It is my version of a chimichurri sauce which is popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Mexico. It is mostly used as a sauce for grilled meat and even as a marinade.

Good friends were coming over for dinner and I wanted to barbecue but keep it simple. I had a huge piece of a boneless rib eye steak and I also bought my husband’s favorite fish- alaskan butterfish or also known as black cod. Thankfully our local fish monger (Freemans) now carries the fish regularly.

I bought some corn to grill and potatoes to roast in the oven- and thats it. I grilled the meat and the fish and served it with this delicious sauce. It complimented the steak as well as the creamy fish.

The sauce is simply made with cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic and my secret ingredient- ancho chili powder. I love using that spice in sauces and marinades- it  gives everything a delicious smoky flavor.

Try this spicy chimichurri sauce- you will want to eat it everything in the fridge…

• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• Juice of one large navel orange
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Add the cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, orange juice, salt and ancho chili powder into a processor. Pulse until smooth. Drizzle the olive oil slowly while running the processor.
Take the sauce out into a bowl and keep aside and serve with steak and fish.

I made this for a barbecue and she had been outside playing all day and came in completely famished and ready to pounce on dinner. I had planned on giving her grilled sausages with corn since I knew she was not keen on the hamburgers- but surprise, surprise- she picked up a burger and started eating it.

I made these simply with ground turkey, ginger and some fresh mint and cilantro. I flavored them with salt and garam masala. I also whipped up a quick cilantro mayonnaise with lots of fresh cilantro, green onions and lemon juice. It is amazing how much different a few key ingredients can make a huge difference- the mayo was delicious.

My daughter had the burger with baby spinach but no mayo. She loved it and announced that she will be eating burgers from now on. I am thrilled- yet another food group had been added to her vast collection.

Try these burger this weekend- they are quick, easy and delicious…

• 1 pound ground turkey meat
• 1 cup cilantro
• ½ cup mint
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Process the cilantro, mint and ginger in a food processor until a paste is formed. Add the paste, turkey, garam masala, salt and egg into a medium bowl and mix well. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours if not over night. Form 6 burger patties and grill until done.

Cilantro Mayonnaise

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions, lime juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

• 6 ciabatta rolls
• 2 cups baby spinach

To assemble, toast the rolls and spread mayonnaise on both sides. Place the patty on one side and the baby spinach on the other. Serve with grilled corn and potato wedges.

I kept it real simple for these particular ones. The two main ingredients I added were ginger and mint. I love the two aromatics together- they make anything taste delicious.

I of course started with ground turkey meat. You can use ground pork or lamb but since turkey meat is healthier- I always use that.

I simply marinated the meat with ginger, mint, cilantro, coriander powder and garam masala. I beat an egg for binding and some salt- thats it. It is great for this mixture to sit for a few hours if not over night (that would be ideal). It is amazing what a difference over night makes- the seekh kebab come out a lot more flavorful.

I have extra long metal skewers which I used to make the seekh kebabs on the grill outside. It doesn’t take very long for the meat to cook and so they were done in no time. I served them with some mint chutney and it was a wonderful appetizer.

You could serve in hot dog or any other kind of buns and make a meal out of them. Drizzle some mint chutney on top and maybe some onions and you have a fabulous sandwich.

Try the ginger and mint seekh kebab for your next barbecue….

• 1 pound ground turkey meat (dark meat)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 to 4 metal skewers

Add the ground meat into a medium bowl with the egg, ginger, mint, cilantro, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and the cayenne pepper. Mix well with both hands incorporating all the ingredients well.
Form the meat around the skewers dividing them equally. Cook on the grill till the meat is done and serve with mint chutney.

I still had to go and buy some ground beef. Usually I prefer turkey meat due to health reason but I decided to go look for grass fed ground beef. Before going shopping, I peeled and cooked the potatoes. I chopped basil, thyme and rosemary for the burgers. I minced garlic and grated a shallot. Once I got the meat and rolls, I simply added the chopped ingredients and that was it- I was done. My husband had asked me to purchase the ready to grill patties but I can’t get myself to do that. I have no idea what is in there.. especially the meat quality. I prefer to make my own- especially since it doesn’t take very long at all.

We grilled the burgers and ate a delicious, simple summer meal… I can’t believe it is almost done. Make this recipe this weekend…

• 1 pound ground grass fed beef
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large shallot, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the beef, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, shallot and salt. Mix well and form 4 to 5 patties. Keep aside.
Grill the burgers to the desired doneness.

• 4 to 5 ciabatta or French rolls
• Mayonnaise
• Mixed greens
• Sliced tomatoes

Assemble the burgers and serve with salad and potato wedges.

Anyway, the radio person suggested a peach and tomato salad- and that is where I got my inspiration.  It is so simple that I am almost embarrassed to post it as a recipe.

The key ingredient is balsamic glaze. You can buy it at a specialty store- I bought my from Italy but you can make your own as well. It is as simple as cooking regular balsamic vinegar down on a medium heat until it cooks down to a syrupy consistency. That is all this salad has- salt, really good olive oil and thyme.

It is very delicious- the combination of tomatoes and nectarines is unbelievable. Before summer is over- try this super simple salad…

• 2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 to 2 nectarines cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
• 2 teaspoon fresh thyme

Add the cherry tomatoes and nectarines into a medium bowl. Add the salt and olive oil. Let them sit for at least an hour. Add the fresh thyme and balsamic glaze and serve.