Queso Fundido Burgers

I started off with a totally different recipe in mind for tonight's dinner, but I forgot to read through the recipe beforehand. I started prepping my ingredients for the other recipe and noticed that there was a 2 hour prep step that I couldn't do because it was already after 5pm. I need to get dinner on the table by 6 o'clock or my family gets a little hangry (that is a term we've invented at my house that means "angry-hungry"). Anyway, since the first recipe was pretty much moot at that point, I quickly switched gears and made this Rick Bayless burger recipe instead. I quickly thawed some chorizo and got to work.

Queso Fundido Burgers
From: Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
2 fresh medium poblano chiles
1 medium onion, sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oil
1 ½ pounds ground chuck
8 ounces chorizo, cooked
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles den adobo, finely minced, seeded if you wish
8 thick slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Directions:
Roast the poblanos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let cool. Rub off the blackened skin and pull out the stems and seed pods. Cut into ¼-inch strips.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, stirring frequently until it begins to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and poblano and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon. Scrape the rajas into a bowl and cover to keep warm.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked chorizo, chipotles and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions and form the patties.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high, or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with white ash (and about medium hot); bank the coals to one side.

Place the hamburger patties on the grill and cook for a total of 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Lay one piece of cheese on top of each burger, top with the warm rajas and then another piece of cheese. Close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese has melted about 1 minute. Remove from the grill and place on a toasted bun. Serve immediately.



The Result:
These were phenomenal! I love me some Rick Bayless. I swear the man could make dirt taste delicious. I had to make a few adjustments to my version of this recipe, but these burgers stood up to all my substitutions. First, I could not find poblanos. Seriously...I live in Arizona! I can't believe I couldn't get poblanos. Oh well, I decided to use Anaheim green chiles instead. Next, I didn't have any buns on hand, so we just ate our patties sans bun. Also, I substituted sliced pepper jack cheese for an extra little oomph. It all worked out, and these burgers were very filling and soooo flavorful. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Rick Bayless' Chorizo, Potato, Mushroom Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I think by now you all may recognize my obsession with Rick Bayless. I am not the only one...I share this obsession with my friend Claire, as well. I don't know how to explain it other than I have a huge "chef crush" on him and his food. My husband doesn't even mind, since he loves Rick Bayless too (in a very platonic, masculine way). Ahem. Anyway, I have never been disappointed with one of his recipes. Also, I love that most of his dishes from the Mexican Everyday cookbook are pretty darn easy. It is seriously my favorite cookbook ever!
Since we always have a surplus of bulk chorizo on hand in my house, I thought these tacos would be an easy one dish meal to try out. Also, I made the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa a week or so ago, and I can't get it out of my head. I just have to have it again. These tacos promise to be a great vehicle for the salsa. Yum! I still have some stale corn tortillas leftover; I am going to try to revive those, and pair this meal with a green salad.

Chorizo, Potato, and Mushroom Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
From: Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless; copyright 2005

Ingredients:
12 oz. Chorizo, casings removed (I use bulk pork chorizo)
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
6 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (shitake is recommended, but I am using sliced crimini)
12 oz. (approx. 3 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, coarsely grated
Salt to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (see recipe below)


Directions:
Crumble chorizo in a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until sausage is half cooked. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion and mushrooms; continue to cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Sprinkle potatoes into skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Season to taste with salt. Transfer mixture into a bowl and top with cilantro. Serve in warm corn tortillas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
From: Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless; copyright 2005

Ingredients:
4 medium (8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
Hot green chiles to taste (2 Serrano *OR* 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped (For less heat, seed & devein some or all of the chile peppers)
About 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:
Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay in the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down. When the tomatillos are well browned, 3-4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. The tomatillos should be completely soft.

Scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender or food processor and let cool to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the chiles, cilantro, and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish and thin with a little additional water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.

Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 tsp.



