Bleu Cheese Burgers with Homemade Buns

Who doesn't crave a good burger once in a while? Be it chicken, meat, or veggie, a burger is always a comforting, easy to please kind of meal.

Personally, I crave the meat variety. A nice, homemade juicy beef burger with that smoky charcoal grill taste. And of course, stuffed with some pungent bleu cheese then served on a home baked bun topped with all sorts of condiments? To die for!

Above is an example of how to "stuff" the burgers. Take the meat and flatten into a patty. Place some cheese in the middle, then close in all the sides to make a sort of ball. Flatten and you've got your stuffed burger!

Of course, if you don't have time to make buns, you don't have to....

But honestly, it doesn't take a whole lot of work, and look at the results!!

Bleu Cheese Burgers

Makes 8 burgers

1 kg Ground Beef

1 Large Onion, chopped

3 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Ketchup

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Fresh Black Pepper

100 grams Bleu Cheese (divided into 8)

Olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bleu cheese. Divide the mixture into 8 parts. Form each part into a large flattened patty and place 1 part of the blue cheese in the centre. Fold the edges of the patty over the bleu cheese to close. Repeat with the remaining beef to create 8 patties stuffed with bleu cheese.

Rub each patty with a little olive oil. Place the patties on a preheated grill or grill pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until there are grill marks on each side and the patties are cooked through.

Serve with homemade buns and condiments.

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Recipe from http://www.acefitness.org/healthyrecipes/882/whole-wheat-burger-buns

Makes 8 buns

1 cup low-fat milk, room temperature

1/3 cup lukewarm water

2 1/4 tsp Active Dried Yeast

1 large egg, at room temperature (see Cooking tip), lightly beaten

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups (appr unbleached all-purpose flour

Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Place the warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the milk, sugar, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Slowly add the flours, stirring to create a soft, sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes. Return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball and place on the prepared baking sheet a few inches apart. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes, until they have risen by half. Gently press down on the buns to flatten a little. Let them rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake the buns on the center rack until golden and crusty, about 25 minutes. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Chinese Steamed Whole Fish

My mom used to steam fish all the time. Especially salmon, since in British Colombia, fresh salmon was always in abundance. I remember the subtle aromas of the fish steaming, and the sizzle of hot oil which my mom poured over the fish with ease.

This classical Chinese fish preparation results in a delicately flavored, moist fish. It is extremely healthy and tasty.

Chinese Steamed Whole Fish

Serves 2

Approx 750 grams Whole Fish, scaled and cleaned

2 tbsp Ginger, minced

Salt

1/4 cup Green Onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Canola Oil

Rinse the fish under cold water, then pat dry. Cut off the head and tail if desired. Make three score marks on each side of the fish (about 1/2 inch deep). Rub the minced ginger inside and outside the fish, being sure to rub it into the score marks. Season the fish with salt.

Place the fish in a steamer basket (either a bamboo basket lined with parchment paper or a metal steamer over simmering water). Steam for 15 minutes. The fish should be moist and just cooked… the flesh should easily come off the bone and should be just barely opaque. It is really important not to overcook the fish.

Place the fish onto the serving plate. Sprinkle with the green onion and drizzle with soy sauce. Then heat the canola oil in a small sauce pan. When hot, pour it over top of the fish. You should hear the fish sizzle. Serve with steamed rice.

Sri Lankan Sweet and Sour Egg Plant

In Sri Lanka, they call eggplant “brinjals.” During our time in the hill country, we tried a lot of food, and one of the many vegetable dishes served with our dinner was made with eggplant. It wasn't like the other dishes. This one had so many contrasting flavors... sweet, sour, salty. It was absolutely delicious.

Now back in Damascus, I was craving this dish, so I decided to try to make it. After doing a little recipe research, I managed to create a dish which seems to match the one in my memory. So, here it is. It's probably not authentic, but regardless, it tastes pretty good to me!

