Clutch Burger

Clutch Burger 

There is nothing is this world like a good burger. People look at a hamburger and think it’s basic or simple but in my opinion with food it’s the simple dishes that I enjoy the most. The simple dishes are what give the ingredients a chance to shine. I have a friend who just about every restaurant she goes to she orders burgers, and when I was younger I used to joke with her about it but now I just look at her as a connoisseur.  Any-who I’m sure you didn’t click the link to hear me go on and on about why I love burgers, so I’ll get to what you came here for … the food.

Ingredients

1 – 1 ½ Pounds of ground chuck (get the real deal 80/20 not the lean stuff)

1 Egg

1 Packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix (Shh… this is actually a secret of mine)

Salt (to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Worcestershire sauce

Romaine Lettuce (for topping)

Tomatoes (sliced for toppings)

4 Hamburger buns (lightly buttered, then toasted in a pan)

Directions

1.     Pre-heat your pan over medium high heat.

2.     Mix together your ground beef, onion soup packet, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning until thoroughly blended. (I usually fill the packet that the onion soup mix comes in half way with water; I think it helps the burger from drying out. I like a well done burger but I despise a dry burger)

3.     Form your beef mixture into patties.

4.     Once your pan is hot it’s time to fry up your burger. During this stage is where good burgers are made. Don’t move the meat around to too much when you first put it into the pan let it set for a minute or three to get some good caramelization before you flip it. Also and more importantly in my opinion PLEASE DO NOT SMASH OR FLATTEN THE BURGER, smashing or flattening the burger with your spatula can lead to a dry burger. Continue to cook your burger checking for desired doneness. Once it’s done, remove it from the pan and drain on paper towels. (If you are fortunate enough to have a grill by all means use that.)

5.     Build you burger adding any toppings that your heart might desire. Serve immediately.

Finished product, final plating topped with my beloved,  I mean with caramelized onions. YES!

Random picture of one of the new craft burgers  available at Chili's its the Smokehouse Burger. Its topped with cheddar cheese, panko onion rings, lettuce, and tomatoes. Normally it come with apple-smoked bacon I got mine without. The burger comes with your choice of sides I  chose sweet potato fries to fool myself into thinking I was eating healthy, and each burger includes a side of these wonderful house-made pickles. I really enjoyed the burger overall it was well seasoned and perfectly cooked.  * Not my drink, I had water, see healthy*

Random shot of a burger I had at a local restaurant "Louie's" it near LSU's campus. The burger was just your normal ground beef patty, I ordered mine well done. I topped it with mayo, tomatoes, and sprouts ( see healthy). The serving size was really big, the burger itself was really delicious, juicy and flavorful.  The fries were perfectly fried and salted. I also had some of the famous hash browns and they were delicious as well. 

Close up of the onions as they caramelize in the Le' Creuset pan I found at the thrift store while shopping with my wonderfully stylish sister who writes a blog about her adventures in life and fashion  check her out at http://richfunk.wordpress.com/ . Whoop Whoop

I called this burger “Clutch” burger because it comes through every single time. There are a million ways to prepare a burger, endless ingredients and toppings but this is my personal favorite, my old stand -by when I just need a good burger.  Do you have a favorite burger recipe?  Are there any recipes or dishes that you fall back on as a stand-by when you need a dish that you know won’t fail? Comment below

Hot Sandwich for a Cold Day (Italian Inspired Beef Dip Sandwich)

 Hot Sandwich for a Cold Day ( Italian Inspired Beef Dip Sandwich) 

Ok say this post is about a marvelous sandwich that I had the pleasure of consuming on a cold Saturday Afternoon.  It pretty cold today by Louisiana’s standards at least so I’m creating a mental list of things I can eat that would warm me up so of course this sandwich is on the menu. The recipe is my take on a video that I watched on the Food Wishes channel on YouTube. Don’t you just love the title “Food Wishes” I don’t know about you but I frequently have food wishes. The recipe is for a hot beef sandwich that is made up of beef stew meat pieces that have been simmered until it falls apart, and then placed on hot crusty ciabatta bread, which I topped with aged Swiss cheese, and slathered in peppers and onions. Well I’m sure you didn’t click the link to hear me go on and on about being cold and eating sandwiches so I’ll get to what you came here for… the Food.

