Salt-crusted Burgers with Lentil Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers

 

I'm back again.  I can't believe that I've gotten 2 posts completed in 2 weeks!  I'm so proud of myself.  And I'm totally loving getting back into sharing my kitchen with you guys again.
  

I've been doing a little experimenting in the past few months with lentils.  They're something I'm trying to use more of in my meals.  Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse with all sorts of fiber and protein in a calorie-light package. But I honestly had no idea how to use them before I saw this recipe.  I always thought of them as something you should eat, but not actually want to eat.  The more I research I've done, the more I'm finding out that I do actually want to eat them!  I'm looking forward to sharing more of my discoveries in future posts.

Lentils also make a great replacement for the carbs I feel like I'm not "allowed" to eat.  As I started eating less and less "white carbs" like bread and potatoes, I really missed the things that often go along with them, like hamburger buns and hamburgers.  I love love love a really good hamburger, but it seems weird to me to just eat a piece of cooked ground beef on a plate.  So when I came across this recipe, I realized that I had found exactly what I was looking for--I didn't even miss the bun.  Plus, it's super easy, and that is always good.  It's become a staple in my kitchen when I don't feel like cooking a big meal, but don't want to go out, either.  This burger, combined with the lentil hummus and roasted red peppers makes for a great balance of sweet and salty and a little garlicky.  You could even serve this with a nice salad if you would like to get a little more veggies into your day.

A few notes about this recipe:

-It actually calls for canned lentils, but I couldn't find that, so I just used dried lentils.  You'll want to cook them until very tender, it makes blending them much easier.

- If you're not familiar with tahini, it's a paste made out of sesame seeds.  It's also the other staple ingredient in traditional chickpea-based hummus.  You can find it in most grocery stores, but sometimes it's by the peanut butter and sometimes in the ethnic food section.  Here is one brand that I've been able to find easily.

- To prevent the burgers from cooking too fast on the outside and staying raw on the inside, let them sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking them.

- What is really special about these burgers is the crust that forms on the bed of salt at the bottom of the pan.  The salt keeps the burgers slightly off the pan and lets the juices dissolve the salt.  It then forms a crunchy layer on the outside of the burger.  To make sure this happens, try to evenly distribute the salt in an area the same size as the burgers in the pan and place the formed burgers right on top of the salt.

- This recipe makes 2 8oz burgers.  Feel free to make 4 4oz burgers or however you want to do it.

- That also goes for making the hummus, if you want more garlic, add more garlic, or tahini, or lemon juice or whatever. When I make this, I just use the big spoons in my silver wear drawer and take 2 big scoops of tahini out of the jar.  I'm not much for exact measuring unless I'm baking, so don't stress too much.
- I haven't tried it, but I'm sure you could use ground turkey or chicken, but you may need to add a little fat to the pan to keep it from sticking.

Salt-crusted Burgers with Lentil Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers
adapted from: Jules at the Stone Soup
Printable Version

Ingredients:
1lb Ground Beef
½ cup Dried Lentils, rinsed
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
4 Tbsp Tahini
1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers (10Oz)

Directions:
1. Put drained lentils into a saucepan, cover with about 2" of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat down to medium/med high and simmer for 20 minutes or until very tender. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on a very high heat. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon of salt over the base of the pan, concentrating the salt under where you will place your burgers.

 

3.  Shape the beef into 2 burger patties (the thinner they are, the faster they will cook).   Cook burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side.  This will cook them to medium rare, leave on for longer if you want them a little less pink in the middle.

4.  While the burgers are cooking, blend lentils, lemon juice, garlic and tahini in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste. Season.

5. When the burgers are cooked, remove from the pan to let rest and add the drained peppers. Cook peppers for a minute or until just heated through.

6. Serve burgers on a scoop of hummus and top with peppers.  Enjoy!

My new favorite roast beef

WOW.  It has been a while since I have blogged. I really cannot believe it has been since February.  I'm kind of embarrassed I am about neglecting this place.  I really used to enjoy it, and then for some reason I stopped. I can't for sure say why.  I think it had a lot to do with me changing my whole way of eating in January.  I went on a diet.  Not the new-year's-resolution kind of diet, actually not a diet at all, but a "lifestyle change" as the experts like to say.  It kind of depressed me to not be able to eat the "good" stuff.  Like bread and potatoes and pasta and fruit and sugar. And Butterbretzels (my friends in Germany know the goodness of these big soft pretzels that have the fat end slit lengthwise and filled with butter).  But after all was said and done, I lost 20 pounds in 3 months and that made it all worthwhile.  I fell off the wagon for a little while, but I'm back on it.  Back to eating the way my doctor recommended (and hopefully dropping the last 15 pounds).  And now with a little experience under my belt in cooking that way, I'm excited to start up my blog again with a renewed enthusiasm in sharing my new way of cooking--but don't worry, I'll still be sharing the occasional sugar-loaded treats.

