The Ultimate Burger

This one really ROCKS! I had some ground beef left over from the chili so I figured hamburgers would be fun to make.

The inspiration came from Jamie Oliver (you’ll find a lot of my inspiration comes from Jamie – one of my life goals: meet and cook with Jamie Oliver).

I called in my youngest son and together we ground up some bread to make crumbs, chopped the onions (cried a little), pulled together the cumin, cardamon, cilantro, eggs, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Assembly was a blast. What little boy doesn’t love getting up to their elbows in messy beef mixture. Of course a thorough washing of the hands came shortly after. :)

As an added bonus, I got a hamburger press on boxing day. My little guy loved mashing the burger mixture into beef pucks (his words).

I fried the burgers on my cast-iron skillet. I absolutely love it. There’s something very back-to-basics about cast-iron.

I served the burgers on some weight watchers thin sandwich/burger buns (amazing what the kids hop over when you don’t make a fuss about it yourself), topped with cheddar cheese, a little mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish, dill pickle, red onion, and arugula.

Of course, the test came with the first bite, and what a bite it was. Juicy, and oh so tasty. The kids gave it emphatic thumbs up and told me I could open a restaurant on this one. They even said these burgers should replace our Friday pizza night. Now that’s a compliment!

The great thing is you can make these up ahead of time and freeze the patties. Simply Defrost them in the fridge the night before you plan to prepare them.

Once again, thanks for the great meals Jamie!
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The Ultimate Burger
From: Jamies Dinners by Jamie Oliver, 2004

• 2 1/4lb chuck steak, or good ground steak
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• Olive oil
• a pinch of cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon corander seeds
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon English Mustard (I used dijon and was very happy)
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 8 burger buns

If you’re using chuck steak to make your burgers, slice it up and pulse it in a food processor. Transfer the meat to a bowl. In a big frying pan cook the onion in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened but no colored. Add the onion to the meat – it will give sweetness to the burger. Using a pestle and mortar, bash up the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper until fine and add to the meat. Then add the Parmesan, mustard, egg and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. If the mixture is too sticky add a few more breadrumbs.

Fry your burgers in a little oil on a medium to high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the burgers and how you like them, turning occasionally. Serve them on toasted burger buns, with tomato, ketchup, and anything else you like to add.

Pasta Carbonara - two options from Jamie Oliver

Traditionally, around our house Monday night has been when we make excuses for cooking up something lazy and easy.  KD anyone?

We're often under a time crunch and preparing a decent meal poses a challenge.  Also, after a long day back at the office, we all crave something that resembles a Sunday night dinner.

One solution to our Monday night dilemma is a carbonara pasta dish.  So far we've tried two variants, both from Jamie Oliver and both are a huge (and we mean HUGE) hit with our kids - it also makes for a great thermos lunch at school the next day.

Both boys love grating the Parmesan cheese and our 9 year old helped with separating the eggs.  Don't know where he learned to do it, but he was a pro!  Perhaps he's been watching Nigella Lawson on the food channel again.  :)


Anyone attempting these dishes should note that while they are dead easy to prepare, there are timing details which have to be followed closely. Be sure to read through the recipe ahead of time.

Prep time: both dishes will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to prepare.

NOTE: We've included two recipes here, so be sure to read down to see both of them.  Both are amazing, but the second is the one we prefer.
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Farfalle with carbonara and spring peas
From: Jamie’s Dinners by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 1 egg
• 7 tablespoons heavy cream
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 slices of pancetta or bacon, roughly sliced
• 3 handfuls of fresh shelled or frozen peas
• 2 sprigs of frech mint, leaves picked
• 2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

First of all, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the fafalle, and cook according to the package instructions.  Whicsk the egg in a bowl with the cream, salt and pepper.  Put your pancetta or bacon into a second pan and cook until crispy and golden.

