Asian Burgers

I certainly did a lot of cooking in July, but not so much blogging. Hopefully, I can catch you up with my wonderful summer food adventures before the summer is over. (Although, the Bay area summer doesn't really happen until September/October.) For a different take on the usual burger, we added an Asian flair. We mixed the meat with soy sauce, pepper, red chile and garlic paste, and a tiny bit of Chinese Barbecue sauce and topped the burger with a crunchy Asian slaw, which also went perfectly with my veggie burger. A nice spinach salad with grilled onions and a sesame vinaigrette served as a wonderful accompaniment.


Asian Slaw Burger Topping

Combine these ingredients in portions to taste. You'll want about a 1/3 of a cup of slaw per burger.

sugar snap peas, thinly sliced on a diagonal
carrots, thinly sliced on a diagonal
red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
splash of rice vinegar
splash of sesame oil
chile and garlic paste
Chinese barbecue sauce


Spinach Salad with Grilled Red Onion Rings and Sesame Vinaigrette (Cooking Light, July 2007)

1 large red onion, cut crosswise into 12 (1/4-inch-thick) rings (about 10 oz.)
2 tsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
10 cups baby spinach leaves (about 10 oz.)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine onion and 1/2 tsp. oil, tossing to coat. Arrange onion on a grill rack; grill 9 minutes or until browned and tender, turning frequently.
3. Combine 1 1/2 tsp. oil, juice, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Place spinach in a large bowl; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add onions. Drizzle oil mixture over spinach mixture, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Summer Nights

This next meal epitomizes summer. We received our August Food and Wine magazine, and immediately we flipped through the pages finding this perfectly summery sensation. We even paired it with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which melded all of the flavors of the meal together. I definitely suggest making this complete menu as the whole is better than all of the parts (although those are pretty good too).


Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas (Food and Wine, August 2009)

1/2 lbs. sugar snap peas
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup minced chives

1. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, simmer the peas until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and spread out on a large plate to cool, then pat dry. Cut the peas on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until all the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
3. In a bowl, combine the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the peas to the quinoa with the pumpkin seeds, chives and dressing; stir. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.


Chilled Red Bell Pepper Shooters (Food and Wine, August 2009)

These shooters are accompanied by Parmesan dusted tortilla strips, which we omitted. But, I am sure that they would add a nice crunch to the meal.

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large red bell peppers (1 lbs.), thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
salt
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth [or veggie]
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil, for frying
2 6-inch tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for dusting

1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the peppers, garlic, onion and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the peppers are softened, 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, water and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the peppers are very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until lightly chilled.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tortilla strips and fry over moderately high heat until crisp. Drain and dust with the cheese. Serve with the chilled soup in shot glasses.