The Result:
These tacos were yummy and satisfying; but admittedly, not as fantastic as some of the other recipes I have tried from Rick. They were good, just not drool-worthy/craveable. The flavors were all familiar, but nothing new and exciting. Also, the shredded potatoes made these suckers really, really filling. The tomatillo salsa was still great, and I also mashed up an avocado with some salt, lemon juice, and lime juice for a topping. On the plus side, this was one Mexican dish that did not have dairy in it. (For most people that is certainly a con instead of a pro...but sadly not for me. I will say that cheese would have worked in this dish for those of you who are not currently lactose intolerant. Under normal circumstances, I would have added queso fresco to these tacos.)

I did have some tortilla issues, so that didn't help matters. It turns out that my old corn tortillas were...how can I put this delicately??...in a word...YUCK! Not good. We took one bite of the stale tortillas and gave the rest of the package to the dogs. Seriously, inedible. Thankfully, I had just done my grocery shopping yesterday morning and bought some whole wheat flour tortillas. Whew! Those literally saved dinner. We ended up making little burritos with the filling, salsa, mashed avocado, and the new tortillas. Yum! Again, they were good...once the tortilla issues got straightened out. Now for the big question...would I make these again??? Maybe. If I wanted tacos and already had everything on hand, I would. I don't know if they were stellar enough to go out of my way to specifically make again. I liked that these were pretty much a one dish meal, so they were pretty easy. I guess I am just used to always being dazzled by Rick Bayless. Ultimately, I think there are much better Rick Bayless recipes out there to try first that will blow your socks off.

Rick Bayless' Crusty Chorizo and Black Bean Tortas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I am on a new recipe roll this week! Man alive, I haven't had three new recipes in a row for quite awhile. (Okay, really two new recipes since Sunday night's concoction barely counts as an actual recipe.) This dish was originally slated for Thursday night, but I did some rearranging to have it tonight. Why you ask???? Partly because I am really curious to try it, and partly because my super-sonic-pregnant-nose is tired of smelling the uncooked bulk pork chorizo in my fridge. I am going to pair these sandwiches with some Baked Sweet Potato Fries and call it good.

Rick Bayless' Crusty Chorizo & Black Bean Tortas with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa aka Tortas de Chorizo y Frijoles Negros
From: Copyright 2005, Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed (about 1 cup)
3-4 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (divided use)
Two 15-ounce cans black beans
Salt to taste
4 bolillo rolls, crusty French rolls or submarine sandwich rolls (6-7 inches long, 3 inches wide)
6 ounces queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (recipe to follow)

Directions:
Set a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook, breaking up the clumps, until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 8-9 minutes. Add 1-2 Tbsp of the oil (depending on how much fat the chorizo has rendered) and the beans. As the beans come to a simmer, mash them to a smooth paste with a Mexican bean masher, old-fashioned potato masher or the back of a large cooking spoon. Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the consistency of very soft mashed potatoes--expect about 10 minutes after adding the beans. Taste and season with the salt if you think necessary. Keep warm over the lowest heat, covered to keep the beans soft and moist.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium. Slice the rolls open. use fingers or a spoon to scrape out some of the soft bread in the center of each half, making a small hollow. Brush the insides with the remaining 2 Tbsp oil, then lay them cut side down on the griddle or skillet to crisp to a rich golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Smear about 1/2 cup of the chorizo-bean mixture over the bottom half of each roll. Top with slices of the cheese and the avocado. Spoon on the salsa or dash on the hot sauce. Set the top of each roll in place, and you're ready to serve.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
From:Copyright 2005, Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday

Ingredients:
4 medium (8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
Hot green chiles to taste (2 Serrano *OR* 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped (For less heat, seed & devein some or all of the chile peppers)
About 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:
Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay in the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down. When the tomatillos are well browned, 3-4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. The tomatillos should be completely soft.

Scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender or food processor and let cool to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the chiles, cilantro, and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish and thin with a little additional water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.

Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 tsp.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #43469

Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, cut into fries
1 tablespoon of Chili powder
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of salt
Canola oil to coat

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put cut fries into large ziploc bag with oil and spices and shake to coat.
3. Once well coated, open bag and add corn starch. Shake again until all are coated w/ corn starch.
4. Place fries onto baking sheet leaving space between fries; make sure to use baking rack to elevate fries off bottom of baking sheet for crisper results.
5. Put in oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over.
6. Place back in for 10 more minutes.
7. They should be soft on the inside and browned on the outside.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with Spicy Lime Mayo (optional--recipe below).

