Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler.
2. Combine Cheddar and Gruyere in a small bowl.
3. Gently mix beef, Worcestershire, paprika and pepper in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Shape into 8 thin, 4-inch-wide patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of 4 patties, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.
4. To grill: Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill the stuffed patties over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. (Be sure not to press the burgers as they cook or they’ll split open and the cheese will ooze out.) To broil: Cover a broiler pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Broil the stuffed patties in the upper third of the oven, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. In either case, let the burgers stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I know I've made some version of this before. Seems to me like it was probably Rachael Ray's recipe. I can never seem to get the burgers to seal completely and I end up with cheese all over my grill pan. Anyway, nothing spectacular here, just meat and cheese. Yummy, yummy cheese.

Smoky Pan-Grilled Pork Chops

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cook cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Place in a clean coffee grinder or blender; process until ground. Combine ground cumin, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper; rub evenly over pork.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done

Comments:
Kind of copped out on this one. Skipped most of the first step and just mixed the spices together and dumped them on the pork. What can I say? It was an off week. I'm just happy I cooked anything at all. And I got to use my new grill pan again, so that was fun.

Hearty Backyard Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
6 rye rolls or whole wheat hamburger buns, split
6 lettuce leaves
12 tomato slices

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.

Cover and grill over medium-high heat or broil 4 in. from the grill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.

Serve on rolls with lettuce and tomato slices.

Comments:
I totally screwed these up. Forgot the beer! How could I forget the beer! Oh well, still a tasty burger.

Cheesesteak Kebabs

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound sirloin steak, cut into 8 strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces crusty bread, cut into cubes

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a medium saucepan, heat half of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens and starts to boil. Stir in the cheese until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

2. Thread the steak onto 4 skewers. Divide the bell pepper among 4 more skewers. Brush the pepper and beef with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the bread among 4 more skewers and brush with the remaining butter. Arrange the bread and peppers on the grill and cook, turning, until charred on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange the steak on the grill and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes for medium. Serve the kebabs with the cheese sauce for dipping.

Comments:
This recipe is pretty much for fondue. You cut up the meat, pepper, bread and grill them while making a cheese sauce for dipping. It wasn't bad, just not really what I think of when I hear "cheesesteak."

Southwest Turkey Burgers

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles (about 1/2 pound)
1 ounce French bread baguette
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices tomato
4 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos, skin sides down, on grill rack; grill 10 minutes or until blackened. Place poblanos in a small zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and dice.

3. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add poblanos, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, cumin, and next 4 ingredients (through turkey); gently mix just until combined. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and mayonnaise. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, about 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture, and 1 bun top.

Comments:
I ended up making these indoors since it was pouring out the night they were on the menu. Worked out ok that way. These are spicy, no doubt about it. But still very good.

The Lure Burger

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 slices American cheese
4 crusty rolls, split and toasted
4 dill pickles, shaved into ribbons

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill pan to high. Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the bacon on a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp, 30 to 35 minutes; drain. Finely chop, then transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add to the bacon.

4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Grill, turning once, for about 10 minutes for medium; during the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice. Place each patty on a roll bottom, then top with some of the onion-and-bacon jam, ketchup-mayo sauce, pickles and a roll top.

Comments:
Changed the prep on this a bit - I cooked the bacon in a pan and then used those drippings to cook the onions. Yum, grease! This burger has a lot of stuff going on with it, but it's very good. That onion-bacon jam is amazing. Like you can eat it with a spoon right out of the pan. Not that I did that. Just saying you could.

Anywho. Nothing too complicated - just a lot of parts that take a juggling act to have done at the same time. But totally worth the effort.

Mango Shrimp Kebabs

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 mangoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions:
Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Thread shrimp, bell pepper pieces, mango cubes, and onion pieces alternately onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Squeeze juice from lime wedges over kebabs.

Comments:
These were very simple, quick, and good. I didn't eat the shrimp, just the veggies, and I made some rice to round the meal out. The mango I had was very ripe and kind of mushy so it made it a bit of a challenge to get the chunks off the skewers without completely smushing them all. We'd probably make this again.

Ground Brisket Burgers

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-ounce) cheddar cheese slices
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
4 green leaf lettuce leaves
4 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices

Directions:
1. To prepare grinder, place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die plate in freezer 30 minutes or until well chilled. Assemble grinder just before grinding.

2. Arrange meat in a single layer on jelly-roll pan, leaving space between each piece. Freeze 15 minutes or until meat is firm but not frozen. Combine meat and oil in large bowl, and toss to combine. Pass meat through meat grinder completely. Immediately pass meat through grinder a second time. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

4. Sprinkle patties with salt and pepper. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully turn patties; grill 3 minutes. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice; grill 1 minute or until cheese melts and beef reaches desired degree of doneness. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and top half of bun.

Comments:
We didn't grind this ourselves - we had the guy at the meat counter do it for us - so not totally "fresh ground" but still decent. These were good, but definitely not cheap so we probably wouldn't do it again. We also kind of negated the low-fat burgers by having bacon-wrapped asparagus as our side dish. Heh.

