Grilling In The Rain

Recently, it feels like the sun and the clouds have been playing tag with each other. Here in CT, our weather patterns have gone something like this: Day 1 - scorching sun, Day 2 - thunderstorms, Day 3 - back to cloudless skies, Day 4 - rain all day ... and so on. If I was a more organized and focused person, I'd know to plan my blog-related cooking adventures for the sunny days. But since my natural state of being is chaotic laziness, I find myself craving grilled burgers on the days that it's pouring outside.

DH's latest photography contribution - a few kind words from you is all his ego needs to become completely insufferable, so be careful when praising this one!

So what to do when outdoor grilling is not an option? George Foreman to the rescue! Yup, you heard me. I've now become a GF proponent. I never thought I was the sort of person to jump on any kind of bandwagon, but I think this one bears exception. Who woulda thunk it?!

When you call it a "lean, mean FAT grilling machine" it just sounds like it grills fat. There's something wrong with the English grammar there. Sorry folks, I'm the daughter of a teacher - and I get this way sometimes!

You don't need a grill of any kind to make these healthy yet satisfying burgers; just a grill pan or a large skillet on the stove will work just as well.

The first portobello mushroom burger I ever tried was at the Cheesecake Factory, ages ago. And I still remember it being a complete revelation, because it was so damn good! At that moment, it was the best burger I'd ever had. Not just best veggie burger - simply best burger ever. Period. It was packed with flavor from all the different toppings and sauces, and it was so thick and meaty and filling. That's why, when I saw this recipe for Portobello Burgers on the gorgeous site Ezra Pound Cake, I went a-runnin' to get out my GF grill.

Pretty Perfect Portobello Burgers (check out Rebecca's original recipe here)
Serves 2

Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:
2 tbsp store-bought pesto (or use freshly made, if you can!)
1/4 cup real mayo, or slightly more
2 sourdough, multi-grain or ciabatta rolls, split horizontally (or any other fresh rolls, but not the too-soft & thin Wonder hamburger buns)
2 portobello mushrooms, stemmed and dark gills scraped out
Olive oil
2 slices provolone cheese (or any other sliced cheese of your choice, provided that it melts well)
Slices of roasted red peppers from a jar
2 cups arugula or baby spinach (or both)

Method:

1. Get all your ingredients ready. Mix together the pesto and mayo and set aside. Take out two large pieces of roasted red peppers from the jar, and pat dry between paper towels.

2. Heat up your stove-top grill pan or skillet. Brush the portobellas on both sides with olive oil and place them on the grill, cap-side down, for 4 mins. Then turn them over to the other side for another 4 mins. In the last min, cover the caps with one slice each of the cheese - so that it melts gently over the mushrooms.

3. Toast the buns, cut-side down, on the same grill pan for 2 mins.

4. Assemble: Slather both sides of each bun with the pesto-mayo. Place the portobello with melted cheese on the bottom half of a bun. Layer on the roasted red peppers. Pile on the arugula/spinach. Then cover with the top half of your bun. Serve immediately with your favorite type of oven-fries - Oreida's Seasoned Crinkle Cut Fries would be my personal choice.

Verdict: DH was a skeptic when I said we'd be having portobello burgers for dinner. He'd never experienced the Cheesecake Factory one y'see. But he was game enough to try my version. Just goes to show that after 4 years of matrimony, at least he trusts my food choices implicitly (for all you young brides out there, remember to pray for patience!). And he was rewarded because these burgers were brilliant! Better than I'd hoped for! I guarantee you won't miss the meat. Everyone will enjoy the play of flavors here, between the crisp peppery-ness of the arugula, to the smoky taste of roasted red peppers, the festive pesto-mayo, melted provolone (I'll try pepper-jack next time), and finally, the meaty mouthful from the grilled portobellas.

