Brioche Blue Cheese and Bacon Burgers

It’s not that football is something I don’t like, I just never really got into it. Maybe it’s because I feel guilty and unproductive when I sit on the couch all day. Perhaps I was just resisting being like everyone else as I sometimes stubbornly tend to do. Who knows why I never really got into it, but NOW I’m into it.

Wes has two new AWESOME high definition televisions at his new place and sitting on the new couch watching big dudes crash into each other all day has suddenly become awesome. And for some reason, I always get a strong desire to grill burgers when the games are on.

So Wes and I have been making and experimenting with several different stuffed blue cheese burgers and I think we found the winner.

Grill these for your next big football day. Or right now if you just can’t wait.

You will need…

1 ½ lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

8 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1 large tomato, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cups arugula

4 slices your favorite thick cut bacon

8 slices brioche bread

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a large heavy pan over medium low heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, flipping once. About 20 minutes. When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan onto a paper towel and set aside.

While the bacon is cooking, combine the beef, salt, pepper and onion in a medium bowl. Using your hand, gently combine the ingredients. Don’t over handle the meat.

When everything is combined, divide the meat into 8 balls about 3 ounces each.

Form 4 of the balls into patties and use the bottom of a glass to make a depression in the center of each patty. 

Fill the patties with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese.

Form the top patties and lay them on top of the cheese filled patties. Gently form them into one patty.

Lightly oil the patties and grill them until cooked to your liking. About 5 minutes a side for medium. Flipping them once.

While the burgers are grilling, lightly butter both sides of the brioche and grill it on each side until lightly grilled. About 2 minutes a side.

When your burgers are cooked to your liking, remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Lay a burger on each brioche bun, top with arugula and tomato. 

Slice each piece of back in half, place it on top of the burger and serve hot.

 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Brioche Blue Cheese and Bacon Burgers

1 ½ lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

8 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1 large tomato, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cups arugula

4 slices your favorite thick cut bacon

8 slices brioche bread

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a large heavy pan over medium low heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, flipping once. About 20 minutes. When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan onto a paper towel and set aside.

While the bacon is cooking, combine the beef, salt, pepper and onion in a medium bowl. Using your hand, gently combine the ingredients. Don’t over handle the meat.

When everything is combined, divide the meat into 8 balls about 3 ounces each.

Form 4 of the balls into patties and use the bottom of a glass to make a depression in the center of each patty. 

Fill the patties with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese.

Form the top patties and lay them on top of the cheese filled patties. Gently form them into one patty.

Lightly oil the patties and grill them until cooked to your liking. About 5 minutes a side for medium. Flipping them once.

While the burgers are grilling, lightly butter both sides of the brioche and grill it on each side until lightly grilled. About 2 minutes a side.

When your burgers are cooked to your liking, remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Lay a burger on each brioche bun, top with arugula and tomato. Slice each piece of back in half, place it on top of the burger and serve hot. 

Balsamic Onion, Chorizo and Avocado Sandwiches

So, I’m halfway through my four weeks of insane travel and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Never before in my life have I looked forward to NOT partying and having a good time for a few weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, I have really fun stuff coming up. A trip to Atlanta, my brother’s graduation and my good friend Shireen’s wedding are all on the horizon. And while I’m really excited for every one of those things, I also am ready to take a really LONG nap.

But while I do really miss getting consistent sleep, I miss cooking even more.

So every moment I have at home I’m spending in the kitchen.

Here is one of the many tasty things I’ve been cooking up. Just in time for summer.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 fresh chorizo sausages (about 6 ounces each) pricked all over with a fork

4 6-inch baguette pieces, split and toasted

¼ cup cilantro sprigs

2 avocados, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium heat.

Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onions and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Just until the onions have softened.

Stir in the honey and balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are caramelized. About 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, grill the sausages over moderate heat, turning occasionally until they are nicely charred and cooked through. About 15 minutes.

When the sausages are cooked, removed the sausages from the heat and roughly chop them.

Toss them with the onions.

Spread the mashed avocado on both sides of the baguettes.

Top the baguette with onions, sausage and cilantro and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Balsamic Onion, Chorizo and Avocado Sandwiches 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 fresh chorizo sausages (about 6 ounces each) pricked all over with a fork

4 6-inch baguette pieces, split and toasted

¼ cup cilantro sprigs

2 avocados, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium heat.

Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onions and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Just until the onions have softened.

Stir in the honey and balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are caramelized. About 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, grill the sausages over moderate heat, turning occasionally until they are nicely charred and cooked through. About 15 minutes.

When the sausages are cooked, removed the sausages from the heat and roughly chop them.

Toss them with the onions.

Spread the mashed avocado on both sides of the baguettes.

Top the baguette with onions, sausage and cilantro and serve hot. 

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

When you introduce your significant other to your family, you hope they get along. But even more than that, you hope they bond.

Luckily for me, Wesley and my brothers were able to bond quickly over a shared love. Their shared love is not of me. Yes they all love me, but I think they love Gushers fruit snacks even more.

Wesley loves Gushers so much that he actually spent some time this evening Googling them, their factory and reviews on them.

No, I am not making this up.

He stumbled across a negative review. The only negative review he could find.

What he found was so ridiculous that I had to share it. I don’t know anything about the woman that wrote it or her son. If he did indeed pass away, my heart goes out to her and I want her to know (in the off chance that she somehow reads this) that her and her son are hero’s and that I am in no way trying to mock her.

I am just really impressed at her ability to find parallels between Shrek Gushers and the war in Iraq. Very impressive.

To Whom It May Concern,

In 2004 my son died fighting an unjust war sold to the American people on lies. In 2006 I purchased a box of Shrek Fruit Gushers with "natural" Fruitomic Punch flavor. I have several issues with your Shrek Fruit Gushers and these are closely linked to the sadness I feel every Mother's Day when I realize that there will be no card or phone call from Casey. Your Fruit Gushers (Fruitomic or conventional) are waxy fruit candies full of juice that promise "an explosion of flavor", just like the IED explosion that killed my son, Casey. Very offensive.

I spoke to Hugo Chavez and he assured me that he supported my effort to bring our troops home and to receive a complete refund from your Shrek Fruit Gushers. Why do you only have two flavors in the Fruit Gusher pouch? I'm stricken with grief at the thought that even one more soldier will return home wounded from Iraq, buy a box of Shrek Fruit Gushers, and receive only two flavors.

I accuse you of false and deceptive advertising. There is a picture of Shrek on the box, yet the Fruit Gushers themselves vaguely resemble gems. What do gems have to do with Shrek? I have a t-shirt with Casey's face on it and I have a lot to do with my son. Maybe your Fruit Gushers taste like Shrek. I wouldn't know for sure, but what I do know is that they taste like lies. The same sort of lies Colin Powell told to the United Nations that got us into this tragic war. Flavor lies.

While I was visiting Cuba a few days ago I noticed that they did not sell Fruit Gushers anywhere in Cuba, yet Cuba has never launched a preemptive war based on faulty intelligence. Are the two connected? You tell me, Herr Crocker!!! I find that now when I place a Shrek Fruit Gusher in my mouth and bite down, rather than the explosion of flavor promised I find only the bittersweet burst of gooey forlorn hope. Hope for our nation's future and hope that our children and their children can live in a world of peace and refunds for unsatisfactory products.

Israel may support Shrek Fruit Gushers, but was that Zionist flavor explosion worth the life of my son?

Let me tell you, Betdolph Crockler, at a rally in New York City, Jesse Jackson spoke to over 5,000 veterans, Gold Star Mothers and friends and family of our troops and pledged to take up the fight to guarantee me a refund for these inferior Fruit Gushers. He insisted that I receive a full refund and not just coupons for more Betty Crocker products. It's what Casey would have wanted.

I want you to know right now I am crying. If I ever wore makeup it would be running down my cheeks. My tears are falling on this page so if some of the ink is running that is why. They accuse us of supporting cut and run, but I would rather support a new direction and a new refund. I cry for the loss of my son and the loss we all feel whenever we taste your terrible Shrek Fruit Gushers.

This is the only warning we are going to be giving. You know our demands and until those demands are met, myself and all Gold Stars Mothers (that star means their children died for a false war and bad Fruit Gushers) Against Shrek Fruit Gushers will be speaking to the media about your actions.

If these demands still are not met, we will begin camping outside your Fruit Gushers factory in Guadalajara, Mexico. I already have a suitcase fully packed with candles, card stock and markers as well as a whole notebook full of rhyming slogans we can yell.

