Bison Crunch Burger

Grilled Bison with Greens in a Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette, Chipotle Aioli and topped with Crispy Onion Rings.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Bison
• 2 cups Arugula
• 1 Red Onion, cut into paper-thin rings
• 4 Slices Swiss Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Honey
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 1 quart Canola Oil
• 1 cup Mayonnaise 
• 1 can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 1 Lime, juiced and zested
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 4 good quality Hamburger Buns
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper

Directions:

Make the Chipotle Aioli: In a food processor or blender, place mayo, cilantro, lime juice & zest, 2-3 chipotle jalepeños, a teaspoon of the Adobo sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper to taste; purée until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and set aside.

Make the Crispy Onion Rings: Pour buttermilk into a baking dish and thoroughly coat the onion rings. In another baking dish pour in the flour, then whisk in the cayenne pepper to taste and the salt & pepper. Set aside.

Over medium heat, pour the canola oil into a Dutch Oven or Large Deep Pot and bring to 375 degrees (a candy thermometer is best). When the oil’s ready, grab small batches of onions, dredge into the flour mix, shaking off any excess and fry until golden brown. Don’t over crowd the oil or they’ll stick together and lower the heat too much and be mushy-greasy-gross. With a spider or tongs, remove from the oil and cool on paper towels.

Make the Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette: In a small bowl pour in the lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of Honey, salt & pepper to taste. Whisk until combined, then slowly drizzle in a 1/4 cup Olive Oil while still whisking. Cover and set aside.

Make the Burgers: Season the bison with salt & pepper to taste, a teaspoon of olive oil and gently mix together, then form into four equal-sized patties. Carefully brush the grill with more olive oil and grill the burgers over medium heat until done, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. The last two minutes of grilling, top each burger with a slice of Swiss cheese. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

While the burgers are grilling (but not before), put the arugula in a medium bowl and lightly toss with the vinaigrette.

While the burgers are resting, lightly toast the buns on the grill. 

To Build your Burgers: Spread the aioli on both buns, stack the arugula on the bottom bun, then the burger, top it with some onion rings, drizzle a little more aioli, add the top bun and take a bite!

Chef’s Note: You can always substitute ground beef, turkey, chicken, whatever you prefer, but the Bison is a tasty, not the least bit gamey, lean cut of meat that won’t disappoint. 

East Meats West Chicken Tacos

Baked Asian-influenced chicken cutlets atop Napa cabbage with pickled onions, sweet Mandarin oranges and Chili Aioli – a tasty and spicy treat.

• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Servings: 8-10
• Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Chicken breast cutlets (or a large breast butterflied then cut into 5” strips)
• 1 Medium Red Onion sliced into half moons
• 1/2 head Napa Cabbage, core removed; shredded
• 16 Mandarin Orange segments, pith removed
• 16 Mini Corn Tortillas (4” in diameter)
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Japanese-style crunchy bread crumbs)
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha Chili Sauce or Asian Chili Paste / Sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 Cup Mayo (or Greek Yogurt for a healthier alternative)
• Juice and Zest from one Lime
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Rice or Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Agave Nectar or Honey
• Egg Mix (2 Eggs, lightly beaten with 1/2 cup cold water)
• 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped + more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons + 1 dash Kosher or Sea Salt

Directions:

Make the Pickled Onions: Place 1 cup of the vinegar (reserve the rest to dress the cabbage), the agave or honey, a teaspoon salt into a medium metallic or glass bowl and stir until dissolved. Drop in the onion and toss to coat, make sure the onions are completely covered; add a bit more vinegar if not. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Make the Aioli: Put the mayo, lime juice & zest, Sriracha, cilantro, a dash of salt & pepper, into a small bowl, stir to combine, cover and set aside.

Place one oven rack in the top position, the other in the middle and Pre-Heat to 375

Make the Breading: Pour the Panko, white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic into a pie dish or small baking dish and stir to combine. Pour the egg mix into a similar sized dish next to the bread crumb mixture. 

Exactly 10 minutes before you’re ready to bake the chicken, wrap the tortillas in foil (2 separate stacks of 8) and place side-by-side on the top rack of the oven.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then place each strip, one at a time, into the egg mix, throughly coat, then dredge in the bread crumbs, covering completely (press down to make sure it sticks), then place on an oven-safe rack atop a baking sheet (line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up). Repeat with the remaining chicken, being sure they aren’t too close to each other on the rack.

