This first recipe comes from the cookbook Barbecue Party, which was a gift from my mother-in-law. You probably can't find it in Canada. This recipe is a nice twist on a classic burger. When I made it, I only used about 500g of beef, as that's all I had. And I used a can of kidney beans. I have no idea how close to 310g that is... but it worked.
750g medium ground beef
210g red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 green onions, chopped
2 hot red peppers, finely chopped
1 tsp. hot paprika (I just used regular, as I didn't have any hot)
1 tbsp. tomato paste (I usually open one and put the rest in the freezer for future use)
whole-wheat hamburger buns
1. Mix the beef, kidney beans, onions, hot peppers, paprika and tomato paste together in a bowl. Divide into 6 even parts and form into patties. (I crushed the kidney beans a bit before mixing them together, as we find the patties sometimes fall apart on the bbq and that this helps to keep them together better. I also got 7 patties out of 500g of beef, so I figure I'd get even a few more if I'd used the full 750g of beef. But I guess it depends on how big you like your burgers).
The burgers are then ready to grill on the bbq. They recommend serving it with guacamole on top, which is exactly what we did, as I randomly happened to have some in the fridge. Delicious...
The burgers are freezer-friendly once cooked.
Spinach Salad
The second recipe is one of my mom's and is a summer favourite. It's not quite as good now as it is in summer, when the fruit is ripe and local. But still yummy. I usually only make the almond topping when we're having people over for dinner. But my doctor has told me to avoid nuts while breastfeeding, due to my family history of nut allergies. So I made them tonight as a special treat, even though it was just my hubby and I, since I won't be able to make them over the summer. They only take a few minutes to make and are a fabulous way to top off the salad for guests.
I didn't have any cantaloupe and my kiwis weren't yet ripe enough, so I just used strawberries and mandarin oranges. But in the middle of summer, I use whatever fruit I have on hand, including blueberries, mangoes, etc.
Salad:
baby spinach
strawberries
kiwi
mandarine oranges
cantaloupe
Dressing:
2 tsp. dried onion
1/4 C Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 C canola oil
1/4 C raspberry vinegar
Almonds:
1/4 C almonds
1/4 C sugar
a knob of butter
2 tsp. water
1. Mix the ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. Do not pour over salad until you are ready to eat.
2. Cook the ingredients for the almonds over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle over the salad.
