Hamburger, Olive You!

I am a Hoosier from Indiana, but I'm no stranger to Michigan. For years and years, I’ve spent time every summer at our family cottage on Elk Lake. My grandparent bought it when I was very small  and now I share it with my sister and brother. After all this time, how could I have missed olive burgers?

It wasn’t until this summer that I kept noticing them on menus every time we ate out. Sometimes the green pimento studded little guys were tucked under a blanket of melted cheese. Sometimes the olives were in a salty mayonnaise sauce. Both versions are pretty good, but an internet search revealed that the sauce version is the original. Apparently, the first olive burgers were served in Flint at a chain called Kewpee - and then the burger’s popularity spread  to Lancing and beyond. 

Here’s my version of the saucy style of  olive burgers. It turns out it tastes yummy as a potato chip dip as well.

Ingredients for Four Olive Burgers:

1 pound ground beef

4 hamburger buns

Kosher salt for seasoning burgers

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup sliced pimento stuffed green olives

2 tablespoons brine (liquid) from jar of olives

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce such as Franks

Lettuce, tomato and red onion slices

Directions: 

Divide the pound of ground beef into fourths. Form each fourth into a ball and shape each one into a patty by hand or smash it town with a metal spatula.  Sprinkle both sides each patty with Kosher salt. 
Heat grill or pan to medium heat and cook on each side About 5 to 7 minutes according to how well done desired. 

Toast the buns on the grill or oven during the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking. Not necessary, but a nice touch. Keep an eye on them though- they can go from toasty brown to burnt black in a matter of seconds!

While the burgers are sizzling, make the sauce.

Just whisk together the mayo, olives, brine liquid from jar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, pepper and hot sauce. 

 Assemble by placing a burger in each bun. Top with a couple tablespoons of olive sauce. Place lettuce, tomato and red onion slices on top. 

                                                            

Red Sauce Enchiladas

Well, we're all cooking at home and it's all about what we have on hand...

A couple days ago, I talked to my neighbor from our driveway as she was sitting in her car. "This stay at home stuff is really cramping my style. I'm used to running to the store everyday to pick up what I want to make for dinner!"

 A bit later, Jenn called up for the recipe for the enchiladas that I made her the last time she was home. Then, I had used chicken, but the meat she had on hand was ground beef. No problem! I just told her to brown and drain it and go on with the recipe. I mentioned my earlier conversation with the thought that during this time, the thing to do is "shop" in your own refrigerator and pantry.

So, in this recipe, go ahead and use any meat or cheese that you have. No tomato sauce? Dilute a can of tomato paste with two cups of water or puree a can of diced tomatoes. No can of diced tomatoes? Chop up fresh ones. It's the spices that make this dish yummy and hopefully, they are in your home store! P.S. Pull yours out of the oven before it looks over baked - like the photo here - Ha!

Ingredients for 6 to 8 Red Sauce Enchiladas:

2 cups any kind of meat (shrimp, cooked chicken, browned ground beef, pulled pork)
6 to 8 tortillas (any size, flour or corn)
1 (15 oz,) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded cheese (Colby jack, cheddar, Monterey Jack)
1/2 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons canned diced green chilies (or sub 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes)
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

Add 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the tomato sauce.

Stir it really well to combine the spices into the tomato sauce. Set aside.

In a bowl mix the meat, tomatoes, onions, green chilies,  1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 pepper.

Coat the bottom of a casserole baking dish with some of the tomato sauce mixture.
Brush or spread the inside of each tortilla with a bit of the sauce.

Place about 2/3 cup of the chicken mixture and 1/4 cup shredded cheese in each tortilla.

Roll each tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish. If you end up making more than six enchiladas, they could be crammed in lengthwise, below the rolled up tortillas. 

Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. 

Serve with garnishes, sour cream or a side salad. Dig in!

Asian Tostadas

This recipe was born out of a happy problem. Roy's brother's wife's sister's husband (isn't that a hoot to follow?) raises grass fed cattle and we had a freezer full of delicious organic hamburger that we needed to use up, After several rounds of tacos, spaghetti, chili, etc., I needed to think of something else to do with all that delicious beef. So, I crossed over to an Asian verve for something different. I have to confess, I've also made this with ground chicken which Roy says he prefers. However, this is a fast and easy recipe when all that's at hand is a pound of hamburger.

The hardest part to the meat mixture is dicing the carrots and celery. If someone is in the mood to go the extra culinary mile, one thumb sized piece of ginger which has been peeled and diced along with two cloves of minced garlic could be substituted for the garlic and ginger powders. Frying the egg roll wrappers could be ditched for an actual tortilla - or for nothing at all - just enjoy this concoction as a salad!

If anyone tries this out on their family, I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment!

Ingredients for Meat to Top Tostadas:

1 pound lean ground beef or chicken
1 medium sized carrot, diced
1 medium sized celery stalk, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Ingredients for Salad Underneath Meat Mixture:

4 cups sliced cabbage
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 loosely packed chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Ingredients for Garnishes Above and Below:

4 egg roll wrappers
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
1 avocado, diced
Extra cilantro sprigs

Procedure:

Place the meat, carrot, celery, and onions in a skillet and brown over medium low heat. Drain off any grease. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, orange juice, and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook over medium low heat for five more minutes.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the cabbage mixture by combining cabbage, cilantro, cucumber, and red onion together in a bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour over the cabbage salad and gently toss.

Heat oil in pan over medium high heat. When a tiny piece of the egg roll wrapper sizzles when it is dropped into the pan, the oil is ready. Fry one egg roll wrapper at a time, about two to three minutes a side, or until it becomes light golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To Assemble:

Place an browned egg roll wrapper on each plate.

Top each egg roll wrapper with a cup of the cabbage salad.

Distribute the meat mixture by evenly dividing the meat mixture between the four plates.

Top with each Asian tostada with 1/4 of the diced avocado and a spring of cilantro.