Fast Food, Slow

We don't really eat much fast food.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I went to McDonald's or Burger King.  I will occasionally make an exception for a Chick-fil-A milkshake (don't judge me, I assure you this is a once or twice a year kind of thing!).  But every time I eat a bite of a fast food hamburger or fries, I'm disappointed in the (lack of) flavor - all I taste is salt!

That being said, I really do love the taste of a good burger and fries.  It's an occasional indulgence so I don't feel too guilty about really doing it up right.  On Saturday, Brian and I caught a whiff of a neighbor's barbecue when we walked past and both got the craving for burgers so we scrapped our (healthier) meal plan for Sunday night and decided to grill up some Bison burgers and fries.

Oh man, was it ever GOOD!  I caramelized some sweet yellow onions and sliced mushrooms for a loooong time in a little butter and olive oil.  Then topped my bison burger with a little monterey jack cheese, some barbecue sauce, the mushrooms and onions and served it up with a nice juicy slice of tomato and some spring mix.  Brian grilled the fresh kaiser roll (from The Fresh Market - they have a great bakery!) which made it even more delicious.

On the side, I made some oven-baked crispy fries.

Hit. The. Spot.

Speaking of the fries, they were amazing, simple and fairly quick.  The perfect side for your burger.  And WAY better than fast-food.

Oven-Baked French Fries
adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought
serves 2-4

2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

other seasonings (optional):  grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, garlic, truffle salt, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment and set aside.

Peel potatoes, if desired (I didn't).  Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/4'' slices, and from there slice into 1/4'' matchsticks.  Place the potatoes in a single layer onto a paper-towel lined microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute (you will have to do this step in batches).

Then place the par-cooked fries into a large bowl and drizzle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the fries with the oil, salt and pepper using your hands to insure each piece is thoroughly coated, you may need up to one additional tablespoon of olive oil to coat the fries depending on the size of the potatoes used, if the fries seem like they need a little more oil, add it now.

Spread fries onto the prepared baking sheet so that they are in a single layer and evenly spread out, ideally not touching each other.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until evenly golden brown and crispy, stirring once halfway through cooking in order to turn the fries.  Season with additional salt, pepper or optional seasonings and serve hot.

Fast Food, Slow

We don't really eat much fast food.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I went to McDonald's or Burger King.  I will occasionally make an exception for a Chick-fil-A milkshake (don't judge me, I assure you this is a once or twice a year kind of thing!).  But every time I eat a bite of a fast food hamburger or fries, I'm disappointed in the (lack of) flavor - all I taste is salt!

That being said, I really do love the taste of a good burger and fries.  It's an occasional indulgence so I don't feel too guilty about really doing it up right.  On Saturday, Brian and I caught a whiff of a neighbor's barbecue when we walked past and both got the craving for burgers so we scrapped our (healthier) meal plan for Sunday night and decided to grill up some Bison burgers and fries.

Oh man, was it ever GOOD!  I caramelized some sweet yellow onions and sliced mushrooms for a loooong time in a little butter and olive oil.  Then topped my bison burger with a little monterey jack cheese, some barbecue sauce, the mushrooms and onions and served it up with a nice juicy slice of tomato and some spring mix.  Brian grilled the fresh kaiser roll (from The Fresh Market - they have a great bakery!) which made it even more delicious.

On the side, I made some oven-baked crispy fries.

Hit. The. Spot.

Speaking of the fries, they were amazing, simple and fairly quick.  The perfect side for your burger.  And WAY better than fast-food.

Oven-Baked French Fries
adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought
serves 2-4

2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

other seasonings (optional):  grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, garlic, truffle salt, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment and set aside.

Peel potatoes, if desired (I didn't).  Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/4'' slices, and from there slice into 1/4'' matchsticks.  Place the potatoes in a single layer onto a paper-towel lined microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute (you will have to do this step in batches).