Sweet and Sour Egg Plant (Brinjals)

Serves 2 as a side dish

1 Medium Eggplant, cut into 1 inch strips (about 3 cups)

1 Small Onion, cut into thin slices (about ½ cup)

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Water

1/2 tsp Curry Powder

Spring Onion, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Soak strips of eggplant in water for 2 minutes. Drain.

In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, soy, vinegar, sugar, garlic, water, and curry powder. Set aside.

Heat canola and sesame oils over high heat. Add eggplant and onion and cook until brown and soft. Add sauce mixture and stirfry until hot. Garnish with spring onion. Serve with rice or Sri Lankan hoppers.

Chinese Chicken and Rice

I am Chinese-Canadian, but I have always considered myself more Canadian than anything. Perhaps it’s because I have never lived or even travelled in China, although I hope to someday. Or perhaps it’s because I have never found myself completely immersed in the Chinese culture. Whatever the reason, I find myself referring to myself as Canadian and then having to explain my background when questioned about my apparent Asian heritage.

But lately, I have been dreaming of Chinese food. The balance of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter; the freshness of ginger and spring onion; the comforting rice. So maybe there is more Chinese in me than I thought. Or maybe its nostalgia kicking in and I am just thinking of the foods my mom used to cook at home. Or maybe it’s because Canada seems to lack any sort of food identity that I can relate to (of course, there is poutine and salmon, but due to the multicultural diversity, you can get all kinds of food in Canada except food that is truly Canadian).

Whatever the reason, I find myself searching for Chinese foods to sooth my Chinese Canadian soul. And today, it is this chicken and rice dish. Now, usually this recipe should be made with glutinous rice, but in this part of the world, it’s hard to come by, so, I am working with what I’ve got!

Chinese Chicken and Rice

Serves 4

2 whole chicken legs and 2 wings, cut into pieces

1 tsp Canola Oil

3 cups Cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp Ginger, minced

2 cups White Rice (or glutinous rice if available)

4 cups Water

1/2 cup Green Onions, sliced

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Marinade:

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Sesame Oil

1 tsp Corn Starch

1 tsp Ginger, minced

1/2 tsp White Pepper

In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken pieces. Toss to coat and let marinade for about 45 minutes.

In a large pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Pour in the chicken and all of the marinade and toss for a few minutes. Stir in the cabbage and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and the water. Bring up to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the green onion, the additional soy, oyster sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Stir, cover, and let cook for another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes has passed, remove from heat, and let rest, covered, for another 10 minutes. Serve, garnished with some fresh spring onion.

Veggie Chili

I never ate chili as a child. And to be honest, I bet my first encounter with the stuff was either on convenience store nachos or a fast food hot dog. Not exactly the most memorable experience, but I guess everyone has to start somewhere!

As you can see from my previous post, chili con carne is versatile and great served a multitude of different ways. Today, however, we are enjoying a different kind of chili. A vegetarian chili. Yup, that’s right. This one is not full of ground meat but rather with tons of veggies.

This spicy and hearty chili is great if you crave comfort food but you want to slim down. It has all the great flavors and textures of chili without the meat, which eliminates a lot of fat. Also, instead of using all the traditional garnishes like sour cream and cheese, garnish with spoon of yogurt and some scallions instead.

Veggie Chili

Makes 8 cups

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, diced

1 Chili, red or green, very finely chopped (do not omit this chili. If you don’t want your chili too spicy, reduce the chili powder)

2 cups Zucchini, chunks

1 cup Carrots, chunks

1 tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Bay Leaf

¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

3 tbsp Tomato Paste

625 ml Stock (vegetable or chicken stock)

½ cup Split Red Lentils

1 can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Corn Kernels

Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add oil, garlic, onions, and chili and cook until they start to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the zucchini and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaf and let cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and tomato paste. Then add the stock and the lentils, bring up to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and the corn. Season to taste. Great served over rice or pasta and garnished with a dollop of yogurt.