recipe of the week: pastrami burgers

i found a fun recipe for pastrami sliders a few months ago.


however, because we were HUNGRY the night i made them, i made full-size burgers.
here's the recipe, not changed much (for once :-)


pastrami burgers


rye bread, toasted in the oven for 7-8 minutes
1 pound ground pork
1/2 medium onion, processed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and coarse ground pepper to taste (you won't need much because of the salty pastrami)
1/2 pound lean pastrami, coarsely chopped (i used the food processor and processed the onion with it)
olive oil for drizzling


toppings/sides:
tomatoes (i used cherry)
dill pickles
german mustard
mayonnaise

 burgers are pretty much selfl-explanatory, right?  mix up the meat and spices.  form into even patties.  heat grill pan over med-high heat, grill burgers until they are cooked through.  

mustard on one slice and mayo on the other is what we did...and it was GOOD.


next time i'll get the pumpernickel and rye swirl bread because i love that blend, but other than that?  this is a yummy recipe, and comes in (according to my fitness pal) at 392 calories per burger (including the rye bread).  Not bad!


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recipe of the week: chicken burgers w/garlic-rosemary mayo

my friend natasha and i love to hang out
and we looooove to cook
so last week i realized
she's nannying about 15 minutes down the road from me
and i get off on wednesdays right about the time the baby she's caring for goes down for a nap
so...
we got together and cooked!

i found this amazing recipe on food network (thank you, giada!)
and we tried it
and looooved it

chicken burgers with garlic-rosemary mayo

mayo:
1 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup fresh or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves
1 glove of garlic minced or grated

burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (ok, we used WAY more than that)

additional:
4 burger buns or sandwich rolls
1 cup arugula
olive oil

in a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. in a large bowl, add the ground chicken, salt, pepper, and about 1/3 of the mayonaise mixture*.

gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties.

place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side.

brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.**

spread a dollup of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

 we topped ours with havarti cheese

 and served with trader joe's tabouli salad

* original recipe called for 1/2 the mayo mixture.  i reduced it based on reading reviews that said the burgers held together better with less mayo
** we totally skipped this step because we were SO hungry!  they were still amazing

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Fajita Burgers

Somewhat based on this recipe from Food Network. I made quite a few changes though!



Chicken Fajita Burgers

1 1/3 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoons ground chipotle chili powder, a palm full
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Several drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (I used McCormick's SpicyMontreal Steak Seasoning)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 small or medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I added this to Anthony's burger, but not mine)
salsa verde or tomatillo salsa...to taste/sight
tortillas/wraps (I used TJ's habanero lime wraps)

Combine chicken, chipotle powder, cilantro, hot sauce, onion, peppers, green salsa, and grill seasoning. Score and divide meat into 4 sections and form big patties, 1-inch thick. Drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil and cook 6 minutes on each side or until meat is firm and cooked through.

To serve, fold wrap creatively around burger and secure with a toothpick...or a small kabob skewer if that's what you have handy...

These were pretty amazing. Definitely keep some extra green salsa on hand to put on the burgers though--it makes them better! I think next time I might try a fresh tomato slice on top...perhaps some homemade guacamole...

(sorry I wasn't able to get a decent shot of them...but they were yummy!)