Santa Fe Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 63.

Serves 4.

Burgers

1 large poblano chile

2 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

12 blue or yellow corn tortilla chips

Queso Sauce

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the chile on a rimmed baking sheet, rub with 1 Tbs. of the oil, and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven until the skin on the chile is blackened, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chile from the oven, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the chile steam for 15 minutes. Peel, stem, and seed the chile, and then coarsely chop it.

To make the queso sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, increase the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz. each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper. Cook the burgers, using the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. oil. (Click HERE for Bobby's cooking times for beef burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each with a few tablespoons of queso sauce, chips, and some of the poblano. Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes

- We're trying to be a little healthier, so we used 1 lb. of 85/15 ground beef. The burgers were a little smaller and not quite as juicy, but with the queso sauce it wasn't a big deal.

- As with all of his burgers, we make the patties a bit thinner so they fit the buns we buy.

- We also use less oil because we cook in a nonstick skillet.

- We decided it would probably be a good idea to turn the chile halfway through the roasting time.

- The queso sauce is very mild but tastes great. Next time we might try mixing in some pepper jack cheese. The sauce is also great as a chip dip and would probably be good as fondue, too. (*Second time around: I like the queso sauce just the way it is, but a small amount of pepper jack would probably be good if you want more spice.)

French Dip

Adapted from Taste of Home (April/May 1996), page 29.

Prep: 5 min. / Cook: 6 hours
Serves 6

1 top round steak (2 lbs)

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup water

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 bay leaf

4-5 whole peppercorns

6 French rolls, split; toasted, if desired

Place steak in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce, beef broth, and seasonings. Cover and cook on high 4 hours, then switch to low for 2 more hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth; shred with forks (or slice if you can--mine fell apart) and keep warm. Strain broth; skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls.

Notes:

- Once I opened the crock pot, a lot of the liquid quickly evaporated. We only had enough of the broth for probably 3 sandwiches. I have a dry packet of au jus that we'll use for leftovers, but I think next time I'll mix it and the additional water it calls for into the broth after I remove the meat.

- We toasted our rolls with slices of pepper jack cheese.  Provolone would also be delicious, as I'm sure would be Swiss, Monterey Jack, or others.

California Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes, page 34.

Makes 4 burgers.

Avocado Relish:

2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chile, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

1 small bunch of watercress

4 slices ripe beefsteak tomato

To make the avocado relish, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz. each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the oil and topping each one with a slice of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each one with a few sprigs of watercress, a slice of tomato, and a dollop of the avocado relish. Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I use less oil because I cook in a nonstick pan.

- I also make thinner burgers because I buy big buns and I like the burger to be in every bite.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

Adapted from AllRecipes.com, submitted by Doug Matthews.
Serves 8 (each serving is 1 1/2 cups).

Prep time: 30 minutes (less if the meat is already cooked).

Cook time: 30-40 minutes.

Only 210 calories per serving! (Though it depends on the brands, etc. that you use.)  Goes great with corn muffins!

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 Tbs. fresh, chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Puree or blend half the can of tomatoes.

In a large pot over medium heat, combine turkey, broth, canned tomatoes, green chiles, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Season with cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Stir in avocado, black beans, and cilantro and simmer 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Spoon into serving bowls and top with shredded cheese.

Notes:

- I used 2 cups shredded chicken instead of turkey because that's what I had.

- I put the garlic through a garlic press instead of just crushing it.

- Before adding everything to the pot, I sauteed the garlic and onions in some water until they were a little soft.

- The soup wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but it tasted good. It left me with a hint of heat after I finished the bowl. I might consider adding a little bit more next time.  My mom added 1 diced jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed.

Nacho Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes cookbook, page 53.

Prep: Lots--the pickled jalapenos need to pickle for at least 24 hours

Makes 4 burgers

Tomato-Chipotle Salsa:

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 Tbs. canola oil

2 tsp. pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

2 Tbs. finely diced red onion

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Kosher salt

Avocado Relish:

2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chile, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup finel chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

8 slices Monterey Jack cheese, each 1/4" thick

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Avocado Relish

4 Pickled Jalapenos, thinly sliced

1/2 cup coarsely crumbled blue corn tortilla chips

To make the salsa, stir together the vinegar, oil, and chipotle puree in a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and mix to combine; season with salt. The salsa can be made 4 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

To make the avocado relish, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature.

3. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the canola oil and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms. Top each burger with some of the avocado relish, some tomato-chipotle salsa, and then pickled jalapenos and blue corn chips. Cover with the burger tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I halved the pickled jalapeno recipe (the original is in another post), and I still have most of them in my fridge. He's got a couple other burgers in the book that call for them, but perhaps it would be wise to quarter it next time.  I've also used store-bought pickled jalapeños instead of homemade ones, and that was just fine.  Check in the Latino section of your store.

