Beef and Sausage Burger

I had some leftover ground italian sausage and I wanted to use it up. I decided to make a 50/50 blend of ground beef and the sausage into a burger patty. It was super flavorful! Make sure to cook it through since the pork in the italian sausage shouldn't be served medium rare.

If you buy 1 lb containers of each type of beef you should end up with 4-6 burgers depending how large you would like to make them.

I went with a Mexican inspired burger so I used avocado slices, a little bacon, and a lime sour crema (sour cream mixed with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt and pepper).

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I like 90/10 so it's not so fatty)
1 lb. ground italian sausage - mild or hot
1 tbs. ketchup
Salt and pepper
1 egg, whisked
1 tbs. bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix together gently until just combined. Use your hands or a wooden spoon. Make sure not to over mix or it will make the final product really tough.

2. Form the burgers into patties. The patties will shrink a little while cooking so make sure to make them larger than whatever bun you plan on using. You can freeze them at this point in foil and store for up to 1 month. Just thaw in the fridge for a few hours and continue to the next step.

3. Preheat a grill to high heat. Grill the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side until temperature of patty comes to 150-160 degrees.

4. Remove burgers to a plate and cover with foil and allow to rest. While burger is resting prep any toppings or condiments.

5. Assemble your burgers and toppings and enjoy!!

Cookies for Dogs and Humans

I was trying to find something I could make for my dog's birthday that we could eat too. These cookies aren't the most delicious for humans but my dog loved them and I felt good giving her a handmade treat for her birthday! Above are the cookies as well as my dog eating them!!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and eggs. This is easier if you use an electric mixer but you can do it by hand as well. Make sure everything is really well combined.

3. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time to mix and beat until just incorporated. Once a total of 2 1/2 cups has been added, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.

4. Sprinkle a large work surface with a little bit of flour. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut out whatever shapes you desire.

5. Place cut out cookies onto the baking sheet. Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned. Let cool completely.

6. You could add a little icing to the cookies for the humans but do not ice the cookies for the dogs!

Baked Meatballs

I came up with this recipe while trying to get rid of some meatballs in the freezer. It's a great way to heat them up slowly so they stay tender. I suggest getting fresh bread to eat the meatballs with because at the end you can sop up the rest of the marinara sauce in the dish!

Ingredients:
12 meatballs (about 4 per person)
1 jar marinara sauce (if you have time make your own sauce)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
fresh basil for garnish


Directions:

1. Find a pot large enough to hold all of the meatballs. Add the marinara sauce and turn the heat to medium low. Slowly heat up meatballs, stirring occasionally, until they are heated through and the sauce is warm.

2. Preheat an oven to broil. Find an oven proof pan and lightly butter the inside (this will prevent too much sticking and clean-up). Spoon a little sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Place meatballs in the pan so they are in a single, even layer. Pour a little sauce over the top of the meatballs.

3. Top the dish with all of the cheese, spread evenly along the top. Broil the dish until the cheese is bubbly and slightly brown, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then serve with some crusty bread!

Steak and Soba Noodle Stir Fry

My boyfriend Brian loves Asian food and I wanted to try out a stir fry since I know I can prep in advance and have it come together quickly. My favorite part of this dish was the stir fry sauce. Next time I plan to add a little kick to it with some spice so I've adjusted the recipe below. I have never had soba noodles before and found out they are basically Japanese spaghetti. Even after cooking for so long it's fun to be able to try out new foods!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. sliced almonds
8 ounces soba (Japanese-style noodles) or spaghettini
Kosher salt
1 tsp. plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces skirt or flank steak
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. grated peeled ginger
2 heads baby bok choy, quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagonal
3 tbsp. oyster sauce
3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. red chili flake

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool and set aside. (keep an eye on them because they can burn easily!)

2. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 2 minutes but look at the directions on the package. Drain; rinse to cool and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook until charred in spots, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain.

4. While steak rests, wipe out skillet and heat 3 tbsp. vegetable oil over medium heat. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add bok choy and carrot. Cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

5. Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, red chili flake, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Add to vegetables; bring to a simmer. Fold in noodles and sliced steak. To serve top with scallion greens and reserved almonds.

Butternut Squash Risotto

One of my goals for this year is to try more fruits and vegetables. One that I know will be good in winter is butternut squash. It was cold out so I decided to pair it with a nice risotto. Plus I felt healthy eating rice and veggies for dinner but still feeling full. For a little more protein I added some shredded chicken when I added the butternut squash at the end. 

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large) or you could use 1 minced onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the squash on a sheet pan covered in foil and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

4. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.

5. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

7. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

Light Scampi Pasta Sauce

I was getting bored of the usual alfredo and marinara sauces for pasta and found this lighter version of a scampi sauce. This normally goes with shrimp but I used chicken instead. It had a nice flavor but wasn't too heavy, great for a spring or summer dish when you want to eat lighter.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Parmesan cheese and chopped basil for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the shallots are soft, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the white wine. Allow liquid to reduce in pan until about 1 tbsp. is remaining. While liquid is reducing start cooking the spaghetti in boiling salted water.

3. Add the broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium. Add in the precooked chicken and allow to heat through, another minute or two.

4. Add the cooked pasta right to the sauce. Stir everything together to coat the pasta in sauce. Top with cheese and basil and serve!