Jamaican Jerk Burgers

Posted on June 15, 2013 by jgisvold

Have you ever tried grilling pineapple before? If you haven’t, you should start now. It is delicious on this burger and I like to think of it as replacing the tomato on a normal burger. This burger also has jerk seasoning, a serrano pepper, and some garlic inside of it. I thought it was plenty spicy the way it was, but Ben wanted more spice. Serve with some cheese or bacon if you like.

I have been trying to figure out how to get a flat burger for quite some time now. No matter how nicely I shape the burger it still ends up not looking like those nice patties you get at fast food restaurants. I think it’s time to invest one of those burger presses that do that for you. What method do you like to use to make your burgers flat?

This blue jay thought the burgers were pretty tasty also.

Jamaican Jerk Burgers

1 pound of 80/20 lean ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning (store bought is fine)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 serrano pepper
1 pineapple
Romaine Lettuce
4 whole wheat buns

Directions:

In a bowl combine the ground beef, jerk seasoning, garlic, and pepper. Mix the meat and spices together with your hands. Divide the meat into 4 equal patties.

Prepare your pineapple. Cut the sides of the pineapple off and then slice the pineapple into a circle and cut out the pits.

Grill the burgers to however well done you like them. Then grill the pineapple on each side for about 2 minutes each.

Serve the burgers with whatever you like. Buns, lettuce, cheese, mayo… etc.. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Spicy Peach Glaze

Posted on June 11, 2013 by jgisvold

Yay, if you haven’t noticed yet… all my categories are back on the side! I had no idea what happened to them but I’m happy they’re back.

Grilled Spicy Peach chicken is a perfect dish to add to your summer grilling menu. This glaze would be good on pork and could be a sauce for dipping anything as well. IF you don’t have peach preserves on hand maybe try orange marmalade or raspberry preserves. I always have left over preserves in the fridge and this is a great way to get rid of those by making marinades!

Recipe from Bobby Flay

Ingredients
Spicy Peach Glaze:

2 cups peach preserves or jam
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 Frenched” chicken breasts
4 ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted

Directions

Combine Spicy Peach Glaze ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/2 cup.

Preheat grill. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place skin-side down and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Turn over and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Brush both sides with the peach glaze and continue cooking an additional 4 to 5 minutes.

Place peach halves, cut side down on the grill and grill for 2 minutes. Turn over and brush with the reserved 1/2 cup of peach glaze, grill for 3 to 4 more minutes until peaches are soft.

Per Serving: Calories: 415 ;Total Fat: 7 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Protein: 28 grams; Total carbohydrates: 61 grams; Sugar: 55 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Cholesterol: 68 milligrams; Sodium: 255 milligrams

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-chicken-breasts-with-spicy-peach-glaze-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Vampire Steak

Posted on June 27, 2012 by jgisvold

Vampire steak. It’s blood red from the smoked paprika and garlicy to keep the vampires away. I saw this recipe in the July issue of Cooking Light’s magazine and decided to give it a try. Just because I like vampires. I’m a big fan of the show Vampire Diaries on the CW. That’s how I came up with the title of my blog. I just combined recipes and the word diaries together and there you have it. I do like that show a lot better than Twighlight. In the Vampire Diaries the description of the vampire is better and there’s a lot more drama and hotter men. I’m really disappointed at the CW for taking away my witch show still. Hope it comes back.

Ben had the idea to put a black rose in the picture. We’ve had those black roses sitting in our bathroom since Halloween.

Flank steak is a really lean protein, and only 3 oz of this is 4 points. That’s a pretty good deal. I made some garlic mashed potatoes to go a long with it.

Calories: 166, Fat: 2.4, carbohydrates: 1.4g, Fiber: 0.4g, Protein: 24.7g

Points Plus: 4

Ingredients: from cooking light

4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak; rub juice mixture evenly over both sides. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to high heat.
3. Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt and pepper. Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across grain into slices.

Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Posted on June 24, 2012 by jgisvold

This recipe originally calls for pork chops, but I prefer pork tenderloin instead and that’s what I used. I made the marinade for this recipe, and stuck the pork tenderloin and the marinade inside a freezer storage bag for a … Continue reading →

Grilled Red Chile Buttermilk Chicken

Posted on June 17, 2012 by jgisvold

….. with Spicy Mango Honey Glaze. I think this has to be the longest title of a recipe that I’ve seen, so I shortened the blog post title up. Don’t let the name fool you! This is probably one of the best chicken recipes for grilling that I’ve tried so far, and I knew it would be when I was watching Bobby Flay make it on his show. He had me drooling over this chicken!

Mr Flay really know his spices. I couldn’t really find all the spices that he mentioned in this recipe, so I subbed out some and it turned out really good still. I love it how the chicken is really spicy and moist from the buttermilk marinade and the mango glaze makes it sweet. You’ll probably want a side of the mango glaze just to dip the chicken in. I’d definitely make this again.If you really wanted to make this a quick recipe, just buy a jar of mango chutney and a package of seasoning mix for BBQ. Pour the BBQ seasoning mix into the buttermilk and do it that way. Easy peasy.

Ingredients from: Mr Bobby Flay
Mango Honey Glaze:

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 to 4 tablespoons clover honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chile de arbol powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red Chile Buttermilk Chicken:

4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon cascabel chile powder
1 tablespoon New Mexican chile powder
1/2 teaspoon chile de arbol powder or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 bone-in chicken breasts, skin on (about 8 ounces each)
4 chicken thighs, skin on
4 chicken drumsticks, skin on
1/4 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the mango honey glaze: Heat the oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mangoes and cook until soft and juicy, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, orange and pineapple juices, 3 tablespoons honey and the chile de arbol and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and carefully blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and more honey if needed. The mixture should be a thick puree. If too thick, thin with a touch of water. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

For the chicken: Whisk together the buttermilk, chile powders, coriander, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika and cinnamon in a large baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning a few times.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chicken on a baking rack set over a baking sheet, return to the refrigerator and let sit, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Heat the grill for indirect grilling.

Brush the chicken on both sides with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill directly over the heat and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown. Move to the cooler side of the grill, close the cover and continue grilling until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. During the last few minutes, brush with some of the mango honey glaze. Remove to a platter and drizzle with more of the glaze.

Spicy-Sweet Glazed Shrimp

Posted on June 15, 2012 by jgisvold

Oh siracha, I think I’m in love with your spicy goodness. If you don’t have this stuff in your pantry yet, you should go and get some. It’s really great for marinades. Mix it with some honey and use it as a glaze for grilling.

This recipe I found in Martha Stewart’s magazine. I haven’t been really pleased with her Every Day Food one. Sometimes, she’ll have good recipes in there, and sometimes she doesn’t. Although, I’m pretty darn sure she isn’t the one coming up with the recipes. She probably has slaves working for her, in her kitchen. Try this marinade the next time you grill outside on top of shrimp or chicken! Use skewers, so that you don’t have spend a lot of time flipping the shrimp too.

Calories: 225, Fat: 3g, Protein: 31 g, Carbs: 19, Fiber: 0

Servings: 6

Points Plus: 6

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 pounds of extra jumbo shrimp
1/3 cup of honey
2 tablespoons Siracha
salt and pepper
Wooden Skewers
Oil for grilling

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper peeled and deveined shrimp and place on wooden skewers. Brush with oil.

2. Meanwhile, while you’re waiting for the grill to fire up…. Mix together honey and Siracha.

3. Place shrimp on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Brush each side with the glaze
until done. Shrimp should be pink. Enjoy!

