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

Gingerbread Biscotti

From AllRecipes.com, submitted by Cristina Gomez.

Prep: 25 minutes, Cook: 40 minutes
Yields: 48 servings

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 1/2 Tbs. ground ginger

3/4 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1/2 Tbs. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; mix into egg mixture to form a stiff dough.

Divide dough in half and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie. Place rolls on cookie sheet and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet and bake an additional 5-7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy.

Notes:

- I tend to cut my biscotti in half because they always come out really long.

- Dipping or drizzling the biscotti with melted white chocolate adds a really nice touch.

- The dough is REALLY sticky, so it helps to use floured hands and a floured surface to shape it. (I use part flour, part powdered sugar.)

Layered Peppermint Bark

From AllRecipes.com, submitted by Carol.

Prep: 30 minutes, Ready in: 1 1/2 hours
Makes: 32 servings

20 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided

30 peppermint candies, crushed, divided

10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 Tbs. heavy cream

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Line a 9x12" baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Melt half of the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a spatula to avoid scorching. Spread the white chocolate into the prepared pan Sprinkle 1/2 of the crushed peppermints evenly over the white chocolate. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate, heavy cream, and peppermint extract together in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Quickly pour the chocolate layer over the chilled white chocolate layer; spread evenly. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Spread quickly over the chilled bark. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint pieces; chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Cut or break into small pieces to serve.

Notes:

- Using a 9x12" pan produces very thick "bark," so I will likely use a jelly roll pan next time instead.

- I used two bags of white chocolate chips, which was closer to 24 ounces instead of 20.

- If you don't have two double boilers (by a fluke, I do), you can melt the white chocolate in the microwave (in two batches). Start with a minute at 50% power, and then add 15 seconds until the chocolate is smooth when stirred. You can also make a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a pot with a little of simmering water.

- Be very careful (and quick) when spreading the final layer of white chocolate. The dark chocolate will never completely set up, so it's easy to end up swirling it into the white.

- Don't get any water into your melting chocolate! It will cause big problems. (If you do, add a little oil or shortening to help fix things.)