Spicy Lime Mayo
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #120459

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1-2 Tablespoons of lime juice
Pinch of salt to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate and let flavors combine for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Jen's Notes:
I don't think I will make the Spicy Lime Mayo tonight due to the dairy content, but I still wanted to include it in my post. It is really good, and definitely worth trying with these fries!



The Results:
This was another fan-freakin'-tastic recipe! It was simple ingredients that, when combined, were soooo utterly tasty. We L-O-V-E-D these sandwiches!!! The husband and I fought over who got to eat the leftover half that our son didn't finish (we split it). Seriously, I don't think I have ever had a bad Rick Bayless recipe. They all seem to be awesome. The salsa was a perfect accompaniment...it was spicy and flavorful. The sweet potato fries were also a great side dish to go with these sammies. Really, I just can't say enough good things about this meal. We will certainly have this again.

On a technical note...I do want to point out that the directions for the salsa say to just "stem" the chile peppers,which is what I did. This made the salsa "light your hair on fire" spicy. Also, I noticed that I actually mis-read the recipe; I used 2 Serrano AND 1 jalapeno pepper (instead of 2 Serrano OR 1 jalapeno pepper...oops). I think next time I will seed and devein one or more of the peppers to get more of a balanced heat. As it stood, it was really spicy(which now makes sense because I added too many chiles)(even with the excessive heat, that did not detour us from breaking out the chips and eating it straight from the bowl). I love spicy food, but the pregnancy-induced indigestion was a little hard to deal with. With that said, I still would rather suffer the discomfort than to skip the salsa. It was one of the best homemade salsas that I have ever tasted!

Rick's Zucchini, Mushroom, and Chorizo Tacos

After yesterdays bakefest, tortilla making, and dinner preparation, I was beat. I did not get around to my dinner posting, because I went to the couch and did not move until bedtime. Then, it was a fast transfer from couch to bed...and I conked out! I love days when I am so tired I just black-out at bedtime; no tossing and turning or insomnia for me! Anyway, I am doing last nights meal post now.

I mentioned that I was going to try a brand new recipe last night, but I think I am actually going to do that one tonight. I wanted something familiar last night, so I turned to my favorite Mexican-cuisine chef, Rick Bayless. If you read my blog with some regularity, you know I heart Rick. His Mexican Everyday cookbook is one of my favorites...definitely in my top 5 cookbooks. We have had this taco dish before, and I remembered it being well balanced and easy to put together. We used up all our tortillas, so I made some of Rick's Easy Corn Tortillas (which can also be found in Mexican Everyday) to go with it. I did not mind putting forth a little extra effort so we could have this family favorite.

Rick's Zucchini, Mushroom, and Chorizo Tacos

Ingredients:
4 oz. fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed
1½ Tbsp vegetable or olive oil, if necessary
1 medium white onion, sliced ¼" thick
3 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced about ½" thick
One 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotle chiles en adobo), seeded
1½ tsp of the adobo sauce from the can
2 medium zucchini (about 12 oz. total), cut into ½" cubes
Crumbled queso fresco, feta cheese, or goat cheese
Warm corn tortillas
Hot sauce to taste
Salt to taste

Directions:
Cook chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring regularly and breaking up clumps, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. If the chorizo has rendered considerable fat, tip off and discard all but enough to lightly coat the pan; if it has rendered very little, add the oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes more, stirring regularly, until their liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, pour the drained tomatoes into a food processor or blender, along with the chipotle chile and the adobo sauce; whirr until smooth.
When the mushrooms are ready, add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of canned tomato sauce, about 3–4 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring every once in a while, until the zucchini is cooked through but still a little crisp, 8–10 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Scoop into a bowl and garnish with the crumbled cheese. Serve with the warm tortillas and hot sauce.