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread, crusts removed, and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil for 8 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles, and discard the seeds and membranes. Finely chop.

3. Combine milk and bread in a large bowl; mash bread mixture with a fork until smooth. Add poblano chile, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and beef to milk mixture, tossing gently to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

5. Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, shallots, and juice. Remove 1 chipotle pepper and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for another use. Chop chile. Stir chopped chipotle and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce into sour cream mixture. Set aside.

6. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully turn patties; grill an additional 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 3 tablespoons chipotle cream.

Comments:
These were good. Not too spicy for wussy me, not spicy enough for Adam. I used chili powder in the cream instead of chipotle and that seemed to work out. We'd try these again - Adam suggested adding a jalapeno pepper into the mix to up the spicy. I don't know about that...

A Better Burger

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons tomato paste or finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Four 3-inch potato rolls, split
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
3 dill pickles, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; season with pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook, turning the mushrooms once, until the water is evaporated. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; reserve the skillet. Finely chop the mushrooms and transfer to a bowl.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and the onion to the reserved skillet. Season with pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is tender and golden, about 3 minutes; let cool. Add half of the onion and the ground beef to the mushrooms; season with salt and mix well. Form the mixture into a ball, transfer to a board and cut into 8 portions. Form each into 3- to 4-inch patties.

3. Transfer the remaining onion to a small bowl, then stir in the mayonnaise and tomato paste. Spread the sauce on both faces of the rolls and arrange open-faced on each of 4 plates. Divide half of the lettuce among the roll bottoms.

4. Add the patties to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip, divide the cheese among the patties, cover with foil and cook until melted, about 1 minute. Stack 2 patties on each roll bottom, top with the pickle slices and remaining lettuce and set the roll tops in place.

Comments:
First off, two burger patties is way too much for one sandwich. Both Adam and I had to take one off in order to even fit it in our mouths. Secondly, the burgers fall apart on the grill really easily. Other than those two issues, this was pretty good. We skipped the lettuce, but otherwise kept things according to the plan. Yes, even the mushroom part.

Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomato

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices beefsteak tomato
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls or other sandwich rolls
4 baby romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove patties from pan. Add tomato slices to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Spread about 3/4 teaspoon mustard over bottom half of each roll; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, 1 tomato slice, and top half of roll.

Comments:
Adam was reluctant to grill the tomatoes at first, but I think we were both glad he did. They were warm, and soft, and sweet. Great idea! The burgers themselves had a nice flavor from the thyme as well.

Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups cooked white rice
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions:
1. Place the shrimp in a large ziploc bag and pour in 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; turn to coat the shrimp. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 2 hours.

2. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. If using wooden skewers, soak 8 skewers in cold water. Preheat the grill.

3. Drain and discard the marinade. Alternately thread the shrimp, pineapple, and peppers on 8 wooden or metal skewers. Grill the kebabs 5 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Serve over the rice, sprinkled with the remaining 2 tbsp teriyaki marinade and the scallions.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 8

Comments:
Fabian Seafood was in our area this morning so we picked up some super fresh shrimp for tonight's dinner. Only downside - these were not deveined, so Adam got down with the shrimp poo this afternoon. :) Better him than me.

Anywho, fairly easy prep, although the original recipe says to finely chop the pepper, which is obviously not a good idea if you're wanting to thread them on skewers. It also wants you to use their teriyaki sauce (a recipe in the same book) but I lazed out and just used bottled stuff.

I didn't eat the shrimp, but Adam proclaimed it great. I had the veggies and rice, which were also very good.

Spicy Jerk Chicken Kebabs with Bell Peppers and Pineapple

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
8 garlic cloves
3 large shallots, peeled and cut in half
1 (3-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups (1-inch) cubed pineapple (about 1 medium)
1 1/2 cups (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 1/2 cups (1-inch) pieces green bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add first 3 ingredients to pan; cook for 1 minute or until lightly toasted and fragrant.

Place spices, brown sugar, and next 9 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a blender; process until smooth. Combine spice mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Thread chicken, pineapple, and bell peppers alternately onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Brush reserved marinade onto pineapple and bell peppers. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

Comments:
These were very good. They're spicy, but not too spicy. There's definitely some kick from the jalapeno and pepper, but I could handle it. It helps that the pineapple and peppers have such a light, sweet taste to offset the heat. I'd make this again. We're going to look for some more metal skewers though because the wood ones broke in half when I took the stuff off of them. Yikes!

Beef Bulgogi

From All Recipes.com



Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Comments:
I was surprised by how much I liked this. I'm not usually one for steak in any form, but the marinade (I prepped it about 6 hours before we cooked it) was wonderful and had phenomenal flavor. It's so simple and uses such basic ingredients. Fabulous.

Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon water
Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1. Prepare grill.

