Kicked-up Burgers for Summertime

Whenever a summer holiday comes along, my first craving is for a hamburger. (With a hot dog not a too distant second. Okay, I’ll admit to having one of each!) Did you know Americans eat about 14 billion burgers each year? I guess I’m not alone in my craving for this meat patty on a bun.

If you’re having guests over to celebrate the holiday, consider setting up a hamburger and hot dog bar. Then everyone can have fun trying out different flavor combinations on their meat of choice. Cook up some hot dogs and hamburgers, and then set up a condiment bar so people can choose their own toppings. (You may want to hold a fun contest for the most creative hamburger and hot dog, with prizes.) Also, condiment combinations, such as how to make a Chicago Dog, can be printed and framed to set on the bar, or written on a chalkboard.

Here are some hot dog and hamburger bar suggestions:

• Regular and poppy-seed hot dog buns
• Regular and onion hamburger buns
• Ketchup
• Mustards, yellow and brown
• Barbecue sauce
• Mayonnaise
• Salsa
• Sweet pickle relish
• Dill pickle slices
  
• Dill pickle spears
• Diced onion
• Sliced purple onion
• Sautéed onions
• Banana pepper slices
• Jalapeno pepper slices
• Sauerkraut
• Tomato slices
• Lettuce leaves
• Chili
• Coleslaw
• Crispy bacon, sliced and crumbles
• Nacho cheese
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Sliced American, cheddar, and pepper-jack cheeses
• Grated cheddar cheese

While I love a simple hamburger cooked with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, once in a while I like to kick them up in flavor. I first came across this recipe in a diet book, of all things. I’ve tinkered with it a bit. The original version of the recipe called for cilantro, but I like parsley better. But, if you’re a cilantro fan, by all means, give it a try. 







For other summertime holiday recipes, check out the links on this blog post from last year!

Kicked-up Burgers

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon dried mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

4 hamburger buns

Butter

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together, and then shape into patties. Cook the burgers any way you choose—on the grill, or with a broiler or skillet—to the desired doneness. (I love them cooked in my cast iron skillet!) While the burger cooks, spread butter on the cut sides of the hamburger buns. Toast them either on the grill, under the broiler or in a skillet. Once the burgers are done, place on a toasted bun and top with your favorite condiments.

  

Summer Veggie Succotash

Does anyone eat succotash anymore? Traditionally made with corn and beans (usually lima beans), this side dish seems a bit old fashioned…or it did until this recipe came along!

Succotash’s history reaches back to the early days of our country. A Native American stew made from corn, beans and a bit of meat, it was adopted by the early English settlers as a way to ward off starvation when other food sources weren’t available. Succotash was probably on the menu that first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  

Recently, the Kansas Museum of History featured an exhibition called What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? The Government’s Effect on the American Diet. Created by the National Archives and Records Administration, the exhibit detailed the Government’s impact on how we eat every day, from what is grown on farms to recipes served on dinner tables across the country. It also explained how economic hardships, wars, and other historical events impact our food choices.

A cooking class was part of the exhibit, featuring recipes inspired by ones in Eating with Uncle Sam: Recipes and Historical Bites from the National Archives, which was published to go along with the What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? exhibit.

The succotash recipe in the book was from an 1879 Army cooking manual and called for the cooked vegetables to be made in a cream sauce. My mom told me that is how she remembered it being made, but growing up we often had corn (or hominy) combined with lima beans on their own and called it succotash. At least, that’s how I remembered it.

At the cooking class, dietician Amber Groeling came up with a modern-day version that works both as a side dish or a main course. Her version added many more vegetables, swapped the Lima beans with shelled edamame, and dressed it with fresh basil, olive oil, and tarragon vinegar. 

Since tarragon vinegar isn’t something I keep around, I swapped it for red wine vinegar. I also upped the amount of bacon from 2 slices to 3 for more flavor, and used cherry tomatoes instead of one whole tomato. That’s what is great about this recipe…you can tinker with it to fit your own tastes very easily. Soon I plan to try it with lima beans instead of edamame.

I enjoy this succotash as a one-skillet supper on warm summer evenings, but it would also work well as a side dish to grilled or barbecued meats. You can make it a vegan dish by skipping the bacon and using olive oil instead. It tastes wonderful both served warm or at room temperature.  

