Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger

OK guys this is for you. This is a naughty, naughty burger but oh so good.

The secret is to make the patties real thin so that you can make double meat burgers without having too much meat. Remember more surface area means more flavor so two thin patties is much better than one thick one. Be sure to salt and pepper them liberally before grilling. These patties cook quickly to make sure you have everything else ready to go for the meal before firing up the grill.

First make the garlic mashed potatoes. Peel and boil potatoes until soft. Drain and set aside. He
at butter and chopped garlic in a skillet until butter sizzles and garlic cooks through. Be careful not to burn garlic pieces. Add the hot butter and garlic to the potatoes with a little milk and mash.

Keep the potatoes warm while you finish the burgers.

Make sure your fire is hot before you put the patties on. They won't take long but they need to get a good sear on each side. Make sure to put your cheddar cheese on the patties right before you take them off the grill.

Always toast the buns before assembly. Spread both sides of the bun with mayo then add two patties with cheddar, avocado slices, crisp bacon and fresh lettuce.

Serve with garlic mashers and enjoy. Ladies, this will make any man swoon.

Fish Sandwich with Spinach Mac and Cheese

This meal was very simple and includes an easy way to slip spinach into your child's diet.

For the fish sandwich

Fresh fish fillets (Catfish or Tilapia)
Salt & Pepper
2T Olive Oil & 2T Butter
Garlic
Avacado
Cabbage
Cilantro
Green Onion
Mayo
Lime Juice
French Bread Loaves

For the Spinach Macaroni

Frozen Chopped Spinach
Penne Pasta
Monterey Jack Cheese
1/4 cup Milk
Salt & Pepper

Start by preparing the Macaroni. Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and mix in thawed spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Layer in a baking dish alternating pasta and cheese with sprinkles of milk. Start with pasta and end with a layer of cheese. Bake at 350 until all cheese is melted and the top is brown.

While pasta is baking, preheat a large skillet. Add olive oil, butter and garlic. Season fillets with Salt and Pepper. Saute in hot skillet until brown and flaky.

For spread, mix mayo, chopped green onion, cilantro and lime juice.

To assemble sandwich, split and toast French loaves. Spread each side with mayo mixture. Add grilled fish, avacado and shredded cabbage. (or lettuce)

Serve with spinach macaronni and enjoy!

Valentine's Day Treats

This year we had several requests for Valentine Treats so last night after running all over two small towns, I found enough strawberries and chocolate to fill the need. Below is a sample of what we delivered.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake for Two.
(Strawberry Cheesecake with dark chocolate ganache)

New York Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberries

Black and White Strawberries

Dark Covered Strawberries with Almonds

Teriyaki Elk Sticks

I received a new gas grill for Christmas and have had a few nice evenings to enjoy it. Last night we made Teriyaki Elk Sticks.

Soak bamboo skewers in water so they don't burn on the grill. Then load them with strips of tenderized elk steak that has been soaked in teriyaki sauce and fresh garlic. Place on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes a side and brush with remaining sauce while cooking.

My 8 year old daughter loved these! Remember - Kids will eat anything on a stick.

Dim Sum Sunday

On the last day of Christmas Vacation we decided to go out for something very special. We went for Dim Sum at Chinatown off Mopac in Austin. This was an amazing experience. I had never been to a traditional Dim Sum service. It was so beautiful and artistic and the servers were fantastic salesmen and women. The only torture was getting full and not being able to taste all of the delicious treats.

Thank you Chinatown! We will be back.

Baked Potato Soup

Last Sunday we had a large catering job and brought home an entire roasting pan full of mashers. The weather dropped to freezing Monday night so the Soup Season continues. Below is a simple version of Baked Potato soup made with left over mashers. Of course this recipe is a one pot dish. After all, who wants to spend the evening washing dishes. It is warming, hearty and delicious. Enjoy!

Start by chopping a package of bacon and frying it up in your soup pot. Take out the bacon when crispy, leaving a small amount of grease in the soup pot. Fill the soup pot half way with left over mashed potatoes. Heat through. Add enough chicken broth to fill the pot about 3/4 full. (basically, 2 parts potatoes and 1 part chicken broth) Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Serve soup hot with grated cheddar cheese, chopped green onion and crisp bacon pieces.

Elk Meatball Stew

It's hunting season again and this year we were lucky enough to get some ground Elk from a generous and mighty hunter who braved the cold New Mexico mountains for this delicious Elk Meatball Stew.
Season the ground Elk with Salt and Pepper and form into small balls. Then brown in bacon drippings.


While the meatballs are browning, chop a small onion, three carrots, one clove of garlic and two red potatoes. Add all of this to the pot with the meatballs and cover with beef broth. Add one can of tomato paste for richness and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min to an hour. As always salt and pepper to taste.


When the soup was done I simply rolled out pieces of raw bread dough and toasted them in a skillet. (Perfect for dipping)