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Chipotle Cheeseburger

7/28/2015

Tastē Tuesday~ It has not been a very savory summer. With the moving truck arriving in less than three days, our lunches and dinners for the better part of the last two months have been defrosted leftovers. Two truths: 1) with a newborn and a move, no one is complaining about all of the easy, and for the most part tasty, meals 2) I never realized how full my freezer was...my Tupperware drawer now runneth over and will be an organizing project upon arrival in our new house (kind of a bummer because I was pretty happy with how organized it was a mere two months ago!).

Our typical summer fare has been replaced by more wintry dishes like chilies and soups which has seemed odd on more than one 90 degree day. However, we have squeezed some tasty morsels into our diet here and there, and the Chipotle Cheeseburger is one of them. Changing the traditional burger up a bit, this moist pork patty is complemented by a crunchy slice of tomatillo, a splash of spice from adobo sauce and chipotle pepper, and a creamy slice of avocado. Doesn't get much better on a beautiful summer evening.

Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers
Adapted from Gourmet, June 2009

1 pound ground pork
2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, separated
2 garlic cloves
4 slices Muenster cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
1/4 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
1 large tomatillo (1/4 pound), husked, rinsed, and sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat.

Gently mix pork, chipotle and 1 teaspoon sauce, garlic, and a scant teaspoon salt until just combined. Form in 4 (1/2" thick) patties.

Oil grill rack, then grill patties, covered 4 minutes. Flip patties and top with a slice of cheese. Grill, covered, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Make aoli, mixing mayo with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce.

Spread buns with aoli and assemble burgers with cilantro, tomatillo, burger, and avocado.

Open mouth wide and enjoy! I am posting from my phone these next couple of weeks as our modem is turned in and computer is unplugged so formatting might be different. Nonetheless, I hope to be in touch. I am sure the next few weeks and the adventure of a cross-country move with three little ones will present some informative lessons on living intentionally and keeping perspective.

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Candy Bar Pie

7/14/2015

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Tastē Tuesday~ There are certain desserts that are pure indulgences. This is one of them. It can't really be made healthy or even remotely light. So, we make it once a year and give ourselves permission to abandon fish, kale, etc. and delight our tastebuds in chocolate ecstasy. It is wonderful in the summer for a cold dessert...preferably shared with friends!

Chocolate Almond Candy Bar Pie
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:
30 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 1/4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 pound milk chocolate candy bars with almonds
1 cup heavy cream
small tub Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly butter a 10" pie pan. Place cookies in a sturdy plastic bag. Crush with a rolling pin to coarse 1/4" pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine well with butter. Pat the mixture over the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake for 7 minutes, then let cool completely on a rack.

Set aside a small block of chocolate for shavings to top the pie. Chop remaining chocolate into 1/4" inch pieces. Stirring with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, bring cream to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Stir in the marshmallows until the marshmallows are almost filled melted. Remove from heat, tightly cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Very gently fold the softened marshmallows into the chocolate mixture, retaining as much air as possible. (There may be a few unblended bits of marshmallow).

Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 4 hours. If not serving the pie at once, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Shortly before serving, shave the reserved chocolate. Spread the cool whip over the top of the pie and sprinkle with the chocolate shavings.

Notes: I always forget and think more is better and purchase the Double-Stuffed Oreos. You really don't need the additional cream in the crust though, so normal Oreos work great. I have contemplated the grounding of the Oreos - 1/4" chunks vs. a finer crush. A finer crush would make it easier to spread it on the bottom and sides of the pie pan. However, the chunks add to the "candy bar" aspect of the pie. I end up doing a chunkier crush in the bag and then once the delectable mess is in the pie pan, I crush here and there with a spoon to get the necessary coverage.

Homemade whipped topping can be made for the top, but we prefer Cool Whip. Compared to adding another 1 cup of heavy cream to the recipe, it does save on calories and fat. Indulgence is a good thing in moderation. Over-indulgences can be dangerous!

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Peach Almond Tart

7/7/2015

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Tastē Tuesday~ Peaches are one of my favorite fruits. They are special, and a succulent peach cannot be taken for granted. In today's age where you can get watermelon, fresh berries, apples, etc. year round, peaches can only be purchased in season...if you want a sweet, juicy taste of bliss at least. Even in season, you must have the proper mix of a discerning eye and touch as well as good luck. Otherwise, you end up biting into either a crunchy and bland or bitter, mealy piece of fruit. Alas, if you have chosen the perfect peach, your bite turns into an experience of smooth, sweet, heaven. A peach's versatility also makes it quite a special little fruit. Fresh, they are a pleasant addition to any meal or snack, they can be grilled, put into pies, added to ice-cream to make a delicious ice cream shake, canned for the winter, and even doused with blue cheese and honey for a more savory salad.

My first experiment with this summer's peaches was a Peach Almond Tart. We enjoyed it warm right out of the oven...rapidly consuming 4 of the 6 servings. Warm, it was a yummy evening treat, lending itself both the feeling of summer's fresh, delicate fruits and the enjoyment of summer's last bountiful harvest that could be savored on a crisp evening at the end of the season. Summer or early fall, this tart would serve as a great ending to an al fresco dinner.

I also wanted to try it cold. Thankfully we had enough self control to put the last two slices away in the refrigerator. Although I prefer the tart served warm, cold, it was a better fit with a morning cup of coffee or as an after lunch treat. The peach takes a different note of flavor depending on whether it is warm or cold. If you make this in the future, come back and let me know which you think is best!

Why does the peach season have to be so short...if it were longer...the special memories of buying as many as possible from the roadside stand, knowing you have to eat them all before they go bad, eyeing the buckets of peaches at the grocery store each time you walk in, knowing they will soon disappear, and trying a plethora of new recipes in a couple of short months would not be so special...and the anticipation of summer would not be as exhilarating!

Peach Almond Tart
Adapted from Alice Currah, Savory Sweet Life
Total time: 35 mins, Serves: 6-9
Ingredients
1 sheet pre-made frozen puff pastry
4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup flax meal & flour (2/3 full with whole ground flax meal and last 1/3 all-purpose flour)
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
1 egg white
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 large ripe peach, pit removed and cut into ⅛-inch slices
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers or slices
Instructions
Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to package instructions.
Add the cream cheese, flour, ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, egg white, and almond extract to a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or thoroughly by hand.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
When the puff pastry is ready to use, roll the sheet on a floured surface to 12x12 inches.
Transfer the sheet to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Fold the pastry sheet edges in on each side by ½-inch to form an inward seam.
Evenly spread the almond cream over the tart from inseam to inseam.
Add the peach slices in a single even layer over the cream.
In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the peach layer.
Bake the tart for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Remove the tart from the oven to cool.
Sprinkle the almond slivers over the tart followed by a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Serve warm or cold.
*The original recipe calls for blanched finely ground almond flour. I did not have this on hand. Since we are trying to eat down our house in anticipation of the move, I did not want to buy any. However, different types of flours soak up liquids differently, so I also did not want to substitute the entire amount for all-purpose flour. Since the flavors of peach and almond marry so nicely, if you have almond flour on hand, I would suggest trying it. However, if you have neither almond flour or finely ground flax seed, I think you could try 1/3 cup all purpose flour without too much of a difference since the portions are small. I figured the flax would be a bit healthier in addition to it reacting to liquids more closely to almond flour than all-purpose flour.

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Chipotle Cheeseburger

Candy Bar Pie

Peach Almond Tart

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