Summer Veggie Succotash       

Serves 6

3 slices bacon

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 12-ounce package of frozen corn, defrosted

2 cups zucchini in 1/2-inch dice

2 cups yellow squash in 1/2-inch dice

1 12-ounce package frozen shelled edamame, defrosted

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons.

In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Set the cooked bacon aside. Into the skillet in the hot bacon fat, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Next, add in the corn, zucchini and squash. Cook until the zucchini and squash start to become tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the edamame, cook until warmed through. Chop the crisp bacon and stir into the mixture, along with the sliced tomatoes. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and basil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Greek Salad Turkey Wrap

In much the same way my body and spirit crave comfort foods in colder weather (mac and cheese, pot roast, hearty soups), the longing turns to fresh veggies and fruits as the temperature rises. Maybe it’s the plethora of fresh produce at the farmers market and grocery store? Maybe it’s just the heat? For whatever the reason, my crisper drawers and hanging wire baskets are bursting with freshness.

This Greek Salad Turkey Wrap is a wonderful way to pack a lot of veggies into one meal. It's based on a sandwich I always order at a local coffee shop. It makes a great sandwich for a picnic, lunch at work, or a light summer supper. There are no exact measurements with this recipe since everything can be added to fit your personal tastes. Just be sure to not overload the wrap or you’ll have trouble rolling it all up. 

To be honest, I’m terrible at filling a wrap. I always put in too much.

Greek Salad Turkey Wrap

Makes one sandwich

1 wrap (I like spinach wraps.)

1 to 2 slices deli turkey

Mixed greens

Feta cheese

Red onion, thinly sliced

Sliced olives

Cucumber, thinly sliced

Tomato, thinly sliced

Radishes, thinly sliced

Greek salad dressing (I found this in the produce section of the grocery store.)

           

Lay the wrap on a flat surface. Layer on the remaining ingredients. Roll up the wrap, cut in half, and enjoy.

Diabetes-Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my personal traditions is to make treats for my friends and family on their birthdays. Sometimes I let them pick whatever they want, and other times I know their favorites and I just whip up a batch of goodies. I’ve made everything from whoopie pies and brownies to chocolate chocolate chip muffins, and buffalo wings.

However, there is a small glitch to my birthday treat tradition: Diabetes is common both in my Thompson family line and the Ditch family. I was faced with this dilemma recently when my brother-in-law’s birthday approached. Since he has diabetes, how would I give him a festive treat and without causing blood sugar issues?

The Picky Eater always loved chocolate chip cookies for his birthday, which made me wonder if a diabetes-friendly version was available. I also wanted a recipe that didn’t use artificial sweeteners. (Right or wrong, I just believe real sugar must be better for you than chemicals.)

An internet search came up with this recipe from Diabetic Living magazine. Since I don’t have diabetes, I’m not sure what makes these cookies more blood sugar friendly than regular ones. The recipe calls for real brown sugar! If I had to guess, it’s the additional complex carbs in the ground toasted oatmeal, a smaller sugar amount than traditional recipes, and the smaller serving size that makes these cookies work.

Each cookie made using the original recipe has 12 grams of carbs and 7 grams of sugars. I tweaked the recipe a bit by using whole milk yogurt instead of low-fat, and adding chopped pecans. So be aware! I don’t have any knowledge how my changes may impact healthfulness of the cookies. When in doubt, go with the original recipe.

These cookies are soft, moist and chocolate-chip-cookie delicious. They don’t spread out while baking like traditional cookies, which gives them a tasty, cake-like texture.

This recipe is now a part of my cooking-making repertoire.     

Diabetes-Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 60 cookies

1 cookie per serving

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt (I use the whole milk variety.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the oatmeal onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until oats are toasted, approximately 5 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Pour the toasted oats into a food processor and blend until finely ground. Set aside.

Using a mixer, blend together the butter, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined. Mix in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour and mix until just combined. Mix in the ground oats, and then add in the chocolate chips.

Spoon rounded teaspoon-sized portions of the dough 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I used a teaspoon-sized ice cream scoop.) Bake for 9 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown, rotating the baking sheet in the oven halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.