Ingredients

1 ½ Pounds of beef stew meat cut into chunks

1 Yellow onion (diced)

1 Green bell pepper (diced)

6 Cloves of garlic (diced

1 Tablespoon of each dried spice: Oregano, Thyme, Basil, and Rosemary

2 Bay leaves

2 Tablespoons of white vinegar (surprise, surprise)

2- 2/12 Cups of chicken broth ( Or use hot water and a bouillon cube, whichever you have on hand, you need enough liquid to cover the meat by an inch)

Crushed red pepper flakes (I put this on just about everything, love this stuff)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

4 crusty ciabatta rolls

Directions  

1)    Season your stew meat; I usually go with a basic blend of salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. I sit this aside on the counter to marinate for about 30 minutes. ( while this is marinating I chop my veggies)

2)    Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat; add to this pot your two table spoons of vegetable oil. When the pot is heated, add in your stew meat.

3)    Brown your stew meat until you get a nice bit of color on it, then toss in your vegetables, cook until your onions become clear.

4)    Once your meat is browned, you add all of your dry herbs, spices, white wine vinegar, and your broth.  Bring this mixture to a boil then turn down the heat and allow the post to simmer for about 1 -  1 ½ hours  or until fork tender.

5)    Once the meat is ready it’s time to build your sandwich. Warm your ciabatta rolls in the oven until warm and crunchy. (I put my Swiss cheese on my rolls before I put them into the oven that way my cheese was melted before I built my sandwich.

6)    When the bread is warmed, add your beef, top with some of the onions and peppers from the broth. Slice diagonally. Serve immediately with a cup or ramekin of the broth.  

The only picture I have for this post. This is the final plated dish. Nothing fancy I served  the sandwich with some Ore-ida fries, but boy this was delicious. 

     I mentioned before that this post was my take on a video that I watched on Youtube, I'll add the link to this post so that you can go and watch it. Chef John is awesome I love his sense of humor, and he always gives really simple useful tips in his videos. This meal was simple yet satisfying what more can you ask from a sandwich.  Are you a fan of Youtube? Who are some of your favorite Youtube personalities? Do you ever try out the things you see in the videos? Comment Below.

xx- Toya

That Fish Stew...

That Fish Stew...

I was going to title this post lonely girl's fish stew but then I decided against it. Have you ever seen a bag or a pair or shoes and exclaimed "that bag though!" or "those shoes though!" Well in my part of the world it is rather common to express your delight with something by adding a "though" when describing it. It is sort of like saying the thing you are describing takes the cake or is really nice. Any-who i'm sure you didn't click this link to read a post where go on and on about regional colloquialisms, I'll get to the thing you came here for the food.  

Tilapia Fish Stew

Tilapia Fish Stew over brown rice.

Ingredients

3 Pieces of Tilapia (cut into bite sized pieces) 

4 Red potatoes (cut into bite sized pieces)   

1 Half of a diced yellow onion

1 Half of a diced green pepper

3 Cloves of garlic diced

1 Can of diced tomatoes( around 8- 12 ounces would do) 

3 Cups of hot water 

1 Cube of bouillon (cook's choice on type, feel free to use broth instead) 

Dried Herbs: Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano

Olive oil

Cooked Brown Rice

Directions

1. In a medium pot heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is heated add your onions, pepper, and garlic, stirring repeatedly cook until softened.
2. To this pot add your three coups of hot water, or your stock, 1 cube of bouillon ( if you use stock don't add the bouillon), add your diced potatoes, add your diced tomatoes , your dried herbs, season with salt and pepper,(I'm in Louisiana so we put Cajun seasons on almost everything) I usually add a couple shakes of Cajun seasoning for good measure. Cook on a medium- low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally so the stew won't stick.  
3. When the potatoes are just about done maybe ten minutes before you turn your stew off add your tilapia. Allow the stew to simmer until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flaky.

* I served my stew over brown rice, because that's how I roll, but feel free to have it own its own, or with some crusty bread and a nice white wine that would be as the French say " C'est Magnifique" 

The flavor of this stew was so bold and delicious, that when I tasted it I exclaimed "That Fish Stew Though...lol"

Check out those beautifully flecks of crushed red pepper

One more picture for good measure.

I mentioned that I was going to titled this post "Lonely Girl's Fish Stew" the reason being is that I was at home by myself on a cold Saturday when I got the idea for this recipe, but the taste of the stew deserved a much better name than that. I find that when I'm alone at home or when I'm cooking just for me I'm much more creative with my meals. I know some people who live alone say that they don't cook because it's just them at home. I think that the perfect time to be adventurous with food, if it comes out bad there is no one there to taste it and if it comes out good you get to eat it all by yourself, basically a win-win.  How do you feel about cooking for one or two? Comment below.  