This recipe for roast beef is one that I've had for a several years, and it has been a success every time. I've made it several times before and it's only recently occurred to me to share it with all of you!  This is great for Christmas or New Years or any time you feel the need to celebrate with a big, delicious meal.  Now, all that being said, it is also great for the holiday times/entertaining because it is easy and doesn't require you to stand around at the stove for the entire time your guests are there.  Just a short saute of the mushroom after the beef comes out of the oven, and you are ready to chow down.

A few notes on this recipe:
- The most important thing in this recipe is to use a meat thermometer. I can't stress that one enough.  A thermometer can make you look like an absolute genius in the kitchen.  For me, I have no idea when something like a roast (or any cut of meat, really) is done unless I have a thermometer.
- Horseradish.  It is AWESOME! Even better when you can get in fresh and grate it yourself.  If you don't know what it looks like, it's a root that is long and narrow.  You absolutely have to peel it before you use it. The one I used in the picture above was about 9" long and maybe 1" in diameter.  If you can't find fresh horseradish, used the prepared stuff.  But NOT the creamy sauce stuff that is used on sandwiches.  That won't have nearly enough flavor. The prepared stuff will be in the refrigerated section.
- The horseradish/garlic/salt/pepper crust that goes on top of the beef will look like it has burnt to a crisp in the oven, well before your beef is done.  Don't panic.  That's just how it looks, trust your thermometer.  Once the beef is done, serve a little of the crust with each slice of meat, it is wonderful.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 c of salt in the crust. I found that to be too much, I recommend using only 1/3c.
- I've listed some vegetables to roast up with the meat.  Use these as a guideline, add more if you have room in your pan.  I don't have a great roasting pan at the moment, so I only used what would actually fit in the pan.  They turn out wonderfully, and every time I make this, I wish I had more veggies.
- Let the meat rest.  I can't stress this enough.  The meat won't get cold while it sits out.  Just tent some foil over the top.  Resting it allows all the yummy juices to go back into the meat.  If you serve it straight out of the oven, when you carve it up, all the juices will end up on the cutting board, and not in the meat where it should be, making the meat taste dry.  The internal temperature will also continue to rise as you let it rest.  
- A nice green salad would also be great with this.

Enjoy...and if you decide to make this, let me know how it turns out!

Horseradish and Garlic Prime Rib with Roasted Vegetables and Sauteed Mushrooms

Prime Rib:
1 (3-rib) Prime Rib Beef Roast, about 6 pounds
5 Garlic Cloves, smashed, plus 2 heads garlic, halved
1/2 cup Grated Fresh Or Prepared Horseradish
1/3-1/2 cup Sea Salt
1/4 cup Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Parsnips
1 Red Onion, halved

Wild Mushrooms:
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds Assorted Mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake, chanterelle, or white, trimmed and sliced
Leaves From 2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup Reserved Beef Broth (Drippings From Roast) Or Low-Sodium Canned Broth

1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Chives 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) 

In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. 

  

Scatter the vegetables and halved garlic around the meat and drizzle them with a 2-count of oil.

 

Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef for about 1 ½ to 2 hours for medium-rare (or approximately 20 minutes per pound). Check the internal temperature of the roast in several places with an instant-read thermometer; it should register 125℉. for medium-rare. 

Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise by about 10 degrees. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator or small bowl and set aside to allow the fat and beef juices to separate. Pour off and discard the fat. You will use the tasty beef juices for the mushrooms.

