Best Little Burger Ever....Seriously

Since my grandmother took ill this past Fall, I have made it my job to prepare family meals and ensure that there is no shortage and variety of goodies available. It has also given me a chance to try new recipes and have an audience on with to test new ideas. So when it snowed last week, it was a must that I pop into the market first, to ensure that I had enough coffee in case there was a delay the next morning and to make sure there was something good to eat for dinner the next evening. As I was leaving the market, I passed the meat aisle where a fresh batch of beautiful ground beef has just been put in the cooler. Typically, this would not attract me as I am a veggie girl for the most part; but, something about winter, snow, and family gave me the idea of a comforting meal of basic burgers, fries, and salad with the family.

But, there was nothing basic about this burger dinner. Thursday evening, street still unplowed, we sat down for Rosemary-Lavender-Black Pepper Sliders on honey wheat hawaiian rolls, Steakhouse Style Hash Browns, and a sweet crunchy slaw. Sliders are a great alternative to the big burger. Sliders offer a great way to manage portion control. A single slider may satisfy and if you want two, go for it because you've just eaten the equivalent of one burger. A burger like this, packed with flavor, makes it easy to feel satisfied without over doing it. The aromas that resonate from the lavender and fresh rosemary make simply holding the burger a delight in itself. The unique combination of flavors turns a simple weeknight comfort meal into a trip around the world. Next time its burger night in your home, think of ways to take your burger to the next level and think of adding some of your favorite unique flavors.

Rosemary-Lavender-Black Pepper Sliders (makes 6 burger or 12 sliders)

In a chopper, puree one small sweet onion, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, and 1 tbsp dried lavender; add puree to 1 lb of ground beef and 2 tbsp of fresh coarse ground black pepper; add 2 tsp of salt and mix; form patties and refrigerate four to six hours before cooking.

Is Your Salad Making You Fat?

Today I sat down for the third course of my lunch. I eat a large lunch over a period of two hours at my desk because I like the energy food gives me to get through the afternoon and it also gets me all set for my time at the gym in the evenings. My third course today was a salad. It was vibrant and fresh filled with super sweet cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and topped with a heaping of pea shoots. Usually, I would prepare my own dressing; but, today I was rushing so I grabbed the nearest bottle of prepared dressing I could find. It was a Caesar Vinagrette. It was yummy.

As I was enjoying my salad, I began to read the bottle a little closer because the flavor was phenomenal. I wondered what was in it. When I make dressing, it usually consists of just a few simple ingredients. This bottle had over 2o ingredient, including High Fructose Corn Syrup and something called Xanthan Gum. I looked at the bottle side-eyed thinking what a sneaky thing this dressing was...masking itself as something that most people think supports healthy living. ***shaking my head*** The recommended serving size is 2 tablespoons which is just about two of those big spoons that come with the full set of flatware that most of us have had at some point. The good news is that it was low in carbs and contained only about 150 calories. All this is great if you are like me and only use a small amount of dressing. If you are a drowner or like large salads, you could be tripling the dosage of all things not so great. But that's not all...what floored me was the 16g of fat each serving delivered. Fantastic. So, you are essentially choosing salad or burger. I'd go for the burger and leave the dressing on the shelf. But if you are like me and love a good fresh salad, try making your own dressing and leave the Xanthan Gum on the shelf.

Basic Vinagrette

Reusing an old jar with lid, add one tablespoon of vinegar, two table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, one teaspoon of honey, one teaspoon of dijon mustard (or anchovy paste, or mayo), a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper. Shake well until all ingredients are well incorporated. It will be ready to use immediately or refrigerate for the next morning. Makes one serving.