Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

Most people overlook pork as burger material. This recipe is taken from the traditional American favorite of pork chops and applesauce, transforming it into a portable, easy-to-make, and hearty burger. This is also delicious for breakfast served at room temperature. The apple really dresses it up and to take this one step further from the norm. To go further, consider brushing the apple with cranberry ketchup (see recipe below) or even chop up a few tablespoons of the apple and toss it into the burger before forming the patty.

Pork Burger with sliced apples and maple syrup
Makes 4 Servings

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (to season grill or skillet)
4 tablespoons Vermont maple syrup
1 tablespoon applesauce (no additives or preservatives)
1¼ pounds ground pork
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
4 fresh burger buns, toasted and buttered

Wipe a grill grate or cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, applesauce, and pork. Form the mixture into 4 burgers about ¾-inch thick.

Cook the burgers until done through, 7 minutes per side on the grill, and 9 minutes per side in a skillet. It is done when it is opaque inside. To assemble, place the burgers on the toasted buns and cover them with a few fresh apple slices. Serve immediately.


Home-style Cranberry Ketchup
Makes ½ cups

6 ounces canned tomato paste (vine ripened is the best)
½ cup organic light corn syrup (you can substitute this with ¼ cup maple syrup)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white onion, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch minced fresh garlic
½ cup cranberry chutney

Combine all ingredients with ¼ cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to your liking (note that it will thicken further as it cools). Serve cooled.

Refrigerate in a tightly covered container for up to 10 days. This ketchup is a great base for home made cocktail sauce.

Labels: burgers, Comfort Food, pork burger, portable

Barbecuing chicken just right is truly an art. I have found grilling the chicken until it's par cooked before applying the bbq sauce is the best way to ensure the sauce doesn't burn. And if you have time, you should try home-brewed sauces before store-bought. There are tons of recipes on the web, try 'em all. Below is my favorite and a recipe I developed after a summer down at the shore.

Barbecued Chicken
Serves 6 hungry barbecue enthusiast

6 whole chicken leg quarters (with skin on)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups Barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade, see recipe below)

Turn a well seasoned and clean grill on medium low.

Season the chicken leg quarters with salt and pepper and place it on the grill skin side down. Let it cook for 7 minutes with the lid open (if it is a cold day, close the lid). Flip the chicken over. If the skin sticks to the grates, give it another minute before trying to turn it over. Whatever you do, don’t force it off the grates; gently ease it off so the skin stays on the chicken. Cook the chicken for an additional 8 minutes.

At this point the chicken should be half way cooked.

Then with a basting brush, brush the chicken legs with barbecue sauce. Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes and then flip it. Again brush the other side of the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Make sure it is well coated. Continue to flip the chicken every 5 minutes and reapply the sauce every time.

The chicken is done when the thickest part registers 160 to 165 degrees. From when you started basting, this will takes about 18 minutes. Serve immediately while the chicken is hot, just take care so not to burn yourself.


Original Barbecue Sauce
makes 1½ cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup canned tomato sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup white-wine vinegar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium pot over medium-low heat and whisk until everything is well combined and smooth. Cook the sauce for about 15 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Labels: Barbecued Chicken, Barbecued Sauce, grilling

Pasta is the world's most versatile ingredient. I love to combine it with lobster meat and seafood but of course anything goes and other great ingredients to try are: grilled chicken, thinly sliced broiled meat, baked fish, sauteed veggies, freshly chopped herbs, just to name a few.

When using pasta as your base ingredient you can quite literary create anything on the spot and the best part, is you don't even have to breaking out the measuring cups.

So how's that work?

Prepare a pot of pasta in salt water. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

And for the pasta topping, just use your favorite ingredients, for example if you like Italian flavors-try minced garlic, chopped parsley, and cherry tomatoes. Saute these ingredients together in a skillet with a little olive oil and then add in the cooked pasta. Mix the pasta around to absorb the juice from the tomato, which takes a few minutes. At the very last minute, add in cooked lobster meat (or the other ingredients I mentioned) and stir again until it becomes warm. Turn off the heat and serve.

If you like Asian flavors, the ingredients to try with pasta would be: minced garlic and ginger, hoisin or oyster sauce, and a sprinkle of lime and cilantro.

If you like Indian flavors, the ingredients to try with pasta would be: ground curry, coconut milk, raisins, and sauteed veggies.

Using this technique, it's super easy to create amazing dishes based on whatever it is you like.

Another really neat thing about pasta is it can be as down to earth or fancy as you would like. For a home cooked feel, just serve with little to no fanfare, however, to dress up the pasta, simply lay it fancifully on the plate and sprinkle it decoratively with freshly chopped herbs. Adding a thin sliver of a piece of cheese or as shown in the photos, a piece of lobster meat, the dish suddenly takes on a very sophisticated feel.

Labels: lobster meat, Pasta, seafood