Cooking with the Dutchess:
By Hanneke Eerden
It’s beautiful weather in Europe! Spring has definitely arrived here! Daily temperatures above 70F make it already feel a bit like summer and this means only one thing: perfect weather for barbeque! During the weekends its no problem, but since I work full time (Monday -Friday) the dinners on these days require some adjustments if I want to grill. When I come home around 5:30pm I’m hungry! Therefore I want to have dinner within max. 60 minutes. That means when I want to enjoy a tasty grilled dinner I have to plan one day ahead (most of the time). Not that I see that as a problem, I only have to think further ahead about dinner than usual. Though that’s not the case with this meal: Burgers, fries and a salad!
The trick of this salad is that it’s not actually a regular BLT salad. But a fancy one! I’m well aware of the fact that the way I serve this dish is not the way its usually served. Sometimes you have to come up with some changes and see how far it brings you. This is really an easy one to prepare and such a delicious salad!
I’m not going to tell you how to make the burgers. Why? Because A) you probably have your own favorite recipe for them and B) if that’s not the case or you want something completely new, you’re lucky. Lucky? Yes you are, as long as you are living in the US because you can order yourself the most delicious Gourmet Burgers at www.WeGotBurgers.com !A San Diego company! What’s easier than that?? Too bad I still have to make the burgers myself!
My country, The Netherlands, isn’t what you might call a real “burger land.” The only burgers we can buy are standard, plain burgers, like the ones they sell at the worldwide famous (or would you call them infamous??) burger joints. Yes we do have them here too! Not that I visit them often, but sometimes I admit it can be tempting when you’re in a hurry. The burgers I like are burgers with a PLUS! Of course, a regular one is not bad, but there’s so much more you can do with burgers! I like to add stuffing to the meat like jalapeno’s, cheese, bacon, grilled paprika and much more (no not all at the same time, don’t worry!). Last year I bought a meat grinder so I could even grind my own choice of meat. Unfortunately after I used it a few times, it got broken and I haven’t bought myself a new one yet. But I wil buy one soon again, because it’s so much more fun to choose your own kind of meat and “stuffings” than to depend on what the butcher has for you! Now I buy ground beef (lean) and the stuffings, I grind myself in the food processor, and mix it with the meat. Not a bad solution after all!
I served fries as a side dish, tossed with a hot seasoning and then deep fried. That sounds good doesn’t it?? Okay, let’s fire up the grill and in the meantime you can make this salad, it’s delicious!
Special BLT Salad
Ingredients:
A few strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled and then crumbled
1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into stripes
3 tomatoes, cut into pieces
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into quarters
1 avocado, cut into pieces
¼ cup diced jalapenos
For the dressing you need to combine:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, mashed
A few drops of your favorite hot sauce
Black pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, finely chopped (or use 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
Extra ingredient:
¼ cup shredded aged cheese
Mix all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl, drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle the cheese over it and you’re ready!
As always ~ Bon Appetit!