Easter Dinner: Hawaiian Burgers, Grilled Carrots, and Braised Fingerlings

We didn't visit either of our families for Easter this year.  Sunday holidays are tough because unless we take Monday off, the traffic is so bad coming back to Columbus that it almost makes the drive a little miserable - especially from NE Ohio.  So we have declared Easter "our holiday" for which we stay home and do whatever we want.  We went to Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace for brunch and had tasty egg scrambles - his with coney sauce and hot dogs, mine with brisket and spicy corn salsa.  They also came with crispy brown potato cubes and tortilla chips.  He had a Great Lakes brew and then one in which he ordered by asking the server "does the one tap have a mustache on it?"  When she said yes, he said "I'll take whatever that is".  I have a Orange Whip, which tasted exactly like a creamsicle - it had Orange Pop, Whipped Cream Vodka, and Cream.  Awesome.

After napping and watching some tv, we took my bike over to a parking lot to make sure I can still ride (it's been about 20 years since I've ridden a bike)! I didn't wreck, but still see lots of wrecks in my future, just like in my past.  When we got back, we made Easter Dinner: Hawaiian Burgers, Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto, and Braised Fingerlings in Smoked Paprika Sauce.

Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground sirloin 

1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped 

1 egg, slightly beaten 

1/3 cup Bread Crumbs or Crushed Tortilla Chips (use chips for gluten-free)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

3/4 teaspoon chipotle spice rub (use your favorite)

1 1/2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard 

3 tablespoons Spicy Hawaiian Marinade (from World Market) or Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (or choice of sauce) 

vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack 

4 hamburger buns or sandwich thins (or nothing if gluten-free)

6 fresh pineapple rings, thinly sliced 

 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high.  Combine the sirloin,  onion, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, pepper, spice rub, mustard, and sauce in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties, slightly larger than bun size.

When grill is ready, brush grill rack with oil. Place patties on rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done (165‘F), about 7 minutes on each side. Grill pineapple rings after turning burgers, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. During the last few minutes of cooking, place buns, cut side down, on outer edges of rack to toast lightly.

To assemble burgers, on each roll bottom, place a burger and a grilled pineapple ring. Brush bun tops with sauce, sprinkle with ½ tbsp of cilantro and serve.

Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Pepper and Paprika
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

olive oil spray
½ cup minced red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons corn starch

½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Wash the potatoes and cut potatoes in half, except smaller or thin potatoes, which can be left whole.

Spray a pan lightly with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, spices, and potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the vegetable broth, add salt to taste, and cover. Cook on low for about 25 – 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the broth has cooked down to about half. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon.  Stir corn starch into the cold water until smooth and add to the sauce.  Stir and continue cooking until thickened to desired level.   Add the oregano and pour over the potatoes to coat with sauce.

Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto(makes 4 servings)

1 bunch carrots with greens attached
1 large clove garlic
about 1/2 cup and 1-2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup parmesean cheese or parm-romano blend

Favorite spices – I used a chipotle blend, to taste

Snip the carrots from the greens leaving about 1/2-1 inch of the stem on the root. Set carrots aside. Remove any long stems and wilted leaves from the leafy greens. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the greens for about 1 minute. Drain for 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the garlic clove and the greens, and transfer to a food processor as well as salt, pepper, the 1/2 cup of olive oil and pine nuts and cheese. Pulse for a few seconds, stopping to scrape down mixture with a spatula as needed, until well blended. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and other spices, as desired.

Cut carrots lengthwise so that they’re about equal in size and thickness.  Drizzle with olive oil just to coat and season with salt and pepper.  Grill carrots on a grill heated to medium-high (or cook on cast-ron pan on stovetop).  Let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until charred marks form on the underside, and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until each side is slightly charred and remove from heat. Serve with the pesto.

Mexican Stuffed Portobellos

In line with my goal of trying to enjoy mushrooms more, I ordered Portobello mushrooms from Grean B.E.A.N. Delivery. I’ve had Portobellos prepared before at restaurants and liked them just fine, but I've never made them. In that produce delivery, I also got zucchini, red onion, cilantro, and green pepper. I found a similar recipe that had more of an Italian-flare, but I knew Lo would prefer a Mexican-style, since he was more wary of mushrooms than I.  I also had cooked black beans in the fridge, along with quinoa and cooked ground beef in the freezer that I pulled out and defrosted.  Sorry - the picture kind of sucks and isn't that appetizing, but I promise it tastes good!

This recipe is completely customizable – use whatever veggies that you want, change up the grains or beans (or leave them out), and change up the meat (or leave it out). The ingredients look like a lot, but it didn’t take long at all (with Lo chopping and me getting everything together and cooking). All of the chopping could be done ahead of time, and obviously it’s always nice to have the meat and grains cooked. I like cooking extra grains and meat and storing them in the freezer to pull out for quick meals.

Also - note that I had a lot of this mixture leave over that didn’t fit on the mushrooms, but we’ll just use that in another way – or just eat it separately.

