Dreaming of Vacation – Cuban Burger

Cuban Burger

I can't splurge on anything right now. That doesn't mean I can't dream.
The Habs are playing tonight. I need a quick meal, open the fridge, find ground beef and ham. I haven't got the cash to go to Cuba. So I will make a Cuban style burger instead.
Cuban cuisine is influenced by Spanish, Caribbean, and African sources.  Most main dishes are either beef or pork, sometimes both. My Cuban burger has both.
A good strong  beer, a good Cuban Burger, a Habs win make a perfect evening. Who needs Cuba.

Cuban Style Burgers (Indoor Version)

Serves: 4
Ingredients

• 1 lb medium ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup best quality mayonnaise (optional)
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 4 soft, classic hamburger buns
• 4 slices of sliced smoked ham
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 8 dill pickles slices

1. Form the meat into four ¼-inch thick burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides for medium doneness.
2. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard. Place the cheese, ham, and pickle slices. Fry the burger with the bun on lower heat. Using a heavy pan press down on the burgers for about 2 minutes.
3. Flip and fry until cheese has melted.

N.B. This recipes takes a little practice to not burn the bun.

Freindly get together - Bigos

4:30 PM and it's already dark, -10 outside, and there is 1 cm of snow on the ground. The bad weather is depressing but a good meal with friends can improve your attitude.

Many Quebeckers like to make raclette and fondue. Small slices of meat and cheese are fine but they are not really comfort food in the middle of January. A cooked meat and vegetable dish is the way to go. Growing up Polish, bigos is our hunter's stew.

Bigos is a rich stew made with different meats and cabbage. The better the meat, the better the bigos. Each Polish cook has their own recipe. The traditional meats used in bigos are deer, pork and sausage. Make sure when you make bigos choose meats that you think your guest will like.

Bigos takes time, make it in advance, so that you can be a good host. This one pot dish is easily transported. Make sure the pot is big because when it is made right, people will want seconds.

Recipe

Bigos
(Polish Hunter's Stew)
Yield: At least 4 meals
Ingredients:

• Half a Fresh Cabbage Coarsely chopped
• 2 cups of Pickled Cabbage
• 4 cups of beef stock
• 3 onions chopped
• Half a cup of Polish Sausage chopped
• Half a cup of Bacon chopped
• Half a cup of cubed veal.
• Shitake Mushrooms chopped
• Dried prunes chopped
• One tomato chopped
• 2 cups of red wine
• 2 spoon of mustard
• Marjoram
• Salt and Pepper
• Bacon fat for frying

Directions:

1. Bring the beef stock to a simmer with the two types of cabbage.
2. Fry the onions and meats in small batches with the bacon fat and add to the stew.
3. Add the remained of the ingredients.
4. Simmer for about a hour and a half until it thickens.

You can serve this in a bread bowl.

Have a nice day.

It is a New Year – Cobb Salad



Cobb Salad

 New Year's Day is about looking forward. Between December 31^st and January 1^st my attitude changes. There is a new agenda on my desk, a new calender on my wall and many new ideas in my head. Anything is possible this time of year.

Good health, both mental and physical, is also on my mind.

I have been fortunate with both in the last year but this was no accident. It took hard work. For my mind, I took care of myself. The expression I always heard was, "You need to take care of you" and I did. For the body it was simple, diet and exercise. I burned more than I ate.

It was difficult for me to find the motivation to go to a gym last year. I preferred training outside or swimming indoors. Physical activity helped but the key was my change in diet. This had an immediate impact and I lost 30 lbs.

It was simple. I made a pledge not to buy prepared food from the grocery store. Nothing prepared, prepackaged or prefabricated.

That was last year now this year I want to make salads and green vegetables a regular part of my diet. It will require more technique and recipes to make this happen. Also no prepared salad dressings from the store. Those are prefabricated aren't they?

A popular salad is the Cobb Salad. Here is the recipe:

Cobb Salad

(On Cooking Techniques from Experts Chefs Sarah R. Labensky & Alan M. Hause)

Yield: 8 Entree Servings or 4 meals

Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce 8 oz.
• Green leaf lettuce 4 oz.
• Watercress 4 oz.
• Avocados 4
• Bacon slices 16
• Roquefort cheese, crumbled 1lbs.
• Turkey breast, roasted, julienne 1lbs.
• Tomato, concasse 1 lbs.
• Eggs, hard-cooked, chopped 4
• Dijon mustard vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Tear, wash and dry the lettuces. Pick over and wash the watercress.
2. Pit, peel and cut the avocados into wedges.
3. Dice the bacon and cook in a sauté pan until crisp. Remove and drain well.
4. Toss the salad greens together and arrange each of the garnishes on top in an artistic fashion.
5. Prepare a simple vinaigrette dressing using Dijon mustard; serve on the side.

Note this salad is really easy to adjust for different servings. I also tend to use a local blue cheese instead of Roquefort. Enjoy.