Best Burger Ever!
Nothing says summer like grilling burgers! Juicy, cheesey and flavorful! This is a mini tutorial on how to make the Best Burgers Ever!
A couple of key points! 1) Buy freshly ground meat from the butchers counter-needs to be 80/20, anything leaner is too dry. You want beef that has been processed as little as possible and that is loosely packed. Anything in a tube in too tight. The extra effort is totally worth it! 2) Minimal handling when mixing at home! 3) Indentation. Make a thumb print in the middle of each patty. This helps cook it evenly. 4) DO NOT press down with spatula! This makes the juices flow out (bad) and compresses the meat (bad).
These are truly the best burgers that I have made. As with seasoning any dish, you can use any spice blend that sounds good. Same with burgers, your imagination is the limit. Play with the toppings, buns, condiments and cheeses. Some ideas to try are:
- Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion. Basic Condiments
- Blue Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion & Whole Grain Mustard
- Swiss and Caramelized Onions, Dijon Mustard
- Pepper Jack with Caramelized Onion and Green Peppers, Mustard
- Jack Cheese, Fresh Pineapple & Teriyaki Sauce
- Smoked Gouda, Caramelized Onions & BBQ Sauce
- Brie, Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Fig Jam
- Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Pesto
- Queso Cheese & Salsa
Mix and match the toppings too! Some fun thoughts:
Assorted Cheeses
Lettuce
Tomato
Onion
Onion Rings
Pineapple
Caramelized Onions
Roasted Red Bell Pepper
Over Easy Egg
Bacon
Mornay Sauce
Also play with the condiments:
Various Ketchups
Assorted Mustards
Sriracha Sauce
Mayo
Salsa
Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet & Sour Sauce
Pesto
BBQ Sauce
Any iced cold beer works with this dish!
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Eggs in Purgatory
This egg dish is so good! Super easy to make and tastes decadent. Devil’s Dust is just as it sounds, HOT! A little bit goes a long way. It is hand blended from ghost pepper, jalapeño and habanero flakes. It is also great on steaks, chicken and even as a little kick of heat to a cool margarita. I recommend using it in a grinder.
You can also use Habanero Garlic Pepper, this blend is with black pepper, garlic, habanero, orange zest, onion, chipotle and marjoram. This blend gives a bite backed up with lots of layers of flavor!
This makes a wonderful Mother’s Day brunch item. You can use a larger skillet and make it for a group. Have a devil of a good time!
A nice cold Margarita or Champagne would pair beautifully with this meal.
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
My family LOVES Mexican food! It can be really heavy though, especially around summertime. My goal is to serve healthier versions of our most liked dishes.
Adobo Lime is one of my all time favorite spice blends. It is hand blended from fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. It is so versatile to use on anything from veggies to grilling.
The tomatillo sauce is really fresh and light. You control the cheese to your liking!
An icy cold Corona is delightful with this meal.
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Easy Baguettes
What is not to love about homemade bread! Very few things smells as good as a crusty baguette fresh out of the oven! This is so easy to make and only has 4 ingredients, so you know what it is made of. These baguettes freeze really well too.
The recipe makes 4 baguettes, I made two with Everything Better Blend which combines delicious California grown and roasted garlic, onion, poppy seed, both white and black sesame seeds and kosher salt. It really does taste like a bagel and adds such great flavor to bread.
I made one plain and the last one I seasoned with Ravensview Rosemary Garlic, this is a black pepper blend made with sea salt, garlic, black pepper, chive, and rosemary. It is a real winner for lamb and other red meats. Great on beef ribs and roasts. We use it on roasted potatoes and other veggies too. Awesome on steak for a nice black pepper flavor.
You can use pretty much any blend to season bread.
Baking bread is good for the soul!
Wine & Spice
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto
I love substituting cauliflower for many different starches. Today I decided to try my hand at a risotto using Johnny Pizza, or you can use Evening in Tuscany. This flavorful mix is hand blended with Mediterranean oregano, basil, garlic, onion, thyme, fennel seed, red bell pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley and marjoram. Fabulous as an Italian blend or amazing in your pizza sauce or my favorite—bake it into the crust! You can also use it to add pizzaz to a frozen pizza.