Jen's Notes:
I mixed up a fast guacamole and chopped some fresh cilantro to go on top as a garnish. I used Queso Fresco cheese, 1/2 pound of chorizo, 3 small zucchini, and 8 ounces of sliced button mushrooms as substitutes. Also, I should note that the cookbook version does indicate that the chorizo is optional...you can make these tacos with or without it. In my opinion, I think the chorizo is the only way to go. It gives it such a awesome flavor. I heart these tacos very much!





The Result:
These were fantastically yummy. As I said before, this is one of our favorite dinners. We served these more tostada-style, rather than in the form of tacos. My tortillas were not as flexible as normal, so we had to work around it. I think I goofed and put too much (or not enough...I am not sure) water in the tortilla dough. My tortillas were not as good as usual, but that was my fault. I was talking to my husband and not really paying attention to what I was doing when I was making the tortillas. Don't get me wrong...they were still yummy....just not as good as usual, from a textural standpoint. Other than that, these 'tacos' were great!!!!!

RR's Spanish Burgers with Manchego & Chorizo Hash Browns

This is the recipe that we were supposed to try last night. I saw it demonstrated last week on Rachael Ray's show, 30 Minute Meals, on the Food Network. It looks interesting, but I have not had good luck with any of RR's recipes in the past. Typically, they take way longer than 30 minutes to assemble and sometimes the flavor combinations are strange. With that said, and for reasons unknown, I am compelled to watch her. I think I may even like her; despite the fact that she annoys me. Go figure!
Well, we will try this one with some moderate changes. For example, the husband does not like cucumbers so we will leave them out. Also, I have dried herbs today...I will use those in lieu of the fresh herbs that the recipe calls for (such as parsley, thyme, etc.). I could not find piquillo peppers, so I will make due with roasted red peppers. I will use regular paprika, instead of sweet, smoked. Finally, I found Manchego cheese at Trader Joe's but I did not purchase it. Why, you ask??? Well, it was $11.49 per pound! Now, I do not mind splurging on expensive cheese, but I read the reviews and a few people indicated that the Manchego really did not do that much to help the recipe. Most reviewers suggested the use of regular jack cheese instead. So, that is what I bought...regular jack cheese...and I am okay with that.
I will make the Chorizo Hash Browns and a vegetable side dish; maybe I will use up some leftover green beans. I like the idea of an unusual, Spanish twist on a hamburger. I will review the results after dinner tonight.


Spanish Burgers with Manchego and Chorizo Hash Browns
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 pound chorizo, chopped
1 onion
2 pounds ground sirloin
4 to 5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, 1/2 of a 26-ounce bag
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic, grated
Salt and pepper
8 thin slices manchego cheese
8 piquillo peppers, drained or 3 roasted red peppers
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/4 seedless cucumber, very thinly sliced on an angle
1 large vine-ripe tomato, sliced
4 crusty rolls, split and toasted

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add chorizo.

While chorizo is rendering and browning, peel onion. Place meat in a mixing bowl. Grate a few tablespoons of onion directly over the meat. Quarter the remainder of the onion and thinly slice.
Add potatoes and onions to the chorizo. Season the hash browns with salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Once the potatoes are lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes, flip them and press them down with a spatula to crisp them, continue to cook 7 to 8 minutes more.

To the sirloin, add parsley, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix the burgers to combine and form 4 large patties. Create an indentation in each burger using the heal of your hand to counter the bulge at the center that happens to burgers as they cook - your burgers will be nice and flat for topping if you use this trick!

Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare burgers and up to 6 to 7 minutes on each side for well done. Melt cheese, 2 thin slices on each burger, the last 2 minutes they are in the pan. Tent the skillet with loose foil to trap enough heat to melt the cheese.

Place piquillo peppers in food processor and add hot sauce, salt and pepper. Process the peppers into a smooth paste.

To assemble, place burgers on bun bottoms and top with sliced red onion, cucumber and tomato. Slather the bun tops with pepper paste and set into place. Serve crispy hash browns with chorizo along side.

Episode#: TM1624 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.