Farmers' Market Bounty

Y'know, half the process of feeling better is in the mind. And thanks to all your concern and best wishes, dear readers, I've made a speedy recovery from my neck and shoulder injury. So thank you! The other half of my healing process, I contribute to DH. In particular, to his hands. That man has magic in his hands, I tell ya. I put him to good use this weekend, playing the damsel in distress card, and getting quite a few excellent massages out of him. I wish he'd use his special gift on me more often, but I think he knows he has the power, and therefore uses it sparingly - frankly, I just think the guy likes to see me beg.

Recently, I was excited to find out that my town had its own farmers' market every weekend, so that was my first destination as soon as I got better. It was no NYC Union Square Greenmarket, but I liked the setting, and they did offer a fair variety of fresh produce. There was also a Soup Lady, whose Curried Carrot Soup I tried, and loved!

I think these were carrots, if you can believe it!

I also picked up some radishes and a mixture of berries, both of which I put to immediate good use! I never really gave much thought to radishes, except for in salads. But then I remembered this one episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations", where he and some of his chef buddies dined at Prune in Manhattan. One of their appetizers was a simple plate of raw radishes and soft, fresh butter, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper on the side. And all these extremely well-traveled chefs were digging into this thing like it was manna from heaven! So I decided to give it a shot, and see what all the fuss was about.
My version was to thinly slice up the radishes, sprinkle them with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and smush them between two generously buttered slices of fresh bread. I was a little skeptical, but after the first few bites, I think I understand why some people love this stuff. I'm not a complete convert as yet (there is the small matter of radish-breath! eeewww), but it was oddly delicious in a rustic sort of way.

I can never resist the call of fresh berries, and knowing that there isn't a whole lot of time left to really enjoy them in season, I grabbed a bunch of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries when I saw them at the farmers' market. I immediately knew what I wanted to make with them. This recipe is definitely one of my very very favorite desserts, even though it only came into my life a couple of years ago. But every time I make it, people rave about it, and if I'm lucky, I get to enjoy the leftovers for days. I have to thank a fellow Canadian for it - Lisa's Kitchen has a wonderful smattering of vegetarian recipes, and I love that she keeps it simple for rookies like me!
Berry Supreme Pudding Cake (original recipe can be found here)
Serves 6-8

Click here for printable recipe

1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh/frozen raspberries
Handful of fresh blackberries (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use a little less; more like 2/3 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Topping:
1/2 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a greased 8 x 8 baking dish, place the mixed berries, and sprinkle them with cinnamon and lemon juice. Keep aside.

Forget chocolate ... cover me in berries!

3. In a separate bowl, mix the AP flour, 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder. Then add the wet ingredients - milk and melted butter - then whisk till smooth.

4. Pour this over the top of the berries. No need to be precise, but spread it out. Do NOT mix.

5. In a small bowl, mix the 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup if you want to use less) and cornstarch, then sprinkle the whole thing over the topping. This may look like a lot of sugar, but trust me when I say you won't feel it. The tart berries balance it out. Pour the cup of boiling water over it all - it looks like a mess right now, but have faith and put it in the oven as is!

6. Bake for 40-45 mins. The top should be golden-brown, with a delicate crust, and the berries underneath will be bubbling. Take it out and let it rest for a good 15-20 mins before serving with your favorite ice-cream.
Verdict: It's unbelievable how quickly this dessert comes together. Other than the berries, the rest of the ingredients are what most of you always have in your pantry anyway. This dessert is so satisfying, with the warm, soft pudding cake, smothered in delicious berry juices, topped off with the smooth finish of good vanilla ice-cream. It hits all the right notes with me, and I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't loved it, and gone back for seconds! The recipe is so darn easy, that I make this dessert several times a year. It keeps well in the fridge for days, but you lose the delicate crust on the cake after the first day. Not that you'll miss it much - the rest of it will still keep you moaning in bliss for a long time; if there's any left, that is.

A divine mouthful

I know I'm rather late, but I'm still going to submit this recipe to this month's SHF event, themed "All Time Favorite Desserts" hosted by Sweet Endingz. Sometimes I'm just needlessly stubborn.