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Here is another burger recipe. As I mentioned before, I am trying to create a different burger every Sunday- which is our day for grilling. The other day my husband and I were at a specialty food store- Eden Gourmet. We were looking to buy things for dinner including some veggies and some meat. My husband peeked into their cold storage case and saw a few different kinds of pre-made burgers. He wanted to buy the basil burgers but I insisted on buying the ground meat so I can make my own. I told him I will make the burgers with basil and garlic and will add more flavor to them and obviously make them yummier- plus I am always leary about pre-made meats.. I never what all is in there…

I decided to add fresh basil and garlic into the grass fed beef we bought. Speaking of grass fed… I think it is important to get the best quality meat that you can buy.. it makes the a huge difference with taste when you buy good quality ingredients. I thought about doctoring up some store bought mayo but then realized how much fat it has.. so, I decided to add one tablespoon of mayo to some non-fat Greek yogurt. I then added kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. The spread tasted amazing and it was hard to tell how healthy it was….

The burgers were delicious with some grilled baby zucchinis and potatoes.. recipes to follow…
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Here is another recipe for the long weekend coming up. I think I have mentioned before how my daughter recently started eating hamburgers… which makes things easier in the summer. I have challenged myself to come up with a new type of burger every Sunday.. lets see how long that lasts…

Anyway, she eats burgers but only likes the ones I make. I like my burgers with herbs and spices inside the meat.. and she is used to that. Anyway, I am flattered but I would like for her to start eating burgers outside as well… although I would rather have her eat the ground beef I get which is always grass fed instead of eating God knows what…

This particular one has Indian flavors running through it. Try it for the long weekend…
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It is smoked paprika week.. all the recipes have the delicious spice. I have decided on taking the spice with me if I ever get stranded on a deserted island.

I bought some center cut, thin pork chops. I don’t like making them too often since they tend to dry out very quickly- but then I realized if I brine them, they come out super juicy.

For the brine, I mixed orange juice, apricot jam, vinegar and of course smoked paprika. The liquid has a delicious sweet, savory and tangy component- perfect for a sauce for the pork chops.

I marinated them for a few hours in the liquid. I then browned them and added the liquid back. I realized, cooking them in the liquid keeps them soft and tender. The chops came out delicious. I roasted potatoes on the side with some garlic powder, salt and of course, smoked paprika. I also roasted asparagus on the side and I had a perfectly balanced meal.

Everyone enjoyed the meal with a yummy glass of red wine…

• 4 to 5 center cup pork chops
• ¼ cup apricot jam, softened in microwave
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the jam, juice, garlic, vinegar, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Add the chops and mixture to a zip lock bag and marinate for 4 to 5 hours. Save the marinade for later.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat a non-stick pan with the oil. Brown the pork chops on both sides on high heat. Take out of the pan and add the marinade. Bring to a boil and add the pork chops. Cook for a few minutes till the chops are done (careful not to overcook). Serve the chops with the sauce, potatoes and asparagus.

This is a delicious recipe. I cooked the steak in a cast iron pan but I think it will be great on the grill. I marinated the steak in a spice mix. I used ground coriander, salt, and my favorite spice- smoked paprika. I bought a nice piece of steak from Trader Joes- I think it is called tip steak. It is a great piece to cut into small pieces and marinate. I let the steak pieces sit for a few hours in the fridge before cooking. The tacos were delicious with the spiced meat.

I already had salsa in the fridge so all I made was guacamole. Everyone loves guacamole, well.. my daughter doesn’t care for it too much. I always have lots of limes on hand- especially in the warmer months. They are great to make a quick guacamole or a mojito. The whole meal didn’t take very long. I served a green salad with the tacos and some delicious refried beans.. recipe to follow..
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Well, we are a week away from the official start to the barbecue season. Although this past year I have been very good about grilling regardless of the weather- but there is something special about this time of year. Everyone dusts off the outside furniture and the grill getting ready for lazy summer days.

We recently cleaned out our grill- I actually was trying to convince my husband to buy a new one since this one is about nine years old. He was not convinced, since it had never given us trouble. After we changed the grates and cleaned the inside- really well- it was like new again.

I digress-as usual… the idea was to talk about these fabulous lamb burgers. I wanted to post something different for Memorial day and instead of beef or turkey burgers, I decided to use lamb- and lamb made me think of Moroccan food. So, I started doing some research and came up with this fabulous burger recipe. It has garlic, shallots, cilantro, cumin and harissa- which is a Moroccan hot sauce. It was a big hit- super flavorful. I paired it with a sun dried tomato and herb mayonnaise- it is a great combination. I also decided against the regular soft buns and bought a very crusty sour dough bread- a match made in heaven!

Definitely make these for the upcoming long weekend- your family and friends will love you.
Click here for the recipe… »