Put in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until they become almost crispy. (Taking into consideration the tortillas have already been in the oven for about 10 minutes.)

Meanwhile, put the cabbage into a medium bowl and toss with a teaspoon or so of the vinegar and dash of salt. Do not do in advance or the cabbage will become wilted.

Remove the tortillas and chicken from the oven and crank the oven to 500 or to Broil.

Arrange the tortillas on a platter in 8 groups of two (one on top of the other). Spread a teaspoon of Chili Aioli on each, then top with equal parts of the dressed cabbage.

Put the chicken under the broiler or on the bottom rack of the oven and let crisp for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. 

To serve, place a chicken strip atop the cabbage of each tortilla, top with some pickled onions, place an orange segment on either side of the chicken, then drizzle a teaspoon of the Aioli and garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro. 

For those that like it really spicy, put a couple or three dashes of Sriracha over the Aioli!

Vegan Curried Split Pea Soup

A touch of sweet heat brings a tasty twist to a healthy comfort food staple.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Servings: 6

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Red Onion, chopped
• 2 Large Carrots, chopped
• 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
• 1 Head of Garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 16 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Place the olive oil into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once heated, add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and a generous pinch of salt & pepper and sweat for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful the onions or garlic don’t brown or burn.

Add the peas, veggie stock and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the peas are tender and kinda falling apart, approximately 55 to 60 minutes. Taste and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Grab a stick (emersion) blender and carefully puree the soup until smooth. Keep the blender emerged to avoid hot splatters, cuz they hurt. 

If you don’t have a stick blender, you can pour the soup, in batches, into a counter top blender. Don’t overfill the blender! Then, partially cover the top to avoid a heat explosion (not fun) and blend until smooth. Pour each batch into a large bowl, then return to the saucepan and warm up before serving. 

Pour into soup bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Turkey-Apricot Sausage Meatloaf Sammiches

Turkey meatloaf topped with baby spinach, marinated onions, creamy mustard Greek yogurt in between toasted multi-grain bread come together for a delightfully-complex medley of flavors in this yummy twist on a classic sammich.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Makes 4 Servings

For the Meatloaf:

• 1 chopped medium yellow or red onion
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken, beef or veggie stock
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1.5 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1/2 pound Apricot Sausage (substitute Chicken-Apple or similar), remove casing and crumble
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 grated parmesan cheese
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 healthy dash of hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 325

In a medium sauté pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, garlic and olive oil and until translucent, but not browned, approximately 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, barbecue sauce and hot sauce (to taste). Set aside.

Gently combine the ground turkey, sausage, bread crumbs, eggs, parmesan cheese, cilantro and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well, but don’t over work, and shape into a rectangular loaf on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Spread the barbecue-ketchup mixture evenly on top. Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. Loosely cover with foil, being careful not to disturb the barbecue topping and allow to rest for about 10 minutes if eating right away. Allow to cool to room temperature (or stick in the fridge) for sammiches later.

For the Marinated Onions:

• 1/2 brown or red onion, very thinly sliced into half moons
• Juice from one large lime

In a small bowl combine the onion and lime juice, cover and refrigerate for a least 30 minutes.

For the mustard-Greek yogurt spread:

• 1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard (substitute dijon)

In a small bowl combine the yogurt and mustard. Set aside.

For the greens / vinaigrette:

• 2 cups baby spinach, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons (chiffonade), stems discarded. 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, parmesan cheese and salt & pepper. Right before assembling the sammich, gently coat the spinach with the vinaigrette. 

And finally, for the Sammiches:

• 8 slices (2 per sammich) of good multigrain bread, toasted

Toast the bread until golden brown. Allow to cool. Spread each slice with the mustard-yogurt spread. Add two 1/4 inch slices, side-by-side of the meatloaf. Top with 1/4 of the spinach, then 1/4 of the onions and voila, you’ve got you a yummy sammich ready for eatin’! Drizzle a few drops of the remaining vinaigrette on each sammich's plate. 

White Trash Holiday Cluster F*cks

A user-friendly holiday treat, sure to be a hit at a trailer park near you!

Anyone whose done any kind of baking or helped a friend or family member in the kitchen around the holidays, knows that it can be a daunting task – precise measurements, complicated procedures and numerous steps before the tasty treats can be enjoyed. Well, fear not my friends, this recipe couldn’t be simpler and goes amazingly well with a beer!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
• Inactive Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 10-12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 20 ounces White Chocolate Chips*
• 4 Cups Party Mix**
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest (from one medium-sized Orange)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

*Milk Chocolate or Darker Chocolate can be substituted, but then you can’t call it White Trash! 