Salt & Pepper Chicken (Homemade Takeout)

Salt & Pepper Chicken

You may have noticed a recurring theme on the blog I love Asian inspired dishes and I also love to make my own versions of things I've had in restaurants or as takeout at home. Today’s post will be in the same tradition.  I was making some shrimp fried rice and I had some chicken breast on hand. In the past I have made Chicken & Broccoli, Honey Chicken, and Sweet and Sour Chicken at home, wanting to try something different I thought I would try Salt & Pepper Chicken. Well I’m sure you didn't come here for me to go on and on about the types of chicken dishes I have prepared so I will get to the main attraction… the food.

Ingredients

3 Chicken breast  (cut into bite sized chucks)

1 Half of a yellow onion (diced)

1Half of a red pepper (diced)

1 Half of green pepper (diced)

3 Cloves of garlic (minced)

2 eggs (for egg wash)

4 Stalks of green onion (sliced)

1 cup of All-purpose flour (for batter)

Salt

Pepper

Soy Sauce

Sesame Oil

Vegetable oil (enough for frying)

Directions

1.     Preheat your vegetable oil over medium high heat to about 350 degrees.

2.     Diced your chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Season those chicken pieces, set aside.

3.     Prepare your egg wash, using two eggs and ½ cup of milk, whisk together until fully blended. (I usually add a little salt and pepper to this mixture just to ensure the dish is seasoned throughout.)

4.     Pour your egg-wash  mixture  over your chicken and set aside to marinate.

5.     Prepare your flour for batter; pour you 2 cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl or bag. ( cook’s choice)  Once you have prepared your flour mixture, begin coating the chicken pieces in the flour mixture a few pieces at a time.

6.     Fry the chicken piece in the vegetable oil until golden brown. Once golden brown remove the chicken from the oil and drain the excess oil by placing the chicken on paper towels. Fry the remainder of the chicken, and then set aside.

7.     Preheat your frying pan or wok with 2 -3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

8.     Add in your onions, garlic and peppers, cook for 3-4 minutes, and then add your chicken.

My diced veggies.

My diced veggies.

9.     Continue stir-frying chicken for another 4-5 minutes add in your soy sauce (to taste), sesame oil (about two caps full) and two tablespoons of honey. Continue stir-frying until chicken is thoroughly mixed.  Serve immediately.

Close up of the chicken in the wok.

Close up of the chicken on the plate.

Here is a shot of the entire meal plated. Yummers 

Look at that color.

This dish came together really nicely. I tried to recreate it from memory; I added the honey at the last minute because when I tasted the chicken it was missing something. The addition of the honey gave it a beautiful glazed look, and added a touch of sweetness which I enjoyed.  Have you ever tried to recreate a dish from memory? Do you sometime find yourself adding things to your dishes that are included in the original recipe?  Comment below.

Taco Tuesdays!!! But not really...

There something about the mere mention of "Taco Tuesdays" that makes everyone smile. Tuesday as a day of the week is pretty humdrum; it doesn't have the polarizing powers of Monday, nor does it offer the assurance that Wednesday aka Humpday provides that the week is almost over. What Tuesday does have however is tacos. Which is an extremely redeeming quality in my book. This particular Tuesday I offer you a recipe that's not quite a taco. What I have instead is a quesadilla recipe that was inspired by a Chipotle burrito. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession  really enjoy Chipotle Mexican Grill's burritos. Their burritos are fresh, delicious, inexpensive, and relatively  healthy when compared to other fast food options. The idea came for this dish when I decided that I would make my own version of a Chipotle burrito. I went to the store gathered my provisions, got home, then  realized forgot the lettuce and tomato. I decided that I could not make a suitable copycat recipe without all of the ingredients so I decided to do a quesadilla instead. Well enough yammering about my epic voyage to feed my stomach, i'll get to what you came here for...the food.   

Taco Tuesdays!!! But not really...

Ingredients

1 Pound of chicken

1  and ½ Yellow onions (Diced)

1 Green bell pepper (Seeded and sliced into strips)

1 Red bell pepper (Seeded and diced)

1 Yellow bell pepper (Seeded and slice into strips)

4 Flour Tortillas

2 Cups of shredded cheese (I usually use the Mexican Mix by Kraft or Monterey Jack cheese)

Olive Oil

4 Cups of water

2 Cups of brown rice

1 lime (zested and juiced)

½ Cup of chopped fresh cilantro

2 Cloves of garlic

Can of black beans

Can of whole kernel corn

Sour Cream (for serving)

Salsa ( for serving)

Directions:

1.     Season your chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Set aside  to marinate for 30 minutes.

2.     Heat table spoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast and sauté until done. Once chicken is done remove from heat and dice into cubes.