When the fafalle is nearly cooked, add the peas for the last minute and a half.  This way they will burst in your mouth and be lovely and sweet.  When cooked, drain in a colander, saving a little of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the pancetta and stir in most of the mint, finely sliced – if the pan isn’t big enough, mix it all together in a large warmed bowl.

Now you need to add the egg and cream mix to the pasta.  What’s important here is that you add it while the pasta is still hot.  this way, the residual heat of the pasta will cook the eggs, but not so that they resemble scrambled eggs.  The pasta will actually cook the egg enough to give you a silky smooth sauce.  Toss together and loosen with a little of the rserved cooking water if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the Parmesan and the rest of the mint leaves, and serve as soon as possible.
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Beautiful zuchini and Carbonara
From: Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

This one is our family's favourite!

Ingredients

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium green and yellow zucchini
• 1 pound penne
• 4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces
• A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)
• Optional: a few zucchini flowers

Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.


Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.


To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.


Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.


It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)


Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you've managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.

Rooibos - What is it?

I LOVE TEA!  There you have it.  My husband often wonders why I am so tea-obsessed but there are so many different types of tea, so many new flavours and combinations of tea to try, so many benefits.  It is my view that a good cup of tea could solve all the world's problems.  There is something about holding a warm mug in your hands that makes everything difficult or challenging seem less so. 

I was recently asked by a fellow blogger "What is Rooibos?"  This is an excellent question.  Rooibos pronounced "roy-bos" is a caffiene-free herbal tea that has become one of the hottest trends in the tea industry.  Rooibos tea is also referred to as Bush Tea, Red Tea, Redbush Tea or Mountain tea.

I first discovered Rooibos while reading the New York Times Bestseller, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  In this series, the main character, Precious Ramotswe frequently entertains clients and guests with a cup of "Bush Tea".  I located Rooibos at a local tea shop and began enjoying the tea while I read the McCall Smith books.  I felt like I was sharing a cup with Percious Ramotswe!  This soon became a ritual for me and before picking up any of the next books in the series, I had to ensure I had adequate quantities of Rooibos on hand.

The story of Rooibos began centuries ago in the Cederberg region of South Africa.  A small tribe of South African Bushmen, the Khoisans, were knowledgeable about the uses of different plants and found the needle-like leaves of the Rooibos plant made a delicious tea.  They began harvesting the plant, with primitive tools, bruised and fermented the leaves.  The tea was then left to dry in the African sun, where it changed from a vivid green to a deep mahogany red, the unique color that Rooibos is known for.  Today Rooibos is processed in much the same way although modern sanitation and mechanization has been incorporated.   

Knowledge of this herb nearly vanished from the planet as the isolated South African Bushmen tribe dwindled away and eventually disappeared.  Rooibos was re-discovered in 1772 by botanist Carl Humberg, who reintroduced the drink and for over a century was enjoyed by South Africans as a daily beverage.  In 1904, Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian immigrant and pioneer in the area, became interested in Rooibos and realizing its marketing potential, and began offering Rooibos tea globally.

Rooibos is know to have many benefits.  For example, studies show that Rooibos contains many flavinoids, free-radical fighting antioxidants and these may be up to 50 times more effective than those found in Green tea.  It is said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties and is known to be an excellent drink for people of all ages including children and pregnant mothers.  I included a short video at the bottom of the blog that I discovered on You Tube highlighting the health benefits of Rooibos.

I am a big fan of Rooibos for many, many reasons.  Besides the fact that it is good for you, Rooibos also tastes great.  It has a smooth, slightly sweet, slightly nutty taste and a deep rich red colour.  It is a very satisfying,  full-bodied tea especially for one that is caffeine free.  It is also extremely forgiving and unlike Green tea which is easily ruined if over-steeped, Rooibos can steep for hours and the taste will remain the same.  This factor alone makes it a great choice for busy parents who often forget about the tea that they just made.  I drink mine plain although I have heard it is also great with lemon and / or honey.  Some people take it with milk, and it also makes a great iced tea.