Cheddar Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onions

Posted on June 1, 2012 by jgisvold

We had burgers two nights in a row. Yesterday, I got a coupon in my email for a free burger at Ruby Tuesdays. Ben and I love the triple prime burgers there. They’re so yummy, but one of those burgers is 31 points. Yikes! A good thing, I only ate half of the burger. We only do that about once a month though, that is, go and indulge in a fatty burger like that. Yumm….I’m surprised my blood pressure was still low this morning when I tested it, believe the running is helping with that part.:)

This was a good gourmet burger and lived up to it’s name. I think from now on, whenever we have burgers I’ll have to make some caramelized onions to put on top of them. Have you noticed lately I’ve been on a caramelized onion kick? I also made an avocado orange salad to go a long with this and that was delicious. Who knew avocado and orange would go so well together? I almost felt like putting that salad on top of this burger instead of lettuce.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Nutrition Info
Calories: 370, Fat 17.7g, Carbohydrates: 31.7g, Fiber 8.1g, Protein: 31.1g
Servings: 4
Points Plus for burger: 9
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced shallots
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef, 90% lean
2 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup) $
1 cup baby arugula
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted $
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Preparation

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add shallots and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; keep warm.

2. Gently combine garlic and beef. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add patties, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Top each patty with 2 tablespoons cheese; cover and cook 1 minute or until cheese melts.

4. Place 1/4 cup arugula on bottom half of each bun; top with 1 patty and one-fourth of shallots. Spread about 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on top half of each bun; place on top of burgers.

Spicy Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

Posted on May 23, 2012 by jgisvold

I’ve had a bottle of siracha sauce sitting in my pantry for awhile and finally decided to give it a whirl. I’ve never tried the stuff up until now. It’s almost like a spicy/garlic ketchup, and very tasty. We like to grill salmon and this recipe makes for a very good marinade. I made this a long with a cucumber/tomato salad and some white rice.

I’ve been wondering how to make a really good pot of rice lately, because lately the rice has just turned into mush. Hate that. Some people suggested on my facebook page to get a rice cooker, and I thought about that, but I already have so many kitchen utensils in our house that I don’t need it. I did what someone suggested and cooked the rice until the water all evaporated and let it sit in the pan covered with a lid for awhile. It turned out pretty good, and no it’s not the instance rice that takes a minute to cook.

I planted potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, lavendar, cantelope in my garden this year and everything is coming up so fast.I also have been seeing a lot of these things in people’s boulevards lately too. They’re EVERYWHERE.

Ingredients: from Tasty Kitchen

2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Sriracha (adjust For Spice)
¼ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce, Plus More For Cooking Salmon
1 whole Lime, Juiced
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 whole Salmon Fillets
½ whole Medium Onion, Sliced
Rice For Serving

Directions:

Whisk together honey, sriracha, soy sauce, lime, mustard and ginger, and set aside.

Preheat oil in a large nonstick stovetop pan over medium high heat. Once hot, place salmon (skin side down) and onions in the pan. Drizzle a little more soy sauce over onions and salmon and stir around the onions occasionally. After about 3 minutes, flip salmon over and cook for another 3 minutes. Salmon should be just cooked through; if not, reduce heat to medium and cook for another couple of minutes. Once salmon is cooked, remove from pan.

Add soy mixture to the pan with onions and let simmer for about 2 minutes.

Serve salmon over rice with onions and drizzle sauce over top.

Spicy Shrimp with lime and cilantro

Posted on May 13, 2012 by jgisvold

It’s been awhile since I’ve tried anything from Martha Stewart’s magazine. I’ve been getting 2 versions of each issue lately, because I got a subscription as a gift for my bridal shower. (Already had one version before that.) This dish was easy to make, since I had everything in the kitchen. I love shrimp and I buy mine frozen at Sam’s Club. I was expecting this shrimp to be really spicy, since it had cayenne pepper and curry in it, but I think the curry powder kind of balanced the spice out. The shrimp was even better with some cilantro and lime on it. Look how pretty it looks on a white plate.

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Combine salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over shrimp and toss to combine.

2. In a large skllet, melt butter over medium-high. Add shrimp and cook, stiring occasionally, until opague throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve shrimp with cilantro, lime wedges, naan, and yogurt if desired.

179 calories, 6 grams of fat, 29 g protein, 2 g of carbs, 0 g fiber