Entree

My Redheaded Burger Fantasy

jackieinthecity1 Comment

I have a slight obsession with redheaded men. Not really because I’m attracted to them, but more because I think they’re going extinct.  I mean seriously, how many natural red-haired men are there (besides Price Harry, Ed Sheeran, Ron Howard, Seth Green, and maybe an odd TV star like Damian Lewis)?  I am on the hunt to find more and as a side note, please feel free to comment if you can think of more!  I need to add to my list.

That aside, I also love Bobby Flay. Not just because he’s a redheaded man but because I think he’s charismatic, funny (have you heard him on Z100?) and I love all of his restaurants.  Living in New York, Bobby Flay is a staple here and since I have an affinity of all things spicy, his restaurants are always on my list. I also watch all of his shows on the Food Network to get inspiration.

Here he is making my favorite burger:

bobby

Ahh, my favorite burger…it’s called the Crunchburger, which he sells at Bobby’s Burger Palace.  Upon eating this burger for the first time, I had an epiphany – a little crunch makes any dish, particularly burgers, so much better.  When I began with my CKD diet, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat this burger, since A.) it had cheese on it and B.) the best part of the burger was the chips.  But alas, after much experimentation, I’ve found a perfect substitute that makes it CKD friendly.  At that, I give you my favorite redheaded burger with a CKD spin.

The Crunchburger

Original Recipe Found HERE (courtesy of the incomparable Bobby Flay)

Revised Recipe: ME 🙂 Jackie

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground meat chuck (85 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 4 white hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired (Tip: Buns are better toasted 🙂 )
  • 4 slices beefsteak tomato (optional)
  • 4 leaves romaine lettuce (optional)
  • 4 slices red onion (optional)
  • Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise, recipe follows (optional)*
  • 4 handfuls of salt-free corn tortilla chips (Note: I am obsessed with Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips, which you can find here. It’s just corn and oil.)
  • Optional for CKD Diets: If you want cheese on your burgers, you can buy rice cheese or Daiya cheese slices; however, please make sure you read the labels. These cheeses do have additives (including phosphates) and salt, so use in moderation.)

Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of agave syrup or honey (optional – only if you want to tone down the spice of the horseradish)

Directions

 

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with pepper.

Heat the oil in the pan or griddle over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side.

If using cheese, add to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking and top with a basting cover, close the grill cover, or tent the burgers with aluminum foil to melt the cheese.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and, if desired, top with tomato, lettuce, onion, and a dollop of horseradish mustard mayonnaise. Pile on the corn chips, top with the bun tops, and serve immediately.

Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise:

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish (and agave syrup or honey if desired) in a small bowl and season with pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The sauce can be prepared 1 day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.

*One note on this sauce: I absolutely LOVE this sauce and use it all the time. I put it on sandwiches, fish, and sometimes I make it into a dressing by adding oil.  If you are not a horseradish fan, you probably won’t use this, but I’ve found the addition of something sweet like the honey or agave syrup helps to balance out that strong flavor nicely.

Enjoy!

 

Chicken Couscous Soup

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It’s winter and I, like so many others, have a cold. I walk around trying not to cough all over the innocent people around me or avoiding sneezing in anyone’s direction. One of the problems with CKD is that I can’t just buy a can of soup and heat it up, as most soups contain additives and far too much salt.  Instead, I found this soup recipe online that seemed simple and already made me feel warm and healed.
With some simple changes, I made it work for the CKD diet.  I did not add any salt to this recipe and cooked the chicken from scratch vs buying a pre-roasted bird.  It took close to 45 minutes in total to make and filled me right up.  I also loved the combination of the ginger, lemongrass, garlic and turmeric – they gave the soup enough zing that I didn’t miss the salt.
Original recipe here: http://soupaddict.com/2015/01/couscous-chicken-soup/
COLD-FIGHTING COUSCOUS CHICKEN SOUP

Author: Original – SoupAddict, Revised – Me 🙂
Serves: 4 generous servings
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup chopped onions (about 1/2 of a medium)
  • 3/4 cup sliced leeks (about 1 medium, white and light green parts only)
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots (about 1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass (or paste)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 4 cups salt-free chicken stock
  • 8 ounces chicken tenders or thin-cut chicken breasts
  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1/2 of a large lemon or 1 small full lemon
  • pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Cut up the chicken tenders or thinly-sliced breasts into small pieces. They should be chunks easily consumed in one bite.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat.  Add the small pieces of raw chicken. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the pink has disappeared.
  3. Add the onions, leeks, carrots, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes. If necessary, add a tablespoon of the chicken stock to make sure none of the mixture sticks to the bottom.  Stir in the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, and heat until aromatic. Sprinkle the turmeric over the vegetables and stir.
  4. Add the stock, chicken, and couscous, and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer; cook for 15 minutes. Squeeze the lemon into the soup, taste, and season with pepper your liking. Top with parsley before serving.

Take a good, long breath of the amazing aroma and enjoy!!