Mexican Stuffed Portobellos

3-4 large Portobello mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1/2-1 cup of cooked ground beef or shredded chicken (omit for vegetarian)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa or rice
1/2 cup black beans
Fajita or Taco Seasoning Mix, to taste (ortega is gluten-free)
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 Spanish or red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 medium tomato, chopped (or some salsa)
Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs or crushed tortilla chips (I used blue corn tortilla chips for gluten-free)
1/2 cup cheese of your choice – I used muenster because that’s what we had
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Extra salsa for topping if you’d like

1.Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Clean mushroom tops with a paper towel to remove any dirt. Scrape out the gills with a spoon (I don’t know if that is the proper way to do it, but I didn’t know what to do). Set aside.

3.Heat oil in a medium skillet. Chop mushroom stems and add to skillet with zucchini, pepper, onion, garlic and vinegar. Sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until onion and zucchini start to soften. Add tomato or salsa, quinoa or rice, black bean, meat (if using), and seasoning mix. If mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in cilantro, bread crumbs, and cheese. (If you prefer a drier mixture, simply add more bread crumbs.) Season with salt and black pepper and more taco seasoning or red pepper, if desired.

4.Fill mushroom tops with vegetable mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until mushrooms look tender and cheese is slightly melted. Top with salsa to eat, if desired.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Spinach and Pepper

I'm on a quest to like mushrooms, and I think I'm part-way there.  I don't know that I'll ever love them raw, but cooked with some sort of sauce, I'm becoming a fan.  This would be excellent served over quinoa, rice, cooked rye berries, or your grain of choice.  I honestly can't remember how I served it, but I think it may have been over shredded pork, just because we had leftover.  It was quite tasty - and would be excellent with chicken, of course.  Even my husband ate it, and he's less fond of mushrooms than I.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Spinach and Pepper

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, slivered
1 bag of baby spinach, washed and dried
1 cup broth (beef, chicken, or veggie)
2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet, add the mushrooms, and cook over high heat until they’ve browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and dump mushrooms in a bowl.

Return the pan to the heat and add the garlic. Add the spinach and broth, sprinkle with salt, and cook until tender and half of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan and toss with the spinach.  Mix cornstarch and water together and pour into pan.  Stir and cook until sauce is at your desired thickness - if it gets too thick, stir in some more broth or water.  Taste for salt and check to be sure everything is good and peppery. Serves 2 to 4

Nutella Cupcakes

I have so many other recipes waiting to post, but I couldn't hold off on this one anymore because I just ate one and they are SO good.  I adapted this from a recipe that I found on the internet (but can't find again).  The original recipe just had some nutella swirled on top, but the little nugget of Nutella in the middle of my cupcakes is AMAZING.  I was waiting for an occasion to make these so that I/we wouldn't "have" to eat them all, and luckily, friends had a cookout over the weekend.  Seriously, they are made from a cake mix, so don't make excuses why you can't make these. 

Nutella Cupcakes

Devil’s Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
½ cup oil
¼ cup milk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream (could sub plain greek yogurt if that's what you have)
24 teaspoons Nutella (1 per cupcake)
Nutella Buttercream:
¾ cup Nutella
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ -2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk, water and vanilla. Sift in cake mix and stir in sour cream. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full and then place a teaspoon of Nutella on top of each one. Put another spoonful of batter on top to full the liner 3/4 full (so the Nutella is in the middle).

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the sides spring back. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place directly into airtight containers so seal in moisture.

Buttercream: Beat the Nutella and butter until combined. Add vanilla, then alternate between adding powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Taste the buttercream until you reach your desired sweetness/thickness.  If you are good at piping frosting on cupcakes, you may want to refrigerate this for a bit before piping.  I suck at it (mostly I don't have a big enough frosting tip), so I just spread it on.  Also, if you like thick frosting, you'll want to double the frosting recipe - I didn't put mine on very thick and still had to leave 4 or so unfrosted.

Swiss Chard and Carrot Gratin

I have a gratin problem.  Ever since we had the cabbage and cheddar gratin, we want it all of the time.  I know we'll get sick of it if I keep making it, plus I get all of this other amazing produce from Greener Grocer Market Bag and Grean B.E.A.N. Delivery, that I hate to buy any other produce at the grocery.  In my last Market Bag, I got swiss chard.  Other than it being a member of the "greens" family, I essentially knew nothing about it.  I started looking for recipes and came upon some simple saute preparations...and then...a gratin recipe!  I didn't like the sound of the sauce recipe for the gratin (olive oil bechamel), so I decided to stick a recipe that we love (cabbage and cheddar gratin, of course), with a few changes.  As always with my recipes, use whatever cheese you want and whatever spices you want. 