2. Combine 1 teaspoon mustard, oil, and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

3. While chicken grills, combine 1 tablespoon mustard, mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Serve mustard cream with grilled chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Comments:
First of all - "rustic mustard cream"? Puh-leeze. It's mayo and mustard with a little water. Way to dress it up! Adam was apparently really into the grill recipes this week when he was planning the menu. It's fine with me - takes some of the prep off of my shoulders. Anyway, good flavor although I could do without the "rustic mustard cream."

Grilled Pork Sliders with Honey BBQ Sauce

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce (such as Sticky Fingers Memphis Original)
2 tablespoons dark rum (such as Myers's)
2 tablespoons honey
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
4 (1.8-ounce) white wheat hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Prepare grill.

2. Combine barbecue sauce, rum, and honey in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Reserve 1/4 cup sauce for serving. Use remaining 1/4 cup sauce for basting.

3. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes. Turn and baste pork with sauce; cook 8 minutes. Turn and baste with sauce. Cook 4 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand 5 minutes; cut into thin slices.

4. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; toast 1 minute. Place 3 ounces pork on bottom half of each bun. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce over each serving; top with remaining halves of buns.

Comments:
These were good. I don't like barbecue too much but the honey and rum really seemed to offset the smoky flavor nicely.

Carne Asada Taco with Avocado Pico de Gallo

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 medium)
1 (1-pound) skirt steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
1 cup diced seeded plum tomato
1/4 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon diced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup diced avocado (about 1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 corn tortillas
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine 1/4 cup juice and steak in a shallow dish. Sprinkle cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and red pepper over both sides of steak. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

2. Heat grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut steak into 1/2-inch pieces.

3. Combine tomato and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl. Gently stir in avocado and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Heat tortillas over gas flame 15 seconds on each side or until charred on edges. Divide steak evenly among tortillas. Top with pico de gallo. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Comments:
Adam cooked the meat on the grill outside, our avocado was questionable so I tossed it, but other than that I pretty much stuck to the plan (minus the cilantro, flour tortillas rather than corn.) It was too spicy for me, but Adam loved it. Typical.

Teriyaki Pineapple & Pork Chops

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
4 bone-in pork loin chops (8 ounces each)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 fresh pineapple
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

Directions:
Place pineapple juice in a large resealable plastic bag; add pork chops. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Drain and discard marinade. Combine the rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper; sprinkle over chops.

Peel and core pineapple; cut into eight spears. Grill chops and pineapple, covered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and pineapple is tender, basting occasionally with teriyaki sauce.

Comments:
This is so simple - especially since Adam manned the grill. Ha ha! We skipped the spinach part of the original recipe and boiled up some edamame. Adam has recently become obsessed with it. So much so that we drove to Milwaukee today to Trader Joe's JUST FOR EDAMAME. So sad. Seriously people, if you know where we can get edamame in the shell closer to here (that'd be Neenah), let me know. At least the weather wasn't horrible.

Anyway. The flavor of the pineapple and teriyaki together is mighty good. I'm not a fan of pork, but I ate my whole chop.

Adam Cooks: The Perfect Basic Burger

From Allrecipes.com



Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
buns/toppings of your choice

Directions:
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, salt and pepper. Place ground beef and bread crumbs into the mixture. With hands or a fork, mix until well blended. Form into 4 patties approximately 3/4 inch thick.

Place patties on the prepared grill. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Comments:
I used lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup. Adam used cheese, onion, barbecue sauce. Yeah, we're totally different. But it works. Aside from the fact that I ended up with the top half of the burger in my lap, these were good. Then again, that could just be my clutzy side's fault. Grr.

Adam Cooks: Adam's Baby Back Ribs with Apricot BBQ Glaze

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard
1/4 cup sweet smoked paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons peach-flavor gelatin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Four 1 1/2-pound racks baby back ribs
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup honey
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1/2 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to low, using a combination of charcoal and fruitwood chips, if possible. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, gelatin and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the spice paste all over the ribs and grill over indirect heat for 2 1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the apple juice, honey and butter and cook over medium heat until the butter melts.

3. Cut eight 12-inch-long sheets of foil. Pour one-quarter of the butter mixture onto the center of each sheet, top with a rack of the grilled ribs, meaty side down, and crimp the foil to enclose; wrap with another sheet of foil. Repeat with the remaining ribs. Grill the packets, meaty side down, for 1 hour. Unwrap the ribs and grill, meaty side up, for 30 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile, stir together the barbecue sauce, apricot preserves and 1/4 cup water; brush the ribs with the glaze and grill, meaty side up, until very tender, 20 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs, brushing with the remaining apricot glaze.

Comments:
Adam's learning bad habits from the lazy cook (ie, me.) He took a look at this recipe and when he discovered he'd have to start dinner at about 1 and have the grill on for like four hours he said "screw that, where's the crockpot?" Heh. He did cook the ribs with the rub on the grill for two hours and then he put them in the slow cooker with the rest of the stuff. They turned out great. Good flavor, easy to get off the bones. Another rousing success. Plus, it was kind of cool that the recipe was called "Adam's Ribs", eh?