By the way, if you have had a few too many glasses of wine, beer or other spirits and are dreading the next morning, have 1-2 cups of Rooibos before you hit the hay and you won't feel the effects of the wine - a proactive hangover remedy!

Send your tea questions to halfpintcooks@bell.net and I would be happy to share some tea thoughts with you!

Chili Con Carne - A Nigella Lawson Classic

Before heading out skiing today, took a few minutes to throw together a huge pot of Chilli which we left simmering on a very low heat through the afternoon.  Our older son helped out with the chopping of the onions and the peppers (he loves working with our really good and sharp knives - needless to say, we're teaching him how to tuck in his fingers).

After playing outside in -19 degree weather (with windchill), coming home to to the smells of the  Chilli through the house was absolutely AWESOME!

This particular recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's book Feast.  Every time we serve it, everyone raves on.  We normally don't bother with the cornbread topping.  Instead we like to throw on some grated cheddar, serve it with a salad and some nice crusty bread.  Also, recommend switching up one of the cans of red kidney beans for white kidney beans.  Makes for a nice variety of colour and texture.

Enjoy!
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Ingredients

Chili:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried or crushed chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 5 cardamom pods, bruised
• 2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 3 pounds 4 ounces ground beef
• 7 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans

Cornbread:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups cornmeal
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated Cheddar
• Guacamole, recipe follows

Serving suggestion:

• 2 cups sour cream
• Ground paprika, for dusting
• 3 3/4 cups grated Cheddar
• Special equipment: Very large pan

Directions

Heat the oil in a very large pan and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.

Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree, and water stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.

Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.

Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili con carne, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling. How long this takes depends on the how cold or hot the chili was when it went into the oven. Since it's such a huge vat, you may find it easiest to reheat it on the stove in its pan first.

Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath.

• Guacamole

4 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and chopped

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Mash the avocados with the scallions and add the juice of up to 2 limes, to taste. Stir in most of the cilantro and turn into 2 bowls, sprinkling each with the remaining cilantro.

Divide the sour cream into another 2 bowls, and dust with a little paprika and, into another pair of bowls add the grated Cheddar so that people can take clumps and add the tangy cheese to their plates of guacamole and sour cream splodged chili.

Quinoa Pumpkin Pancakes

We've recently turned this recipe into our Sunday morning breakfast tradition.  The kids love them, the quinoa flour packs a healthy punch and the pumpkin makes for a great winter morning treat.

The kids love helping with the mixing and the cooking of the pancakes.

We should add that we ran out of buttermilk ourselves this morning.  The lemon and milk workaround works great and does not impact the taste whatsoever.

If you're looking for a really good brand of Quinoa flour, try "Gogo Quinoa".  So far we've found it provides the best taste.

Just add coffee for mom and dad and enjoy!

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Sweet pumpkin and delicate autumn spices make this recipe enjoyable any day of the year or a special treat for any occasion.  

Makes about 17 pancakes.

From: Quinoa 365, the everyday superfood by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) Quinoa flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) packed brown sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground allspice
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground ginger
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1 3/4 cups (435 ml) buttermilk or sour milk
1 cup (250 ml) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
Maple Syrup
1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted pecans
Whipped cream (Optional)

1. Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl.  Mix well.
2.  Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, eggs and oil in a medium bowl.  Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
3. Grease a large non-stick frying pan or spray with cooking oil and place on medium heat.  When hot, pour 1/4-cup (60 ml) portions of batter into the pan.  Pancakes will be ready to flip when you begin to observe bubbles and the underside is brown.   Flip and cook the pancake for another 20 to 25 seconds, until the center springs back when pressed.  If the pancakes buckle when sliding the spatula under them, lightly oil the pan again for the next pancakes.  Serve with maple syrup, pecans and whipped cream (if using).
4. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use sour milk.  Mae it by adding 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup (250 ml) milk.