Then place the par-cooked fries into a large bowl and drizzle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the fries with the oil, salt and pepper using your hands to insure each piece is thoroughly coated, you may need up to one additional tablespoon of olive oil to coat the fries depending on the size of the potatoes used, if the fries seem like they need a little more oil, add it now.

Spread fries onto the prepared baking sheet so that they are in a single layer and evenly spread out, ideally not touching each other.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until evenly golden brown and crispy, stirring once halfway through cooking in order to turn the fries.  Season with additional salt, pepper or optional seasonings and serve hot.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

Without a doubt, one of the best thrift store finds I have come across recently has been a collection of old issues of Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated and Bon Appetit magazines from 2-3 years ago.  Each magazine was being sold for $.27 and they were all in perfect condition - no pages torn out, no weird mildew smell, etc.  I narrowed it down to 10  (from at least 30) but I really wanted to take them all home.    

Since I don't subscribe to these magazines, it was a great buy as they are all full of awesome recipes, beautiful photography and cool kitchen tips and tricks.  Full of inspiration!

This side dish stood out immediately, as it was super healthy and quick to put together.  And I had all of the ingredients already so it didn't take long for me to put it down on our weekly menu.

I usually serve my Pesto Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes but we were really happy with this swap.  Served up with some nice tender asparagus on the side, this was an awesome meal, definitely worthy of company but easy enough for any old weeknight.

This really could have been plated much more attractively:  next time I would put the Cauliflower-Spinach puree on the bottom, then place the asparagus on top of that and stack the salmon on top.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

makes about 2 cups

adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (April 2009)

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-2'' florets

1 large shallot, peeled and halved

1-2 small garlic cloves, optional

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I omitted)

Cook cauliflower, shallots and garlic cloves (if using) in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well.  Complete the following steps in two batches if necessary (depending on the size of your food processor bowl): transfer the cooked vegetables and the baby spinach leaves into a food processor and add the olive oil.  Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a medium bowl and season with the lemon juice, if using.  Serve hot.

Went back for seconds (and thirds) on the Cauliflower-Spinach Puree!

What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?

Mine would either be this version or oven-roasted cauliflower that has been tossed in olive oil and dusted with garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder.  I can't decide, they're both so good!

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

Without a doubt, one of the best thrift store finds I have come across recently has been a collection of old issues of Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated and Bon Appetit magazines from 2-3 years ago.  Each magazine was being sold for $.27 and they were all in perfect condition - no pages torn out, no weird mildew smell, etc.  I narrowed it down to 10  (from at least 30) but I really wanted to take them all home.    

Since I don't subscribe to these magazines, it was a great buy as they are all full of awesome recipes, beautiful photography and cool kitchen tips and tricks.  Full of inspiration!

This side dish stood out immediately, as it was super healthy and quick to put together.  And I had all of the ingredients already so it didn't take long for me to put it down on our weekly menu.

I usually serve my Pesto Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes but we were really happy with this swap.  Served up with some nice tender asparagus on the side, this was an awesome meal, definitely worthy of company but easy enough for any old weeknight.

This really could have been plated much more attractively:  next time I would put the Cauliflower-Spinach puree on the bottom, then place the asparagus on top of that and stack the salmon on top.

Cauliflower-Spinach Puree

makes about 2 cups

adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (April 2009)

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-2'' florets

1 large shallot, peeled and halved

1-2 small garlic cloves, optional

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I omitted)

Cook cauliflower, shallots and garlic cloves (if using) in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well.  Complete the following steps in two batches if necessary (depending on the size of your food processor bowl): transfer the cooked vegetables and the baby spinach leaves into a food processor and add the olive oil.  Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a medium bowl and season with the lemon juice, if using.  Serve hot.

Went back for seconds (and thirds) on the Cauliflower-Spinach Puree!

What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?

Mine would either be this version or oven-roasted cauliflower that has been tossed in olive oil and dusted with garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder.  I can't decide, they're both so good!