You can vary this recipe to accommodate any diet. I used parmesan cheese but you can use brewers yeast just as well. If you are using real cheese make sure you get a chunk of parmesan and freshly shred for the recipe, it makes all the difference!
This risotto is so rich and creamy! You will not miss the rice.
A nice glass of Chianti Classico tasted fabulous with this dish.
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
Sunday Sauce with Meatballs
Sunday sauce (or gravy as some call it) is a long standing Italian-American tradition. In Italy many years ago, very poor Italian women made their sauce mostly with tomatoes and vegetables and if they were very lucky pork. After immigrating to America most found that meat here was so much less expensive, and the addition of beef to the sauce became a symbol of prosperity!
Italian Mama’s and Nona’s put the sauce on first thing in the morning and it puttered all day while the rest of the family chatted and caught up. Each family adds a little something unique to their sauce so really no two family recipes would be the same.
I used Evening in Tuscany because the delicate blend of garlic, Kosher salt, Mediterranean oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, rosemary, onion and parleys perfect for a Sunday Sauce!
There are many varieties of pasta available to us today. Spaghetti is traditionally used, but any shape you like will work.
Today, most families are too busy to be cooking all day! This is a quicker version of a Sunday Sauce. Though tradition has it that it only gets richer the longer it simmers.
Mangia! Mangia! (eat, eat!)
TUTORIAL - Homemade Pizza
Fresh Made Pizza from Scratch
Pizza is believed to have been started as a street food for the working poor in Naples, Italy, around the 1700s. It was an inexpensive and quick meal. Although, the topped baked bread has been around since before 600BC, then topped with oil and herbs. It is said that King Umberto and Queen Margherita fell in love with pizza while traveling the Italian countryside in the late 1800's and it was she whom the Margherita pizza is named after. This pizza, simply topped with mozzarella cheese, basil and fresh tomatoes, was created in her honor with the Italian flag colors!
Since then Pizza has become very popular throughout the world. It can be healthy or not, depending on your toppings. The average American eats about 21 pounds of pizza a year!
Lets get started...
Adobo Lime Skirt Steak
Want to get out of a rut? This recipe is easy to prepare and will make your taste buds sing! Adobo Lime Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. The flavors are truly spectacular. You can also use chicken or pork, you can grill or you can use a grill pan.
Adobo Lime is hand blended with fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. This blend is great in any mexican recipe, bean soup and even great on fish!
A nice chilled glass of Merlot pairs really well with this dish.
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
Bourbon Molasses Shrimp
Big Easy Bourbon Molasses is truly one of my absolute favorites! It is flavorful and bold with the smoke of bourbon barrel smoked salt, a touch of bitter sweet with natural granulated black strap molasses from New Orleans, and other flavors to give you a unique taste of Louisiana.
Today I decided to immerse myself in the South. I made Bourbon Molasses Shrimp, succulent and so flavorful! I served with white cheddar cheese grits and sautéed collard/mustard greens.
Any iced cold Iced Tea is perfect with this meal.
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!
Chicken Soup with Bisquick Dumplings
This is another quick and easy recipe using ingredients most of us have in the pantry and fridge. This soup is super simple, and another recipe that the kiddos can help cook.
You can pretty much use whatever veggies you have on hand. For this I used carrots, potatoes, onion and celery. You could also use sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, squash, rutabaga, to name a few.
Today I used Adobo Lime to season the soup. This fabulous seasoning is hand blended from fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. It is truly wonderful on just about everything from fish, shrimp, chicken, pork, beef and vegetables. One of Milford Spice Company's best sellers at Farmer’s Markets and a customer favorite! If you do not have Adobo Lime, chicken soup is very much a blank canvas, try with your favorite Milford Spice Blend. No matter what you use. it will de delicious!
You can use a boxed stock/broth or you can simmer you chicken in water to cook and use that as y our stock.
Bisquick is used to create these fantastic dumplings. This soup is perfect for a chilly night….
Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!