{YUM!} Wednesday 8/31/11 - Gazpacho, Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayo and Baked French Fries

So...YUM!  Last night's dinner definitely made up for the botched bok choy.  So it was supposed to be Gazpacho and Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayo (Salmon Patty instead for me) but, like I said, I went to Farmers' Market and the menu changed a little.  Oh, and I had to make one additional trip to the grocery store for tomato juice (what I was trying to prevent with this whole menu planning thing--but I'm getting there).  Once I was at FM I saw these adorable just out of the ground long golden potatoes and I thought to myself, "Those would go lovely with tonight's dinner" so, menu add-on!


As an aside, if I'm not in the mood to make from scratch salmon burgers I'll heat up some Trident Seafoods Salmon Burgers (they're healthy, and made from wild salmon), I get them from Costco and really easy.  

Gazpacho (From Food Network, Alton Brown)


I've made this gazpacho before...but this time I did things a wee bit differently.  Instead of regular tomatoes I bought yellow heirloom tomatoes.  They were perty and I wanted to try something different.  AND I got as much juice out of them as possible instead of relying solely on the store bought tomato juice.  Also, I blended more then the recipe said.  Two thumbs way up from the husband...two thumbs way up from me too!  


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• Tomato juice
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.

Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic Rosemary Mayo (From Food Network,Giada De Laurentiis)

These puppies were delicious but it was all thanks to the Garlic Rosemary Mayo.  I used low fat mayo instead of the real thing (they probably would have been out of this world with the real thing) and the most exciting part is I took fresh rosemary from my own herb garden!! (I will post later on said herb garden).  Boy, on the burgers and as a dipping sauce, that stuff is good shizznat!  Addictive really.  Also, I didn't grill the chicken burgers, I cooked them in a bit of oil in a pan at medium heat for about 5 minutes per side.  Alas, my apartment building does not allow barbecues on our balconies (poo on that!).  

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup arugula, divided

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill panover medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Baked French Fries

I winged it with these.  I preheated the oven to 375F.  After washing the potatoes I sliced them into strips (with the skin on) and spread them out on a foil lined baking sheet.  I poured on some canola oil (not too much, wanted to keep it reasonably healthy, probably 2 tablespoons) and tossed the potatoes.  I baked them for 10 minutes, took them out, seasoned them, tossed them and then baked them for about 10 minutes more.  I tossed them again and then cooked them for a final 10 minutes.  They were tasty...not terribly crispy though, gotta figure out how to crisp them up more (probably involves broiling).