Writing this letter because Casey can't,

Cindy Sheehan

On that note, I am going to leave you with something I hope is much less disappointing than Shrek Gushers. And much less controversial.

You will need…

4 small chicken breasts

¾ cup mango chutney

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

2 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup arugula

4 large rolls (your favorite kind)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the chicken until it is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool.

As soon as the chicken has cooled enough to handle. Use 2 forks to pull apart the chicken until it is shredded.

Toss the chicken in a bowl with the chutney, lime juice, curry, scallions, cilantro and season it well with salt and pepper.

Toast the rolls and top them with arugula and ½ cup of chicken salad.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

4 small chicken breasts

¾ cup mango chutney

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

2 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup arugula

4 large rolls (your favorite kind)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the chicken until it is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool.

As soon as the chicken has cooled enough to handle. Use 2 forks to pull apart the chicken until it is shredded.

Toss the chicken in a bowl with the chutney, lime juice, curry, scallions, cilantro and season it well with salt and pepper.

Toast the rolls and top them with arugula and ½ cup of chicken salad.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Brie and White Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Apples, Bacon, and Balsamic Shallots

I’ve done some things in my life I’m not proud of. I’m sure that most of you feel the same way.

In the past, there have been some moments where I’ve felt pretty jerk like.

Most recently was last weekend.

No one in my house knows how, or when, but Lily (or crazy, indoor cat) got out of the house.

We have no idea how long she was out there. But it took us a solid thirty-six hours to even notice she was gone. Jerks.

Luckily, she is such a freakazoid that she was probably hovering in a bush by the back door the whole time. Only a couple hours after she was discovered missing, she got brave enough to meow until let in my parents screen door.

We are all feeling much better now that she is home and we are appreciating her weirdness just a little bit more than usual.

Right this moment she is sitting near me, at a healthy distance of course, all comfortable like.

Comfortable just like this yummy grilled cheese.

You will need…

8 slices your favorite crusty bread (I used a roasted garlic French bread)

1 green apple, thinly sliced

3 slices crispy bacon, roughly chopped

8 to 12 slices brie cheese (depending on how large your slices are)

12 to 16 slices sharp white cheddar cheese (depending on how large your slices are)

2 cups arugula

2 shallots, thinly sliced

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons berry jam

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Start by adding the balsamic and shallots to a medium pan over medium heat.

Cook down the shallots until they are softened, browned and all he liquid is gone. About 10 to 15 minutes.

While the shallots are cooking down, pair up your bread slices as they will be for the sandwiches.

Spread the butter on the outside parts of each sandwich and spread each inside part of the sandwich with the jam.

Then, start to layer your sandwich. Start by layering the bottom slice of bread with a layer of apples. Follow it up with a layer of brie. Then add a layer of crumbled bacon, followed by a layer of arugula. Finally, add a layer of balsamic shallots and a layer of cheddar.

Top the pile of deliciousness with the top slice of bread.

Add your sandwiches to a large pan over medium high heat. Or if you are a lucky ducky, you can make these in your panini maker.

Cook until the bread is browned on both sides and the cheese melted. About 4 minutes a side.

Slice and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Brie and White Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Apples, Bacon, and Balsamic Shallots

8 slices your favorite crusty bread (I used a roasted garlic French bread)

1 green apple, thinly sliced

3 slices crispy bacon, roughly chopped

8 to 12 slices brie cheese (depending on how large your slices are)

12 to 16 slices sharp white cheddar cheese (depending on how large your slices are)

2 cups arugula

2 shallots, thinly sliced

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons berry jam

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Start by adding the balsamic and shallots to a medium pan over medium heat.

Cook down the shallots until they are softened, browned and all he liquid is gone. About 10 to 15 minutes.

While the shallots are cooking down, pair up your bread slices as they will be for the sandwiches.

Spread the butter on the outside parts of each sandwich and spread each inside part of the sandwich with the jam.

Then, start to layer your sandwich. Start by layering the bottom slice of bread with a layer of apples. Follow it up with a layer of brie. Then add a layer of crumbled bacon, followed by a layer of arugula. Finally, add a layer of balsamic shallots and a layer of cheddar.

Top the pile of deliciousness with the top slice of bread.

Add your sandwiches to a large pan over medium high heat. Or if you are a lucky ducky, you can make these in your panini maker.

Cook until the bread is browned on both sides and the cheese melted. About 4 minutes a side.

Slice and serve hot.