Double "O" Burger

What You Will Need: Ground beef, green olives, red onion, scallions, garlic, grill seasoning, mayo & some worcestershire sauce. 

In a bowl, combine the beef with 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic, a couple of dashes of w. sauce, some grill seasoning & plenty of chopped olives. 

Mix & allow the meat to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The longer the time, the more olive flavor you will get. Overnight is best.

In a smaller dish, combine some mayo with a good amount of scallions. Mix & place in the fridge till your ready to plate. 

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil. Form your desired size patties & cook on each side till done. 

Feel free to grill the burgers if you would like. I prefer pan fried burgers because they remain juicier & you get a nice crust on each side. 

Once the meat is cooked, its time to plate, serve & devour!

Beef, raw onion & the scallion mayo.

It's simple but works so well together. The salty, olive beef with the sweet crunch of the raw onion & the cool, creamy finish of the scallion mayo......yum! 

Serve with your favorite burger sides & an ice cold beer! 

My Double "O" burger was accompanied by some oven roasted potato wedges & balsamic roasted brussel sprouts. 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love! 

SLT: Salmon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich.

What You Will Need: Salmon filet, toasted bread of your choice, lettuce, tomato, mayo, fresh herbs & dill pickles. 

Use whatever herbs you have available. I have cilantro & some scallions but dill, parsley, basil & chives would work great too. 

If you are using frozen salmon, make sure it is thawed & pat dry. 

Heat a saute pan with some olive oil.

Season your filet however you like. I used a montreal seasoning blend & some sesame seeds. Creole seasoning or old bay would work good too. 

Flip the fish once you have a nice crust. It should only take 2-3 minutes per side depending on how thick your filet is. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together your chopped herbs, diced pickle & the mayo. Season with a little salt & pepper.

To build, spread some of the herbed mayo on your piece of toast & lay the slices of tomatoes on top. Season those with salt & pepper.

Place your salmon on the tomatoes & then the rest of the herbed mayo. Top that with the crisp lettuce & your other slice of toasted bread.

Thats it! Easy & delicious! 

This sandwich is an absolute Showstopper!!!! 

Its the whole package, looks amazing & tastes even better!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Crispy Pork with Apple, Bacon Risotto & a Cider Reduction.

This recipe is not a fast one. You will need to plan for 1 solid hour in the kitchen. 

What You Will Need: Pork tenderloin-trimmed & cut into 1 or 1 1/2 inch pieces, bacon, arborio rice, apple, onion, garlic, apple cider, cider vinegar, chicken broth & flour.

Start the cider reduction first. 1 1/2c. apple cider & 1/2 c. of cider vinegar. Over medium heat bring to a low bubble & leave it alone. Keep an eye on it while preparing the rest of the meal.

In a high sided skillet, start cooking the bacon. 

Once its crispy, remove & place on some paper towel. Remove most of the bacon grease, keeping 1-2 tablespoons in the pan. 

Into the reserved bacon grease, add in the minced onion. Cook for 2 minutes.

Then add in 1-2 c. of the arborio rice depending on how many people you are feeding. Stir and cook 3-5 minutes. You want the rice to get a little toasted brown color. 

Add in the minced garlic & the peeled, diced apple. Mix & cook 1-2 minutes. 

Now the process of adding & reducing the liquid. Pour in some chicken stock, stir & allow the rice to absorb till its almost gone, then add more stock & repeat. 

Add, absorb, add, absorb. This process will take almost 40 minutes & about a box & a half of stock. Be patient. You will notice that the rice will start getting fuller, keep going till its tender.

After the rice has been cooking for about 30 minutes, start working on the pork.

 Heat a good amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Season your pork with salt & pepper then dip into some four. 

Shake off any excess & place into the hot pan. Leave it alone! You want the meat to build a super nice crust.

Once you start seeing the edges turn a deep golden brown, flip to the other side. 

If you are using 1 1/2 - 2 inch thick pieces, searing the sides is a good idea just to cook off any of the raw flour.

To check doneness, either cut into a piece looking for complete white meat & clear juices or using a thermometer, internal temp should be 145.

Set aside, giving the meat about 5 minutes to rest. 

Once your rice is tender, add in the cooked bacon & some dried or fresh parsley for color. 

Remember the cider that I told you to leave alone? That 2c. of liquid should be down to about 2 tablespoons now. 

Its time to bring all the elements together! 

Serve a big scoop of the apple, bacon risotto right next to that crispy pork.

Spoon that rich cider reduction down over the pieces of pork!!

Garnish with some extra bacon & fresh parsley for a pop of color. 

This dish is everything you want to welcome the fall season & more!! 

As my husband said, "Best pork dish Ive ever had!"

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!