Teriyaki Burgers

I am back! I know, I said that before. But I am really feeling into my groove now.
I was inspired by my sister, who stopped blogging to spend time with her family. I am not going to stop blogging, but I am going to stop living/cooking for my blog. I am going to make what I want to make, and when it seems blog worthy - you will get a post. I just didn't like the fact that I "couldn't" make a favorite dish because I had already posted the recipe. I still love to experiment and new foods - so there will always be something new - just maybe not as often as before.

Okay, now to the food. These burgers! Oh! These burgers are delicious, and they couldn't be easier!
Thanks to Marta's delicious salad recipe, I had some leftover Soy Vay. Hannah told me to just use it in burgers. They were moist, flavorful, and easy! Really. You don't need a recipe, but I'll give it to you anyway. They were so delicious I didn't need any ketchup, mustard or other sauce -- and that's saying a lot from a ketchup lover!

Teriyaki Burgers with Grilled Pineapple

1 lb lean ground beef
3-4 Tbsp Soy Vay, or other prepared teriyaki sauce

Combine ingredients and divide into four patties, shaping them so the center is a little thinner than the edges. (I learned this from Rachael Ray - this makes them cook evenly and so when they bulge, you have a flat rather than ball-shaped patty). Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, flipping once, or until desired done-ness.

We topped them with grilled pineapple, tomato, and lettuce. That's actually kind of a lie because we don't have a grill - I faux-grilled them. I sprinkled each pineapple ring with some brown sugar and then put them under the broiler until the sugar was dissolved and started to caramelize, maybe 3-5 minutes.

Chicken Pesto Panini

My husband has told his fellow co-workers about this blog and frequently talks about my cooking. After all that talking and bringing leftovers, they said I needed to feed them lunch. I fed his department - about 14 people. Not a huge undertaking. But seeing how we are moving this week, I didn't want to buy a lot of things or do a lot of cooking. (We are packing up the kitchen!) So I put together a simple lunch of panini and salad. These panini are so simple but were a big hit. I guess you could say I had my first catering event!
This is a great recipe because it is so simple to make for a few or multiple people. Because I made it simple I used a roatisserie chicken and prepared pesto. If you wanted to be really gourmet you could do these yourself, but I don't think you can really tell the difference. One of the women at his work is vegetarian, so she had one without meat - it was still delicious.

Chicken Pesto Panini

1 loaf Ciabatta bread, cut horizontally then in about 6 pieces
6 Tbsp prepared pesto
Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (ish) Sun-dried tomatoes
1-2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat

Prehead a panini press. To build the panini: Spread one tablespoon of the pesto on each piece of ciabatta bread (I like it split between both sides). Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on each side of the bread. Then layer a few spinach leaves, a few sun-dried tomato slices, and the chicken. Put your slices together and place onto hot panini press. Press sandwhiches until warmed through, cheese has melted, and the bread is crisp.

Tips:

• No Panini Press? Not a problem - check out how to make a panini press from what you already have in your kitchen!
• You can prepare these ahead (up to a few hours), wrap them up, and cook them when ready.
• To make even more gourmet - use fresh mozzerella (I was going to, but that's so expensive for 14 people!)
• Buy the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, the dry ones are not the best texture.
• Have your local bakery slice your bread loaf for you to cut on time.

How to Make a Panini Press

So the other day the girls were up at our cabin. We had planned fabulous, delicious food. One of said meals was a panini and soup. The only problem is our cabin doesn't have a panini press (and on that note, neither do I). So we got creative.

Here's how to make a Panini Press:

Place said paninis on griddle. Find something flat (baking dish, roasting pan, skillet) and place on top. Then place on the flat item place something heavy - in my case, the heaviest cans we could find. When bottom side of your panini is flat and golden, flip and repeat!

We made my friend Alma's recipe - Brie, watercress, turkey (good stuff - no fake lunch meat stuff, this is fancy!), and green apples. It doesn't get much better than that!

Chicken Sausage Sandwich

This is a delicious and easy sandwich. I actually bought all my ingredients at Costco - but any variety will do.

Chicken Sausage Sandwich
1 chicken sausage link
1 demi-bagette, sliced and toasted
mozzerella cheese
lettuce
tomato
1 tsp dijion mustard

Collect Ingredients: good crusty bread - I used a demi-bagette, chicken sausage (mine was a cheese and sundried tomato variety), mozzarella (or any good melting cheese), lettuce, and tomato. Slice your bread in half.

Remove some of the bread inside, brush with oil (or if your in a hurry like me, spray with cooking spray) and place under broiler until golden brown. Add cheese, and place back under broiler. Meanwhile, cook sausage until cassing is crispy and center is warm.

Assemble. The sausage fit so neatly into the hollowed bread - was nice to not have it slip and slide around.

I am a purist and don't like too many sauces on my sandwiches. However, this was delicious with just a hint of your favorite dijion mustard.

Mmm... ooey gooey cheese.

PS - do you like this size picture or the bigger ones?