Food Fascination

I live on a simple concept when it comes to summer cooking: if you’re going to do hamburgers at home, you might as well do them right. Don’t settle for a slab of (even really good) ground meat on a store-bought sponge-like bun. So get the grill fired up (even if it’s a George Foreman) and make a burger that’s worth it.

First, use gloves and just dig into the meat. Forget being delicate and trying to mix things with a spoon. Throw it in a bowl and squish it up like you were a kid playing with clay.

Second, step away from the bbq sauce! It’s perfectly fine to slather your burger in the stuff, but don’t mix it directly in with the raw meat - the moisture and sugar content will char your burger long before it’s truly tasty.

Third, cook it to perfection - whatever you consider “perfection” to be. Medium-well (160 degrees internal temperature) is a good starting place. Stick a meat thermometer in the center of the burger and give it a minute or so to register.

Fourth, Experiment! It’s a burger for gosh sakes - so take what you love and give it a try. If it doesn’t work, you haven’t wasted all that much.

Fifth, don’t be afraid of a little fat. Sure, the 97/3 meat (that’s 97% “meat” and 3% fat) in your grocer’s meat case seems tempting - only 3% fat? In hamburger? Don’t be so quick to say “sign me up”. That is because the fat in meat is what actually gives it flavor. Without some fat, the meat becomes dry, tough, and cardboard-like. Most of the flavoring happens as the fat is cooking OUT of the meat anyway, so as long as you don’t save the drippings of the ground beef and pour them all over your potatoes, you’ll be fine. Go for 90/10 or 85/15 - the burgers will cook down a bit smaller, but it’ll be worth it.

So what to mix in? If you’re mixing in cheese, use a dry cheese like grated Parmesan (save the cheddar for a burger-topper). Just about any spice or seasoning that you wouldn’t find in a cookie is worth a try (forget the nutmeg - try basil.) Go light on the salt and let the other flavors come through. Small amounts of liquid are fine, just don’t use more than 3 Tablespoons per 1/2 pound of beef. And try out veggies! Chopped onions are a classic, but give green onions, or chopped garlic, a chance!

My personal favorites on seasoning combinations (all using about 1 pound of ground round):
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
several good sprinkles of:
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Garlic powder
Pepper
and the lightest touch of salt.

Or:
1/4 cup soy sauce (usually I go for low-sodium)
Rosemary
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic
Ground white pepper

Of course, a well-prepared bun is just as important when you’re talking shop of a good burger. Get a bakery bun, or make a pan of rolls. Then slice them in half, spread some melted butter on the top, and set them under a broiler for a few minutes, until they’re turning golden brown. Or, if you’re on the grill, just invert them over the heat. Either way, a well-toasted bun is the best way to top your masterpiece.

My office is setting up a community garden, and after hearing many exclamations that beets seem to be a popular item, and “what do you do with BEETS?!?” I was challenged to provide an answer. So, one-cube-away, here you go

Yes, they’re an odd color, and yes, they’ve got a flavor you may not quite be used to. Get over it! Beets are tasty, full of all kinds of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. Not to mention a great way to add color to your plate (the easiest “diet plan” ever is to make sure your plate has at least four colors of fresh food on it every time you eat.) Beets are useful for both their roots and their greens. The roots are high in copper, vitamins B1, B2, and C. The greens are high in iron, vitamin A, and potassium. So if you’re getting sick of bananas and spinach, throw some beets into the mix. They also have a high natural sugar content (table beets are a cousin to sugar beets, after all) and are buttery-smooth when cooked.

So, grab a few beets from the grocery store and prepare to experiment!
Things to remember when working with beets:

1- Both the greens and the roots are edible, so there is very little waste
2- Don’t peel the beet roots until AFTER they’re cooked, otherwise they will “bleed” both color and flavor. This isn’t true for soups, since the color has nowhere to go but right back into the soup.
3- The juice can stain - in fact, it is often used as a dye. Wear a pair of latex gloves (you should have a box around for meat prep anyway), then use lemon juice to wash off any stains.
4- Like all root veggies, they are tough and crunchy - so use very tiny raw pieces (such as grated beet root) or cook them.
5- Raw beets don’t freeze well - they break down too easily when the ice crystals start forming. Instead, cook and then freeze them.

Recipes:
Roasted Beets
Red Root Soup
Beet Hummus
Ironman Salad
Crimsion Pear Sauce

There are those of us who just don’t like cranberry sauce. (Wait! Before you say that for sure, try these!) Or, perhaps you just don’t want something more fruity than your crazy aunt at the holiday table. Or you’re looking for something new. Whatever the reason, this sauce is absolutely amazing on turkey, chicken, pork - really any white meat. While this recipe calls for some specific types of onions and vinegar, there are ways to substitute if your local store doesn’t have what you need, or you just don’t have it around. This sauce is best served room temperature or warm - try garnishing it with a few sprigs of mint.