Wild Mushrooms:
Place a clean skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and a 2-count drizzle of oil. When the butter starts to foam. add the mushrooms and thyme; and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together for a few minutes. Add the red wine, stirring to scrape up any stuck bits; then cook and stir to evaporate the alcohol. When the wine is almost all gone, add the reserved beef juices (or beef stock). Let the liquid cook down and then take it off the heat. Stir in the cream and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

Maultaschen...for the August Daring Cooks' Challenge

The August 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen.  They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

Since I am a recent transplant to Germany, I decided to opt for the local specialty part of the challenge.  The region I'm currently living in is near Stuttgart, in the southwestern state of Baden-Württenberg.  There is are several dishes that are unique to southern Germany, one of which is maultashen, also known as Swabian meat pouches.

Legend has it that maultaschen were invented by the monks at the Maulbronn Monastary (about an hour from our house) to hide the fact they were eating meat during lent, which was forbidden.  They believed they were hiding the meat in little pasta packets, similar to ravioli, and God wasn't able to see them eating it.  Which I just find hilarious on many different levels.


Maultaschen can be served in several different ways.  I've had them served in a tomato sauce with cheese melted over top, again reminiscent of ravioli.  I've also had them sliced and scrambled into eggs (geröstet) or sauteed in butter and topped with caramelized onions (geschmälzt).  But, my favorite preparation is in der Brühe, or in broth, which is how I decided to approach this challenge.

Since this is a regional dish, there are about as many recipes for the filling as there are grandmothers who make it, so I ended up combining all sorts of recipes down into one.  But the basic ingredients are hand-made pasta dough with a filling of ground meat, spinach and onions.

Now for some recipe notes...

• First and foremost, don't let the fact that I hand-made the pasta fool you...I'm NOT good at making pasta pouches of any sort.  In fact, this is the 2nd time I've ever made them.  The first time is now referred to as "The Ravioli Incident" and much of the pasta ended up on the walls (because I was so angry I threw them).  You can easily substitute wonton wrappers and save yourself some time.  How to make ravioli will be a future blog, once I get a better handle on making them.
• If you do decide to make the pasta, lay all the finished maultaschen in one layer on floured waxed paper if you aren't going to cook them right away.  I didn't do that on my first ravioli attempt and it all ended up sticking together in a clump of pasta and filling and me getting mad, resulting in the aformentioned "Ravioli Incident".
• The recipe I came up with didn't work entirely, so I changed up a few things to come up with the recipe I now have below. I had way too much bread and spinach and didn't cook the onions well enough before adding it all together, so I'm going to call that one a lesson learned, which is the whole point of me doing this blog and this challenge, so I guess I can put that in the win column.
• Feel free to use whichever meats you want...I used equal amounts of ground veal, beef and pork, but I think it would work with ground turkey if you want to lighten things up, or all beef if that's just easier.

OK...now the recipe...

Maultaschen
Click here for printable version

Pasta

3 eggs
pinch of salt
1/3 c water
360-400g wheat flour

Mix eggs with salt and water. Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Break the eggs into it and blend all the ingredients together. Take out of the bowl and then knead the dough on a board until air pockets can be seen when the dough is cut. You can knead by hand or with a mixer.

Depending on the flour, if the dough is too thick add a little water or an egg white, add more flour if too sticky. The dough shouldn't be too soft. Form a ball and place on a board. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest. Now you can prepare the filling.

 Meat filling
5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 strips of bacon, diced
20g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 stale rolls (or the equivalent of stale bread), crusts removed
5-6 oz ham or cold meat, diced
8 oz ground meat (pork, beef, or veal or any combination)
2 eggs
a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg

Cook the bacon in butter for a couple of minutes (I know this just seems wrong and delicious at the same time, but that small amount of bacon does not provide enough fat to saute the onions).  Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent and soft. Soak the stale rolls in water until soft. Squeeze out the excess water and chop the rolls into pieces.
In a large bowl mix the above prepared ingredients with the spinach, ham and ground meat. Add the eggs and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Assembling

Beef broth (about 64 oz or enough to cover the filled pasta when in the pan)
1 onion, diced
1 onion, sliced
butter or olive oil


On a floured surface, roll out the noodle dough into rectangular sheets (about twice as wide as you want your Maultaschen to be). Use a tablespoon of filling at equally spaced 3 inch intervals all down the middle of one side of the sheet of dough. Fold the plain half of the sheet of dough over to cover the filling and press firmly on the spaces around the pockets of filling. Use a pastry wheel or cookie cutter to cut into 3 inch squares.

Put beef broth and diced onion into a pot and bring to the boil.   Add as many maultaschen to the pot as you can without them sticking together, let simmer (not boil) for 10-15 minutes depending on the size.