3.     Add tablespoon of olive oil in skillet warm until heated. Once oil is heated add 1 whole diced onion. Cook until tender, and then add the green, yellow peppers. Cook until vegetables have some color on them about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet, place them in a bowl and set aside. ( I like to make this a one pan meal, so I rinse skillet and reuse)

4.     Drizzle oil in skillet heat pan over medium heat. Once the pan is warm lay a flour tortilla in the skillet. Then add a layer cheese, peppers, chicken, cheese and top with another tortilla.

5.     Cook the first side until golden, then add a little more oil and flip the quesadilla and cook the other side cook until golden, remove from pan. Set aside cover in foil to keep warm  Repeat this process until you have four quesadillas.

*Cooking note* Cut quesadillas into quarters to serve.

Santa Fe Style Black Beans

1.     Into a pot add a can of black beans, small can of whole kernel corn, diced red peppers, ½ teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and 1 clove of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  

2.     Heat ingredients over medium high heat to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. (I usually cook the beans for about 30 minutes, sometimes I add a  stock cube to enhance a flavor)

Close up of the beans

Cilantro & Lime Brown Rice

1.     Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan, add brown rice. Reduce heat to a medium-low and cook until rice is tender about 40-45 minutes.

2.     Drain rice, transfer rice into a bowl, and allow to cool slightly.

3.     In a separate bowl mix together lime juice, lime zest, and oil. Pour this mixture over rice, add cilantro, and then stir. add salt and pepper to taste.

Close up of the cilantro-lime rice

Final plating, garnished with lime, I added sour cream, and salsa.

Another plating shot.

This dish is a nice way to mix up weeknight boredom. It takes about 45 minutes total to prepare and the leftovers make the perfect lunch the next day.  The cilantro and lime made the rice really fresh. The quesadillas were awesome, I like to think of them as Mexican grilled cheese. Have you ever tried to make a dish from your favorite restaurant at home? What are some of your favorite weeknight meals? Comment below, subscribe to get post directly to your inbox, show me some blog love on Bloglovin, or follow me on Instagram, basically stay in touch.  

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa 

Much like the famed "Mary" there is just something about shrimp. Growing up in the Gulf region (Gulf of Mexico)  I have been privy to having access to some of the most delicious seafood you would ever want to try, the bounty of options that come from local waters here is enough to make a grown chef cry. My favorite by far are the Gulf shrimp, they are tender, flavorful, with a very slight natural sweetness that under the right circumstances could reduce you to tears at their perfection. With that being said it is easy to see why sometimes I simply just crave shrimp; and any ole shrimp won't do, it must be fresh caught Gulf shrimp. The day I prepared this meal was a day where I woke up with shrimp on the brain and I wouldn't be happy until I had the. I'm sure you didn't click the like to hear me wax poetic about shrimp, so I'll stop my yammering and get to the food.

Sauteed Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Salsa 

 Ingredients:

1 Pound of shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail on)

2 Cloves of garlic

¼ of a cup of pineapple juice  

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Mango (peeled and diced)

1 Half of a red onion (diced)

1 Jalapeño pepper (diced and deseeded)

3 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro

1 Plantain 

Salt

Pepper

Crushed red pepper flake (for spice)

Directions:

1.     In a bowl combine the diced red onion, diced mango, diced jalapeno, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and two tablespoons of lime juice. Cover and put into fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Close -up of the mango salsa on my plate

2.     In a bowl combine shrimp, pineapple juice, and season with salt, pepper, and dash of red pepper flake. Let marinate for 15 minutes

3.     Add two table spoons of olive oil to pan warm over medium heat.

4.      Add garlic to oil, cooking until garlic is softened

5.     Add shrimp to pan, place them one at a time, be sure to reserve the liquid that the shrimp marinated in. (you will use it later to make sauce) cook shrimp for about one minute on each side.

6.      Pour the remaining liquid from the marinade into the pan with shrimp, continue to cook until flavors combine, the liquid reduces into a slightly thicker sauce, and the shrimp are completely cooked. Garnish with cilantro, give it twist of fresh lime juice. Serve immediately.

 

Shrimp in pan after sauce reduced

Here is a close up of the entire plated meal, I served the shrimp and salsa with wild rice and plantains. 

Another angle of the plate.

Here is a picture of the plantains, it was my first time frying them, they came out surprisingly well and really simple to prepare. Sliced them and fry the. I just googled frying plantains.

This meal was easy to prepare and most importantly it satisfied my shrimp craving. I was also able to try something new by adding the plantains to the mix which is always fun to do in the kitchen. Are there any foods that you crave? When you crave food do you usually go out to get it or try to prepare it at home? Comment below. Don't forget to subscribe to get all new post sent directly to your email. 

xx. Toya