- I realized late at night while I was pickling the jalapenos that I didn't have cumin seeds or white wine vinegar. I discovered that caraway seeds can substitute cumin seeds at half quantity (so the recipe above would use 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds instead of 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds). My white wine vinegar substitute likely wasn't what it should have been, but I used what I had . . . which would translate to 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.

- We used one slice of cheese on each burger--I imagine two would have been heavenly, but I really couldn't bring myself to put 1/2" of cheese on each burger!!

- We don't have a basting cover, so I just used the lid of the saute pan I was cooking the burgers in.

- We only used 1 pickled jalapeno for the four burgers instead of one each. Then again, we all know Bobby likes things to have quite a bit of kick. ;)

Pickled Jalapenos

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes, page 114.

Makes 15 jalapenos. Allow to pickle in the fridge for at least 24 hours before using.

Pickled Jalapenos:

15 jalapeno chiles

2 cups red wine vinegar

2 cups white wine vinegar

2 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1. Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil. Add the jalapenos to the water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and let cool slightly. Using a small paring knife, make a small slit in the center of each jalapeno and place in a small nonreactive bowl that has a tight-fitting lid.

2. Combine the red and white wine vinegars, the salt, sugar, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Pour the mixture over the jalapenos, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 1 week, stirring the mixture at least once during this time. Drain before serving, discarding the liquid and aromatics.

Notes:

- I halved the recipe, and I still have most of them in my fridge. He's got a couple other burgers in the book that call for them, but perhaps it would be wise to quarter it next time.

- I realized late at night while I was pickling the jalapenos that I didn't have cumin seeds or white wine vinegar. I discovered that caraway seeds can substitute cumin seeds at half quantity (so the recipe above would use 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds instead of 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds). My white wine vinegar substitute likely wasn't what it should have been, but I used what I had . . . which would translate to 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.

Orange Julius

Serves 4

1/4 cup sugar

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

10-15 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until ice cubes are crushed and drink reaches desired consistency.

Notes:

- I tend to like my orange julius thicker, so after the initial ice cubes are blended up, I add a few at a time until it's thick enough.

Louisiana Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes cookbook (page 48).

Prep: 20 minutes + refrigeration (1-8 hours)

Cook: 10-15 minutes

Spicy Remoulade

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. whole-grain mustard

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

5 cornichons (sour Gherkins pickles), diced

1 green onion, white and pale green parts, finely chopped

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Louisiana Spice Rub

1 Tbs. sweet Spanish paprika

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

To make the remoulade, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon and whole-grain mustards, hot sauce, pickles, green onion, and parsley in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

To make the spice rub for the burgers, stir together the paprika, black pepper, salt, thyme, garlic and onion powders, and cayenne in a small bowl.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep impression in the center with your thumb. Season one side of each patty with the spice mixture, making sure to rub the spices into the meat.

Heat the oil in a saute pan or griddle, preferably cast iron, over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers, spice side down, until they are slightly charred and the spices have formed a crust, about 1 1/2 minutes (be careful not to burn the spices). Turn the burgers over, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, about 4 minutes for medium rare or until cooked to the desired degree of doneness. Remove the burgers to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Add the onion to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened, about 2 minutes per side.

Put the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with the onion and some remoulade sauce. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes

- I couldn't find "whole grain" mustard, so I used Inglehoffer Stone Ground mustard, which was basically whole grain.

- I didn't read the description well enough when I went shopping, so I bought sweet Gherkins. It still tasted great, but I imagine the sours would be even better!

- I couldn't find sweet Spanish paprika, so I used smoked paprika.

- I think we formed our burgers into 1/2"-thick patties.

- To season the burgers, I poured some of the spice mixture onto a plate and set each patty in it to season one side. (I admit I sprinkled the leftovers from the plate on the other side of each patty--no reason to waste the spice mixture.) I stored the rest of the spice mixture (the part I didn't pour on a plate) in an air-tight container to use another time. We think it would be good on chicken, steaks, and other yummy things.

- Bobby Flay also says you can "bronze" these burgers instead of blackening them. We did something probably halfway between.

- We used less onion on our burgers, simply because we didn't want to smell so bad afterwards. But I imagine using the full onion amount would be delicious.

Bobby Flay's Beef Hamburger Cooking Times

The USDA recommends cooking until an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (I read in Alton Brown's Good Eats cookbook that it's best to take steak readings horizontally through the side instead of down from the top--I assume this applies to burgers, too.)

Rare: approximately 6 minutes total cooking time

Medium-rare: approximately 7 minutes total cooking time

Medium: approximately 8 minutes total cooking time

Medium-well: approximately 9 minutes total cooking time

Well: approximately 10 minutes total cooking time

Well done: approximately 11 minutes total cooking time