Chorizo burger

So the inspiration behind this dish came from a restaurant in Atlanta called Flip. A friend from work introduced us to it, then I introduced it to Matt, then we introduced it to our friends, then they did the same with their friends. I think you get the idea of how good this place is. It's a trendy burger restaurant from Top Chef's competitor Richard Blais. I love their Ossobucco burger, and of course their fries with that smoked mayo. And they're also known for their milkshakes. They have a Krispy Kreme milkshake! Yes, you read right. But I prefer their Nutella and Burnt Marshmallow or Turtle milkshakes more.

But the first time I took Matt to Flip, he ordered their Chorizo burger. It was topped with a poached egg, which I thought was interesting. I went for that same idea here when I made some chorizo burgers at home. The poached egg adds a rich, creaminess to the slightly spicy chorizo meat. I paired the burger with some garlic aioli which added another level of flavor to the dish. And of course cheese, here I used muenster cheese.

Word of advice though: don't eat this burger in front of someone you're trying to impress. It's a little messy...definitely a meal you wanna eat in front of someone you're comfortable with ;)

Chorizo burger - topped with poached egg and garlic aioli

Ingredients
6 chorizo sausage, casing removed
6 eggs
1 tbsp vinegar
6 buns
6 muenster cheese slices

3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 egg yolks
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1/2 c olive oil
salt and pepper


1. First make the chorizo burger: Combine the chorizo sausage meat together (casing removed), and form 6 patties. Push your thumb in the middle of each patty so that when it cooks you won't get a bubble. Over a grill heated to 350 degrees F, grill the burgers for about 4 mins on each side . Don't press the burger meat, just leave it alone to cook. When finished cooking, let it rest and move on to next step.

2. Poach eggs: To poach eggs, add about an inch and half of water and the vinegar to a deep skillet. Bring the skillet to a slight boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to a simmer. Crack an egg into a ramekin, and then submerge the egg into the simmering water. The ramekin helps ease the egg into the water; you could also use a small bowl. Repeat with more eggs, don't crowd the pan though. After the last egg is placed in the water, let it cook for about 4-6 mins. The whites should form over the yolk, but the yolk should still be runny. Let it drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

3. To make the aioli: In  food processer, add the garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Slowly add in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Assemble: On toasted buns spread some garlic aioli, then top with the chorizo burger, poached egg, and slice of muenster. Enjoy!

Cookies 'n Cream Icebox Cake

My favorite type of cake is probably ice cream cake. It's not too sweet but still satisfies your sweet tooth. That's why it's the only type of cake my family can all agree on. This icebox cake really reminds me of an ice cream cake, and it's so easy to make too. I know what I'll be making my family for their next dinner visit!

First I made the Oreo crust by crushing up enough Oreos to cover a 9" springform pan. Mix in about 2-3 tbsp of melted butter to the crushed Oreos, and then press it into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake it at 350 degrees F for about 10 mins. While that's cooling I start on the filling. With a hand mixer, I beat 2 c heavy cream, 1 c sugar, 8 oz mascarpone cheese, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Then I mix in more crushed Oreos. Add the filling to the pan with the cooled Oreo crust. Spread the filling out evenly in the pan, and then cover the pan tightly with saran wrap. Chill overnight. When you take it out of the freezer, run a knife under some water and then along the edge of the cake. This will help it come out cleanly. Last step is to just serve you up a slice!

Chicken and Corn Chowder

There was a Latin American tasting event one day at work. Of course our dept was downstairs for the event. Who doesn't love free food? What we stumbled upon were tables and tables of delicious, authentic Latin American cuisine. The best thing I had that day was this chicken and corn chowder, topped with a bit of cheese and scallions. It was really simple, but delicious.

With the Fall season breezing in, I have been making a soup each week. This week I wanted to make my own replica of that tasty dish I enjoyed at work. I added more to it like bacon and potatoes of course. And a homemade chicken broth for more flavor. I topped the chowder with some shredded Havarti cheese and scallions. It was a success. I hope you try it!

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients

For the chicken broth:
1 whole chicken
4 stalks celery
1 onion, peeled
1 bundle thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander
3 cloves garlic, crushed

For the chowder:
5 slices bacon, diced
3 ears yellow corn
2 lg russet potatoes, diced
3 tbsp flour
3 tsp cumin
2 c chicken broth
3 1/2 c whole milk
1 c heavy cream
8 oz Havarti cheese, shredded
1 bundle scallions, chopped
salt and pepper

To make the broth:
Add all the stock ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover the chicken with enough water so that there's an inch of water above the chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer for an hour. Skim fat off the surface of the water as needed. Remove the whole chicken from the broth, and shred the meat off its bones. Set the meat aside for use later.