**Chex Mix, Chopped Nuts, Crackers and Crunchy Breakfast Cereals can be substituted and/or combined with the Party Mix.

Directions:

Create a double boiler with a large pot and a heat-proof glass bowl that fits comfortably on top of the pot. Fill the pot with just enough water so as not to touch the bowl. Bring to a simmering boil, using only the steam from the water to heat the bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine the chocolate, cayenne (optional: see chef’s note below) and orange zest (most box cheese graters have a zest panel). 

photo: Kevin Schlanser

Pour the chocolate mixture into your double boiler bowl (alternatively you can microwave this, being sure to stop and frequently sir the mixture so it melts evenly) and gently stir as it begins to melt. Meanwhile, pour your Party Mix into a large ziplock bag and gently crush to break up the big pieces. 

Once the chocolate has melted, using hot pads, carefully place the bowl onto a heat-proof surface (such as another hot pad). Then add the party mix, in thirds, stirring to combine as you go. Don’t worry about breaking up the party mix, it’ll make for better results. Once thoroughly combined, pour the whole kit-n-kaboodle onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and form into a single rectangular layer. Allow to cool for about 2 hours until the chocolate has set, then break into bite-sized clusters. 

If you’re feeling especially white trash, put 4 or 5 clusters into a zip lock bag and duct tape to a cheap beer and give as a gift!

Chef’s Note: Be sure not to add any more than a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or you’ll be on fire! This adds just the right amount of “kick” to the recipe without being overpowering. Probably a good idea to omit if making for kids or for those that are spice wimps.

Drunken Braised Short Rib Tacos

In honor of National Taco and National Vodka Days, which happened simultaneously, I decided to create a hybrid concoction to celebrate both.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time:  3 hours
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pounds beef short ribs (with bone)
• 1 cup Chianti Wine
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium (or scratch) beef stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 medium-sized flour tortillas
• 2 cups roughly shredded Radicchio
• 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
• Shredded romaine or green leaf lettuce
• Crumbled Queso Fresco or Feta Cheese

Preheat Oven to 350

Drizzle a generous portion of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. In batches, so you don’t over crowd the pan, add the ribs and brown on all sides. Set aside. Add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring often for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and vodka. Bring to a boil and be sure to scrape up all the browned goodness on the bottom of the pan. Return the ribs to the party and add the beef stock (chicken stock can be substituted in a pinch) cover and put in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone ready.

While the ribs are doing their thing, add the red wine vinegar, sugar and a healthy pinch of salt  to a medium non-reactive bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the radicchio (also known as red cabbage), toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Take out about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve so it’s not ice cold on your fabulous tacos.

When the ribs are ready, remove them from the cooking liquid and set aside. Grab a large spoon and skim off any excess fat from the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer to reduce to a sauce consistency, if needed. Otherwise, keep the sauce warm over low heat. Using two forks, shred the rib meat into small bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded meat into the sauce and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and add salt / pepper to taste, if needed.

To serve, carefully heat the flour tortillas directly over a gas burner on low heat (or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds to minute). Lay a tortilla flat on a plate add the lettuce, then the braised shredded beef, crumbled cheese and top with the radicchio. Make sure the lettuce is first so the beef doesn’t soften the tortilla too much.

SPARKLING MOJITO

A healthy splash of your favorite beer gives this cocktail and refreshing twist. Before you say, WTF? Give it a whirl!

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Makes 2 Cocktails

Ingredients

• 4 oz Vodka or White Rum
• A sprig of fresh mint, plus more for garnish
• 3-4 Basil leaves
• 1/2 Lime cut into wedges, plus additional for garnish and rimming the glass
• Tablespoon of Simple Syrup (equal parts water and sugar heated until the sugar dissolves)
• Beer (lighter beers work better)
• Coarse Sugar, such as Raw Sugar

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, mull (smash) the mint, basil and lime. Pour in the simple syrup and vodka, then fill the rest with ice and shake well. Grab a cocktail glass, rim it with lime juice, then dip into sugar coating the rim. Fill it with ice, then then a splash of beer and then fill it with your mulled cocktail. Garnish with a wedge of lime and small sprig of mint. Umbrella optional!