Delicious Salad

From Mom Larsen.

Serves 10.

10 servings salad mixture of romaine, spinach, or whatever greens you want
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
2 Tbs. sliced green onions
3/4 cup slivered almonds
Several teaspoons sugar

Dressing:
1/4 cup salad oil
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. almond extract

Heat almonds and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring and tossing almonds.  Sugar will melt and coat almonds.  You'll know they're done when the almonds & sugar are a golden brown color and you can smell toasted almonds.  Cool on wax paper.

Mix dressing ingredients together until sugar dissolves.  Just before serving, pour dressing on salad and mix well.

Notes
- I used 1 bag hearts of romaine and 1 bag baby spinach
- I didn't measure my green onions; I just sliced up two of them.
- Since the package of almonds I bought was 1 cup, I used the whole thing.
- I've been experimenting with the vinegars I use.  The first time, I used rice vinegar.  The second time, I used half white wine vinegar, half rice vinegar.
- I also really like slicing up a bunch of mushrooms and adding them to the salad--I think it's great.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 149

Makes 16 ounces.

Nonstick cooking spray
9 large marshmallows
1/4 cup whole milk
11 ounces premium vanilla ice cream (about 1 3/4 packed cups)
Toasted marshmallows, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the broiler.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange the marshmallows flat on the baking sheet and place under the broiler until the tops are a deep golden brown color, about 40 seconds.  Remove from the oven, carefully turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are a deep golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Combine the marshmallows and milk in a blender and blend for 5 seconds.  Add the ice cream and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.  Serve immediately.

Notes
- This is a very sweet, rich shake.  We divided it between four people, and that was plenty!
- It took longer than 40 seconds on each side for our marshmallows to get even slightly golden.  And by then we were impatient and called it good.  Just keep an eye on yours.
- Bobby must have a super blender--ours takes a little longer to get the shakes smooth.

Bolo Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 28

Serves 4.

Piquillo Pepper-Smoked Paprika Aioli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jarred piquillo peppers, drained
2 tsp. smoked sweet Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Burgers
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/10) or ground turkey (90/10)
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. canola oil
4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
8 slices Manchego cheese
8 paper-thin slices Serrano ham

To make the aioli, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, peppers, paprika, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.  The aioli can be prepared 1 day in advance, tightly covered, and refrigerated.

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 depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers, using 1 1/2 Tbs. of the oil (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times).

Place the bun bottoms on a flat surface and spread half of the aioli over them.  Top each one with a slice of cheese, then a slice of the ham, then a burger, another slice of ham, and finally another slice of cheese, in that order.  Spread the rest of the aioli on the bun tops and cover each burger with a top.

Brush the tops of the buns with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. oil and place on the grill, griddle, or saute pan, top side down.  Using a heavy-duty metal spatula, press down on the bottom of the buns and grill until the tops are a light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.  Turn the burgers over and continue cooking, pressing down on the tops, until the bottoms are light golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 minute longer.  Serve immediately.

Notes
- We couldn't find piquillo peppers, so we used jarred, fire-roasted red peppers.
- We also couldn't find Manchego cheese (I was in a hurry and only checked one store for these things--later I found the cheese), so we used Monterey Jack.
- We don't have smoked sweet Spanish paprika, so I used plain old smoked paprika (still not the same as regular paprika).
- Like I've mentioned with all his other burgers so far, we make our patties thinner than he does because we buy big buns and want the burger to be in every bite.
- As with all the other burgers, I follow the beef requirement somewhat loosely.  Sometimes I get 80/20, other times I get 85/15 or even 90/10.  I don't always buy 1 1/2 lbs, either.  It just depends on how fattening I feel like we can make our burgers that particular day.
- The aioli reminded me a lot of the red pepper sauce a Quiznos.  So if you ever want their red pepper sauce on your homemade sandwich, make Bobby's aioli here!

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.