We Doan Need No Stinkin' Condiments!

Here is a burger to delight vegetarians and carnivores alike. This is not my recipe, let me be clear on that. This is my interpretation of a recipe from the Art Institute. It is (or was) served in the restaurant there. The restaurant is open to the public at a certain time of day. I don't know the current schedule but I'll find out and post it here. There are a lot of good menu items served there, and it helps the students when the public dines there.

I did not sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding recipes, so I'm hoping they won't mind if I post this on my blog. If they do mind, I guess I'll be hearing from the legal department, lol.

This burger is made using Portabello Mushrooms. Portabello, Portobello, Portabella...however you wanna spella', it's a damn good burger.

Portabello Burger

This one is very simple. You need: sauteed red onion, roasted red bell peppers, avocado, mozzarella cheese (muenster is good, too) and portabello mushrooms. That is it. That is all. Fin.

1. Clean the mushrooms (snap the step out of each if there is a stem to be snapped). Brush the mushrooms with olive oil, or spray them with your handy-dandy cooking oil spray. Grill them, broil them, or simply toss them in a skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes.
2.  Put them on paper towels, gill side down and let them drain while you prepare the other goodies.
3.  Roast a red pepper in the oven on broil.  (You can also buy these pre-roasted and stored in olive oil--Marzetti's is a good brand.) Let cool and peel off skin. Slice lengthwise into 1/4" pieces. 
4. Slice onion into 1/4" half slices. Saute in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter or olive oil until soft. It's cool if you get some browning on the onions, just don't overdo it.  
5. Lightly toast your buns, if you like toasted buns. If not, then don't do it. Cover and set aside. 
6. Flip mushrooms onto a pan, gill side up. Season with salt and pepper. Cover each mushroom with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Place in oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. 
7. While the cheese is melting, peel and slice your avocado. 
8. Build your burger: Mushroom with cheese on the bottom of bun, add a generous helping of sauteed red onion, then your roasted red bell pepper. Top with slices of avocado. 
9. Now chow down! You doan need no stinkin' condiments on this burger! 

You can find the complete ingredient list & recipe here: 

Portabella Mushroom Burger

Here's what it looks like before you close it up.

If you don't want "purdy" avocado slices, or if the avocado isn't cooperating with you; just scoop it out and mash it, then use it that way instead.

Damn Good Burger! I'll take 2, please?

 Look at it, so quiet and unassuming. It's just waiting to surprise you with the flavorful ingredients hiding inside.

Oh, one final note: I don't peel my mushrooms. Whatever for? You can if you want to. It's a personal preference. Also, this burger is good when made using whole wheat buns, but we couldn't find any in town.

Whole wheat or white, I absolutely recommend using buns with NO high-fructose corn syrup! Luckily, these particular buns don't carry HFCS disease. WOO-HOO!!

I think I covered all you need to know in order to make this burger. If anything isn't clear, feel free to write me for clarification. 

Happy Eating!! :)

It Was a Lovely Supper Indeed.....

.....with a version of Cobb Salad....or you can simply call it a Chef's Salad. Whatever you call it...make sure you call me when it's ready!! :)

This yummy salad was made with: Iceberg & Leaf Lettuce, baby Bok Choy, seedless cucumbers, red cabbage, baby tomatoes, and carrots for the base. Then it was topped with: pepper bacon, boiled eggs, real cheddar cheese and Black Forest Ham. Also added after the picture was taken: red onion, avocado, black olives and green olives--(the green olives were stuffed with jalapenos and garlic).

I made a quick dressing with: 2 garlic cloves, mayo, apple cider vinegar, milk, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, 2 cucumbers, salt, pepper, sugar, dill weed and a bit of green bell pepper. All whirled in the blender until well combined.

It was damn good...I don't know what you'd call it, maybe it was a bastardized version of Green Goddess-- (but I think G.G. has sour cream in it? Can't remember)--but whatever. It was good. Isn't that all that matters? If I can remember the measurements of everything I threw in there, I will surely share that, too. I might have to make it again and measure a little more carefully first, though, lol. :)

I would pay a good chunk of change for this salad in a restaurant, if I knew that this is the salad I'd be paying for. Hell yeah!

Happy Eating!!! :)

Shrimp Gumbo, Baby! OWOOOOOO!!!!!!

We enjoy making many different versions of gumbo in the kitchen and this is one of them:

Shrimp Gumbo #568!!

This wasn't my project but I can testify that it is a recipe that's fast and easy to prepare. We even had fresh okra for this version. Yum, yum and YUM!!

Salad Doesn't Have to be Borrrrriiiiiinnnng......

I have an opinion about bagged salads. Don't buy them. If you have any, throw them out--(but throw them in the compost pile, not the garbage).

Why?

Because they are overpriced and their nutritional content is questionable. Vegetables that have been cut lose their nutritional content much faster than whole vegetables.

Consider how long that bag you're thinking about buying has been banging around at the processing facility before it's even shipped. Then add shipping time and the time it takes to get it out on display after it reaches the grocery store.

Most of the time, the lettuce in the bagged salads has already started to rust before you even get it home and tear it open.

Yeah, don't waste your money. If you want "pre-made" salads so you can save time in the kitchen, you're better off preparing them yourself. Make enough for a whole week. Yes, you will lose nutritional content but not near as much as those crappy bagged salads. Plus--it's far more economical and you can create your own great vegetable combinations.

Check this one out:

This salad has: Iceberg & Leaf Lettuce, baby Bok Choy, red cabbage, carrots, seedless cucumbers, baby tomatoes, red onion and avocado (not pictured). 

Mmm, mmm, mmmmm!! So nice and fresh! Just ready to be dressed with your favorite dressing.

You can get away with lettuce, cabbage and carrots prepared ahead of time--then add the rest of the goodies when you're ready to serve it. 

Just please...do yourself and your family a favor and stay away from those nasty bagged things. 

The only time I ever make an exception with those is when I want to buy baby greens. Unless I want to drive 45 minutes to an hour, bagged baby greens or Mesclun salad are all that are available where I live.  If the bagged version is available at all. 

No separate radicchio or dandelion leaves can be found here in Tiny Town. (Well, okay--dandelion leaves can be found outside at certain times of the year, lol.)

More on salads later. Until then...Happy Eating!!! :)

I Dream of Chicken with the Light Brown Skin

Beautiful Golden Bird...supper was great on Saturday night...

Fresh from the Oven

The recipe for this incredibly moist chicken can be found at the link below:

 Beautiful Baked Chicken

 Use this recipe and your chicken will always turn out moist and beautiful. It's a good idea to truss your bird. This one had a wing which escaped from its moorings but it still turned out perfect. 

Ready for the Oven

Organic Chicken from Costco 

I feel a product review coming on! This bird was from Costco. These chickens have the neck and giblets enclosed. I remember a time when all chickens had that, but you don't see it much anymore. Mostly you just get the bird and they save the other stuff to sell separately in order to make more $$$.

I hope you have a Costco near you so you can try this chicken. Or maybe you can find it at another store. I've only seen them at Costco in our area.

At Costco, these chickens come in a 2-pack. I fabricated the other bird and put it in storage. Hmmm....we haven't had fried chicken since last month. So, the other bird may end up fried, though I did hear mutterings of Chicken Gumbo. Heh heh heh....we'll see!

Happy Eating! :)