Saute the onion slices in butter until brown.  Serve by placing 2-4 maultaschen in a bowl, pour both over and garnish with sauteed onions.  Serve with a nice green salad.

If there are any left over, they can be used the following day. Cut them into one inch slices, fry in oil or butter, add slightly beaten eggs and milk to the pan and cook through.

Herb-coated Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta

This recipe is the recipe where I learned how invaluable a meat thermometer is in the kitchen. It can make you look like a meat-roasting genius!  Especially with pork.  I know many people who are afraid of under-cooking pork for fear of trichinosis, and then cook the crap out of the pork chop/loin/whatever until it is the consistency of shoe leather and equally as tasty.  Cooking the meat that long is unnecessary.  You can kill all the uglies that could be in pork (which, by the way, have been reduced drastically with current farming practices) at 160F.  So, cooking to a temp of 155F and letting it rest for 10 minutes will increase the internal temp to the required 160, and you're good to go.  It will still be pink inside, but that doesn't mean that it's unsafe to eat, it will just be much more juicy and tender.

So talking about thermometers, the one that I've found to be the most useful is a probe thermometer that can be left in the oven and the temperature can be read on a display that can stay outside.  That way, you can keep an eye on the temperature much more easily. You also don't have to stick your head in the oven every 10 minutes to check on it (like I used to do with the one I had previously that was just a dial on a probe).  But please note, that probe stays HOT.  Just because you take the meat out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes, doesn't mean the probe cools off.  And I'm speaking from experience, I can't tell you how often I've burned my fingertips trying to take it out of the meat.  You've been warned ;).

Another few notes...I've tried the pork on the grill, and it turns out wonderfully, in fact, I think it's even better grilled, just be sure to keep an eye on the temperature so it doesn't over-cook.  Adding a handful or 2 of grated Parmesan cheese to the polenta works well, too.

Herb-coated Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta
From Cooking Light magazine

Pork
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1-lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray

Polenta
1/2 c finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c dry white wine (or vermouth)
4 c water, divided
1 c dry polenta (or yellow corn meal)
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare pork, combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip top bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days (longer marinating time=more herb flavor).
2. Preheat oven to 400 F
3. Remove pork from bag.  Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155F.  Remove from oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
4. To prepare polenta, heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion and 2 garlic cloves, saute 2 minutes.  Add wine, cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.  Add 2 cups water, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick an creamy, stirring frequently and gradually adding remaining 2 cups water.  Stir in butter, salt and pepper, add more to taste.  Serve with pork.

Grandma's Stew

So, this is my very first post as ShutterCook....the photographer and cook that I want to be. I thought the best way to start out this blog is with a dish that is an family favorite. My Grandma's Beef Stew is a comfort food that always makes me think of home. It's what my mom made every time it was cold out and we were expecting company. She would make it whenever I would come home from college or living somewhere far away. Even though I'm living in Germany now, it's one way for me to feel close to with my family, even when they are an ocean away.

Now, as with many grandmas' recipes, this one is not so much about measuring as what's in it. I asked my grandma to help me make it one day, so I could get it right. I walked away with a full belly of warm stew, and a recipe with very little details, and a lot of "add about enough so it looks right". I've sort of adapted it to the way I like it, and it's a little different every time. I tried to keep track of what amounts I was adding as I made this, so now I'll actually have the recipe!


Grandma's Beef Stew

Olive oil
1 Small Chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used about 2lbs of meat)
1 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
1-2 T Garlic Powder (or more or less to your taste)
2-3 Onions (red, white, whatever you have), cut into 1" pieces
14 oz can of tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (although I've used those packaged baby carrots, and those work pretty well too)
4-5 Cloves
1/4 head of cabbage, cut into 1" chunks
3 good-sized potatoes cut into 1" chunks

Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot over med-high heat and add a glug or so of olive oil. Once it's good and hot, add the meat and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown on all sides.

Once the meat is good and browned on all sides, add the onions and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the tomatoes with the juice from the can, cloves, carrots and cabbage. Add enough water to cover the contents of the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for at least 3 hours, adding the potatoes during the last hour of cooking so they don't get too soggy.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste. This stew is even better reheated the next day, so make it early and let it get yummier. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy with those you love!

Click here for a printable recipe