To make the chowder:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until they have given off enough fat and are crispy. Add the kernels from the corn and the potatoes. Cook for about 5 mins. Next add the onion that was used in making the broth - dice it so it'll be easier to eat. Then add the cumin and flour. Stir until incorporated. Then whisk in the chicken broth made earlier, milk, and cream. Once it has been brought to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for about 30-40 mins. Add the shredded chicken from earlier. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top your bowls of chowder with the shredded cheese and scallions and enjoy!

Things to note: I added the skin to mine because I think it's the best part of the chicken. Matt didn't like them though. Personal preference. Also, when I added the chicken, it surprisingly thickened up the chowder. Something to note when you're letting it simmer to the consistency you want.

Sweet Mustard Dressing

I loooved this salad! The dressing was a little sweet, a little tangy. Toss it with some green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, bacon, croutons, and cheese. The dressing paired perfectly with all these toppings!

Sweet Mustard Dressing

1 c mayo
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
6 tsp maple syrup
1/2 a lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together.

Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee

Creme brulee - it's so easy to make and seems so fancy. My mom had her first one during our rehearsal dinner and she loved it. When my family came up to dinner, I knew I had to make some. I made them a vanilla creme brulee. I enjoyed it so much I whipped up another batch of creme brulee lol! This time I added half a Meyer Lemon I had leftover from making a blueberry crisp. The citrus flavor was very subtle, along with the vanilla flavor. I made it in some big, normal-sized ramekins, and also in these tiny thin ramekins for small servings of creme brulee. The smaller ramekins worked better for this creme brulee - you get the right ratio of citrus in the creme brulee and sweet from the sugar coating. When eating it in the bigger ramekin, you were wanting more of that sugar coating to pair with the citrusy creme.

Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee

1 qt heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
6 egg yolks
1/2 c vanilla sugar, plus more for topping
1/2 a Meyer lemon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the heavy cream and the vanilla bean and its seeds. Bring to a boil. Then remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for 15 mins. In a mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, 1/2 c vanilla sugar or plain sugar, and the zest and juice of half a Meyer lemon. (To get vanilla sugar, add a vanilla bean to 2 c of sugar in an airtight container. Leave for a wk before using. Great way to put used vanilla beans to use!) Whisk the eggs until light in color. Then slowly add the cream to the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour the liquid into the ramekins. Put the ramekins in a baking dish or roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake for 40 mins. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. Before serving, sprinkle sugar on top of the creme brulee, and using a torch melt the sugar. Enjoy!

Beer-Battered Fish Taco with a Jalapeno Mayo

I whipped up this dish a couple of weeks ago and we really enjoyed how it turned out. The batter turned out so light and fluffy, not too heavy or greasy like most fried food. And the jalapeno mayo with it was a great compliment. I was thinking a red cabbage slaw with carrots tossed in the jalapeno mayo would be really yummy on top as well. I topped the tacos with some green leaf lettuce instead since we had some left over. I like to use what we've got, hate to waste :) Below is the recipe, approximately.

Beer-Battered Fish Taco with a Jalapeno Mayo

2 lbs white fish filet (such as tilapia)
1 1/2 to 2 c flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
1 bottle of beer
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 jalapeno
4 bunches of scallion
1 c mayo
1/2 a lime
tortilla
lettuce

To prepare the fish:
Cut each filet into half lengthwise. I ended up with 14 strips of fish. Season with salt and pepper. Then prepare the batter: whisk the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together with about 3/4 of the bottle of beer and egg. Add more beer to thin out the batter, add more flour to thicken the batter. The batter should be runny, but thick enough to coat the fish. Dip the fish in the batter, and then fry in oil at 350 degrees F. About 4 mins cooking time, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

To prepare the mayo:
Chop up the scallions. Seed and dice the jalapeno. Combine the mayo, scallions, jalapeno, and juice of half a lime in a mini food processor. Process until smooth.

On a tortilla shell, lay a fried fish on, and top with the jalapeno mayo and some lettuce. Enjoy!

A Food Network Fan's Travel to NYC - Shake Shack

Shake Shack

Oh this place was yummy! We went to the one in Madison Square Park. Great place to enjoy their delicious burger and the park. Okay, so Shake Shack is known for their B-line. What is that exactly? It's their extremely long line that forms all the way back through the park. We must have stood in line for 45 mins to an hr. But I must say I'm glad we stuck it out to try their food. Their burgers were so good! So juicy. I think it's made with sirloin? And their fries were very good too. I'm not usually big on crinkle fries but it was cooked just right. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Matt ordered their chocolate shake. It was thick and chocolaty. I wished I ordered one as well. He thought the same thing each time I asked for another sip. Loved this place, and enjoyed their burgers much more than Mesa Grill's. I totally recommend you stick it out in the long line for these juicy burgers.

Well look at that, that was my last NY restaurant post! I told you we went to a lot. We're just waiting till we can go back again! But then when we do we'll have a big decision to make, whether to go back to these amazing restaurants or discover more great ones. And whether or not to order the same things if we go back to the same restaurants, or discover more amazing dishes...