You’ll need:
3 medium beets
1 stick (4 Tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onions (or use white onion with 2 teaspoons sugar)
1 can pear slices (while fresh pears are attractive, the canned pears are softer and easier to puree)
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (cranberry vinegar or balsamic raspberry vinegar is also a good choice here)
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large roasting pan covered with foil, roast the beets for 40-70 minutes, or until smooth when poked with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel and cut into small chunks.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and onions. Melt over low heat, then allow to simmer until onions are soft.

Add the pear slices, vinegar, beet chunks, and salt to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until it barely simmers. Use a potato masher or ricer to smooth the sauce out, or run it through a food processor or blender for a few rounds. If it is too thick, add a bit of the canned pear juice. Makes about 3 cups sauce.

This salad is packed with iron, calcium, vitamin C, fiber, everything you’d want for a training regimin. This is another great place to use pre-roasted beets. As with most salad mixes, add whatever you’d like or what you have in your fridge - this is just a suggestion to build off of.

You’ll need:
2 medium beets with greens (and extra greens, if you have them leftover from other cooking adventures. Also, if you can find them, combine red and yellow beets for color variation)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped (red has extra bite to it, if you enjoy it)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 cups spinach
Feta cheese
Dried cranberries
Shredded carrots
Your favorite vinegarette or dressing

Slice the greens off the beet roots, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large roasting pan covered with foil, roast the beets for 40-70 minutes, or until smooth when poked with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel and cut into small chunks.

Rinse and pat dry the spinach and beet greens. Roughly chop or rip into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a small frying pan, combine the onions and balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium heat until the onions begin to carmalize (this is easy to do ahead of time in large batches, then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks). Set the onions aside and take the pan off the heat. Immediately add the greens and allow to wilt in the warm pan.

Combine the greens, onions, beets, cranberries, carrots, and whatever else you’d like. Toss with the dressing and enjoy with a large glass of milk.

Makes 2-3 servings salad

Red hummus? It may bring a few curious stares in the lunchroom, but pair with a pita or some wheat crackers, and you’ll be in crossover cuisine heaven! The beets add a slightly sweeter, earthier taste that pairs so well with chickpeas and garlic, you’ll want to make it by the pound.

You’ll need:
1-2 medium beets (if you’ve got roasted beets already, this is a great place to use them.)
1 can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped finely
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup tahini or sesame paste (this is a paste of seasame seeds, most likely found in the “ethnic” section of your grocery store or an oriental / near eastern grocery store.)
1 Tablespoon cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large roasting pan covered with foil, roast the beets for 40-70 minutes, or until smooth when poked with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel and cut into small chunks.

In a small frying pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.

Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl.

In a food processor, chop the beets, onions, garlic, and chickpeas together until smooth. Add the tahini and cumin, and process again. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then replace the lid. While the blades are running, slowly add the lemon juice and olive oil mixture until the hummus is at your desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Makes 2-3 cups hummus

This soup is absolutely amazing for cold, rainy spring days or as a frozen, easy-to-heat-up-on-a-weekday dinner. Serve it with French bread or baguette, and you’ve got a meal. If you already have roasted beets or leftover baked potatoes, go ahead and use them - just don’t boil the soup as long. This is also a great restricted-diet option, as it has no gluten, can easily be made vegetarian, has no dairy, and no soy. The parsnip can be replaced by a carrot if you’d like - parsnips are a white, slightly sweeter cousin to carrots.

You’ll need:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, diced
1 parsnip, chopped
4 medium beet roots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon salt

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and parsnip and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the beets and potatoes and heat for 2 minutes or until they’re beginning to roast. Pour in the broth and spices and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook until the beets and potatoes are cooked through. Serve as a stew, or for a creamier soup, separate 1/4 to 1/2 of the mixture and puree in a food processor, then stir back into the remaining soup.

To freeze, allow to cool in the fridge, then separate into freezer-safe zipper lock bags or storage containers.

Makes about 4 cups of soup

Roasted, beet roots are easily eaten on their own as a great side dish, but can also be tossed into a salad of mixed greens with feta cheese and raspberry dressing, or frozen for later use. Roasting is also a great way to pre-cook beets for use in other recipes.

You’ll need:
1 pound of beets
1/4 cup olive or vegetable shortening
If desired, seasonings - try basic salt and pepper, or parmesean and thyme, honey and pepper, or even lemongrass. Experiment!

Trim the greens off the top of beets. Wash and lightly rub each beet root with oil or vegetable shortening. Lay out on a baking pan covered in foil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until they’re smooth when stuck with a fork.

Remove from the oven and cool, peel and chop into pieces, then go beet crazy! Makes 1 pound of roasted beets.