Swiss Chard and Carrot Gratin

1 cup sharp white cheddar, divided
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 large carrot, shredded. (I use a veggie peeler to "shred" carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal (used GF)
Couple of shakes of dried parsley, dill, thyme, and red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I used whole grain)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Prepare the swiss chard first; you'll use the stems and greens. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the chard. Wash the stems thoroughly, trim away the ends and slice crosswise about 1/2 inch thick.  When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard stalks. Turn the heat down to medium, and boil gently for five to seven minutes until the stalks are just cooked through. Remove from the pot with a skimmer or a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels or in a strainer. While the stems are boiling, wash the greens in two changes of water, and tear or cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Fill a bowl with ice water.  After removing the stems from the pot, bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the greens. Blanch for one to two minutes until tender, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese. Toss remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, along with the chard greens and stems, and transfer to a lightly greased 8 inch baking dish or 2 qt. gratin dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, top with reserved cheese and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Yield: Serves four as a side dish.

Warm Potato Toss with Spinach and Feta

This was a tasty side dish to go with some grilled grub. Neither of us really like typical potato salad, so this was a nice substitute.  The bean sprouts were a great addition for a little crunch, though I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase them next time specifically for this.  The potatoes, spinach, celery, and red onion came from my Green B.E.A.N. delivery, and the local feta, shallot, and bean sprouts came in  my Greener Grocer Market Bag.

Warm Potato Toss with Spinach and Feta

2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 handfuls of spinach
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons white wine or red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used whole grain dijon)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces crumbled feta cheese (1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
lots of pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, if desired
handful of bacon pieces, optional
1/2 cup bean sprouts, optional
1/2 chopped red onion, optional

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan; season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon cooking liquid. Let potatoes cool for 5 minutes.  Cook spinach and bean sprouts (if usin) in small pan or skillet with a bit of oil until wilted.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and reserved cooking liquid. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.

Transfer potatoes, spinach, and sprouts to a bowl, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Gently stir in feta cheese, celery, shallot, and parsley. Season with salt and lots of pepper, plus red pepper flakes, if desired.

Grilled Tofu Satay

We made these for the first grilling day of the season, which sadly, wasn't until April 2, since the weather has sucked - even then it was only about 50 degrees.  But that's the great thing about having a covered patio - we technically can grill in any weather...though grills are technically forbidden at our complex now.  I got the tofu and green pepper in my Greener Grocer Market Bag, 2 weeks ago, and the onion from my Green B.E.A.N. delivery.  I didn't cut the tofu pieces small enough, so the inside of the pieces were a little bland, but I indicated smaller pieces in the recipe below (1 inch).  I also should have brushed the tofu and veggies with the peanut sauce before grilling.  We liked these, even though he's not a big fan of tofu - the outside was nice and crispy and flavorful. 

Grilled Tofu Satay

1 package of extra-firm tofu
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 red or sweet onion, cut into 1 inch squares or slices
The marinade:
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (make sure to use gluten free!)
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
Juice of half an orange (or 2T oj)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Minced garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon Curry powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

The sauce:
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter, smooth or chunky
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes or cayenne powder
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (gluten-free)
Dash sirarcha sauce

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Drain tofu, wrap in a few paper towels or a clean lint-free dishtowel, place on a plate, and set something heavy on top of the tofu to press the extra water out (I used a cast iron pan). Once pressed, cut tofu in 1 inch pieces. Add the dry tofu and red pepper and onions and toss gently with a rubber spatula to coat evenly. Let marinate 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Refrigerate if longer than 1 hour.

Spray the grill grates and set to medium. To make the sauce, place all the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl. Remove about 1/3 cup of the sauce and drizzle it over the tofu. Use the rubber spatula to toss the tofu gently with the sauce. Thread tofu and veggies pieces onto skewers (soak skewers for 10 minutes first, if bamboo). Place on grill and close lid, turning every 5-7 minutes when golden brown with grill marks.

Let the tofu cool to room temperature before serving. Serve alongside a bowl of sauce for dipping.

Cabbage and Cheddar Gratin

I got a head of green cabbage in my Market Bag and was disappointed because I don't really like cabbage, or at least I never knew what to do with it.  I searched around for some ideas that wouldn't involve making it into some sort of "slaw", because neither of us would really eat that.  But this - we LOVED.  So much.  For some reason, we both thought it tasted a little like hashbrowns, which makes no sense at all.  We liked it so much that we made another batch 2 days later with the other half of the cabbage.  My suggestions is to just double the recipe in the first place - what in the heck are you going to do with a half a head of cabbage anyway?
Seriously, I'm already eagerly awaiting the day I get another head of cabbage in my Market Bag or produce delivery... LOVE.

Cabbage and Cheddar Gratin
adapted from Whole Foods

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar, divided (or your preferred cheese - freshly shredded is recommended)
3 cups (about 1/2 head) chopped or thinly sliced green cabbage
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (I had chicken open, so I used that)
1/2 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal (used GF)
3 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs, such as parsley, dill and thyme (or a couple of shakes of these dried herbs)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard (I used whole grain, check for gluten)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese. Toss remaining ingredients together in a large bowl and transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, top with reserved cheese and bake until golden brown, 15 minutes more.

*if you double the recipe, just use a 9x13 dish.  Go ahead and double.  I ate this for breakfast once!

LOVE.

*UPDATE - I made this in the slow-cooker too and it turned out great.  I cooked on high for about 4-5 hours, if on low go 8-9 hours.