juice
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
2 Cloves garlic minced
2 slices fresh ginger (1/4 inch thick), crushed with the side of a knife
2 whole star anise
1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 TBS lightly toasted sesame seeds for garnish
2 scallions, green part only, finely chopped for garnish


Combine the soy sauce, sugar, tangerine juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and star anise in a non reactive mixing bowl and whisk. Pour the marinade over the chops and let marinate refrigerated for 1-2 hours. (or if freezing in a bag). Preheat your grill for high. Strain the marinade into a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat. Briskly simmer, uncovered until syrupy about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in dissolved cornstarch and boil until thickened, about 30 seconds.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate well. Grill about 6 minutes a side. Baste the pork chops with the glaze as it cooks. Transfer to plates and spoon the remaining glaze over the chops. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green scallions. Serve asap. (I poured some of the basting liquid into a separate bowl for the grill master and saved the rest to glaze the chops).