Friday, July 31, 2009

Greek Salad



This is a wonderful summer salad. The recipe actually calls for the salad to be layered in a glass jar... but plates more than suffice.
* 3/4 cup orzo
* 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
* 1 large tomato, diced (1 cup)
* 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1/2 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise, cored, and diced (1 cup)
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano (this can be overpowering)
* 2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped romaine
* 1/2 pound feta, crumbled (1 cup)


Cook and drain orzo, rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Toss black-eyed peas, tomato, and parsley with vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Marinate, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together orzo, remaining tablespoon oil, cucumber, onion, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Divide black-eyed-pea mixture (with juices) on plates and layer orzo salad, romaine, and feta on top.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Greek-Salad-with-Orzo-and-Black-Eyed-Peas-243207

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Burgers














For the 4th of July we decided to celebrate with burgers on the grill. I love a good burger but I also like my burger to be seasoned. I had Chris season mine with this mixture and it was one of the best burgers I have had in a long time. Please feel free to post your burger seasoning secrets as we are always in pursuit of achieving the ultimate burger flavor.

For every 2 pounds of beef:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper

I topped my burger with cheddar, bacon, avocado, sauteed mushrooms, ketchup and mustard. Delicious.