Chris' Bay Area Burgers

This recipe is straight from AllRecipes.com and courtesy of my friend Cathi. These burgers are really incredible, and the best home grilled burgers I've ever eaten, hands down.

4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 4 hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Mix together the ground beef, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil. Divide into four balls, and flatten into patties.
2. Cook the patties for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. The internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove from grill and place onto hamburger buns. Top with desired toppings and condiments.

Mexican Style Lasagna

I'm sure you can modify this to make it Logan-approved, Kellie. Ryan and I made this recipe at least once a month after we first tried it. Being meat-lovers, we often add taco seasoned ground beef. We have also traded out whole pinto beans for a plain ol can of refried beans and corn tortillas for tortilla chips in order to avoid an extra trip to the store.

Thanks Everyday Food!

ingredients

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

(Optional: Meat!! This is good as both a vegetarian and omnivorous dish.)

Serves 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 425°. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving: 446 calories; 21 grams fat; 21.6 grams protein; 48.2 grams carbohydrates; 10.4 grams fiber

Rolled French Bread and Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls

When I heard about Logan's egg allergy, I started noticing how many of my kids' favorite foods have eggs in them. So here are a couple of yummy eggless bread recipes that are big hits at my house: Rolled French Bread and Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls. Unfortunately, both use white flour and aren't exactly health foods, but sometimes I just want some good old carbs.

Rolled French Bread

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. flour (approx.)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add remaining 1 cup water, oil, sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour; mix well. Then add remaining flour. No kneading is necessary. Punch dough down every 10 minutes for a total of 5 times. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 9 x 13-inch rectangle, then tightly roll each piece into a loaf. Cut diagonal slits in the top of each loaf. Let each loaf rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Variation: For Italian bread, mix about 2 Tbsp. softened butter with about 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder. Spread over tops of loaves before rising.

Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. butter
2 c. milk, scalded
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
5-6 c. flour

Peel, cut up and cook 2 small potatoes. Mash potatoes and measure 3/4 cup; add butter and mix. Scald milk; cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over milk; stir until yeast melts. Add sugar to milk, then add milk mixture to mashed potatoes. Mix well. Add salt to flour, stir flour into potato mixture with wooden spoon until all flour is mixed in. Don't knead. It will be lumpy. Let dough rise 1 hour. Divide into 3 sections. Roll 1 section on floured surface into 12-inch square. Put dabs of butter on rolled out dough; don't spread. Sprinkle cinnamon over dough. Sprinke lots of brown sugar over dough. Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 1-inch slices. Put rolls on buttered cookie sheet; let rise 30 minutes. Follow same procedure with other 2 sections. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Rolls will be barely golden brown when done. Frost with cream cheese frosting or your favorite frosting.

Simple Sprite Cake

This recipe is from Bakerella - which is a great baking blog if you haven't seen it. Anyway, this is the cake I'd make for Logan's upcoming birthday if he wasn't allergic to eggs and if we could use boxed cake mixes anymore. So, make it and let me live vicariously! It looks awesome.

Simple Sprite Cake

1 white cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz. size)

8 oz. can of Sprite (the mini one)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
Mix ingredients on low until combined and then increase speed to medium and mix for about 2 minutes. Pour batter into pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe amended from here. Make it simple all the way and tear open a can of vanilla ready-made frosting… (don't worry I won't tell) or you can use this really easy frosting recipe:

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1b. 10X powdered sugar

1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half or cream

Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla with until smooth.
Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
If you want it a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture.

Pink Lemonade Pie

Tara's post reminded me of a dessert I rememeber eating at my Grandma McMullin's house as a kid - pink lemonade pie. I did some sleuthing (thanks google!) and found this recipe. It's hot and yucky in Houston right now and it sounds just about right.

Pink Lemonade Pie

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together concentrate and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Fold in whipped topping. Pour filling into crust, and freeze for at least an hour before serving.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Graham cracker-crumb crust
4 limes
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whipping cream

1. From limes, grate 1 tbsp peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice. Combine condensed milk, lime peel, and juice until well blended.
2. Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream, one-third at a time, into lime mixture just until blended.
3. Pour mixture into crust. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 1 month. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 10 servings

About 319 calories, 5 g protein, 36g carbohydrate, 18g total fat (11g saturated), 59 mg cholesterol, 196 mg sodium.

Tasty Whole Wheat Bran Banana Muffins

Ok, I know these sound pretty intense - but try them. They don't taste even remotely healthy, and yet they're really good for you, super easy, and a big hit with the kiddos.

*Notes: If you don't have bananas that are ready, you can roast them at 325 for 20 minutes and they'll be perfect. Also, I just use regular milk and throw in a tablespoon of lemon juice as well as some cinnamon and cardamom for fun. I also use chocolate chips instead of nuts because Logan's allergic to them. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed (3 bananas)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat bran or oat bran
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecan, chopped
Directions
1Preheat oven to 375°F Spray 12 muffin tins and set aside.
2Mix first 6 ingredients together and set aside.
3Mix both types of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle, and add banana mixture. Stir until just combined, do not overmix.
4Fold the pecans.
5Divide the dough into the muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Welcome to the new site!

One of my favorite things in all this world is to find a great recipe and share it. I have been wanting to start a recipe blog for a while - and now here we are! Please let me know if you would like to be a contributor and I'll add you to the site so that you can log in with your gmail info and post your own great recipes. I know I'm always looking for new ways to answer the eternal question: What are we going to eat?!