Ranch Cheeseburgers

Ingredients

1 1 oz. packet dry ranch-style salad dressing mix
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 larger hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

1. Combine dressing mix with beef and cheese and shape into 4 patties.

2. Cook on charcoal grill until thoroughly done. Serve on buns.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mud puddle Books, 2007.

Review: These burgers were really good and juicy, bursting with ranch and cheese flavor. Some bacon would be great on them too.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1) Preheat the oven broiler.
2) In a medium bowl, mix ground turkey, spinach, and goat cheese.
3) Form the mixture into 4 patties.
4) Arrange patties on a broiler pan, and place in the center of the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until done.

Source

Review

Zesty Southwestern Burgers with Cilantro Slaw

Ingredients

1 bag Success® White, Success® Brown, or Success® Jasmine Rice
1/2 Marzetti Refrigerated Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 lb ground chuck
1 pack of hot and spicy taco seasoning mix
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 ea hamburger buns

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. To make the cilantro slaw: in a large bowl combine ranch salad dressing, cabbage and cilantro.
(note: we added shredded carrots and apple vinegar)
3. Toss to combine; cover and refrigerate until serving.In a large bowl, combine rice, ground chuck and taco seasoning mix. Form into four patties sized slightly larger than hamburger buns.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium well doneness (165°F), turning once.To serve, on each hamburger bottom bun, place a cooked patty, an equal amount of slaw and bun top.

Source: my sister

Review: The flavor was good, but they fell apart as I cook them. Perhaps an egg?

Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Commences

It was recently my birthday, I turned twenty two. After twenty one there pessimistically is no other age to look forward to besides retirement. With that being said my friend and I, Michele, made chocolate chip cookies for our History of Math course for my birthday. I find baking very relaxing, as with cooking. I assumed we were going to bake cookies from scratch because she said all she needed was butter. She then proceeded to tell me it was an instant package of cookies where all you add is eggs and butter, honestly I was quite skeptical at first. Although it was more convenient granted it was 11 o'clock on a Sunday evening on a college campus but that is not the point.

We made two batches since we only had one pan. The cookies came out very nicely. Nice even color, great texture. I had the chance to have one freshly baked and it was delicious. Then, I had one in class and it was just as good room temperature. The day after my birthday they were still good, but not the freshly made cookies good.

I then did some research to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I found an article in the New York Times that just addresses that. The title is Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and Has a Secret. Since this paper is obviously credible and has interviews with bakers in New York City I decided to go on quest for a great recipe. I will start with Toll House because it is a classic and cited in the article. There secret is letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for 36 hours. I will try this and report back later when I actually bake them.

This may be a long process because I am not going to make endless batches of cookies, unfortunately.

Italian Baked Chicken Pastina

Ingredients

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Source

Review: I thought dish would be plain but the flavor after it baked was delicious! It had a nutty taste to it. Also the texture of the dish was good too with the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

Cake:
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Source

Review: Made this for my Dad's birthday. It reminded all of us of our Nanny's apple cake. It was really moist the texture was great. A nice crumbly topping on top with a nice moist cake.

Grilled Cheee with Peanut Butter Sandwich

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 slices white bread
2 tbs. smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 slices American cheese

Directions

1. Preheat a grill pan or griddle over medium heat.

2. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Spread the peanut butter on the other side of one of the slices of bread. Lay the cheese on the peanut butter and top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.

2. Place the sandwich on the grill pan. Cook the sandwich for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.