Hamburgers and Fries

Wednesday nights are crazy.  Mostly because that is the night I leave to participate in activities with the youth in my church.  Last night we made 400+ sandwiches for a local soup kitchen.  The kids had fun and learned a great lesson about service.

I have to have dinner ready earlier and I usually like to do something a little easier so I'm not stressing too much.  All the kids love hamburgers and it doesn't get much simpler.

BEWARE: My hippie is going to poke out a little here.

Hamburgers:

1 lb. ORGANIC ground beef (Costco seems to have the most affordable)
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Morton's Nature's Seasons-Seasoning Blend

In a bowl mix all of the seasons then add meat and fold in the seasoning.  If you have time let it sit in the fridge, if not make into patties.  I like my meat VERY well done, so I make my patties as flat and large as possible.  They will shrink quite a bit.  I cooked them at 400 degrees on a griddle for about 2 minutes on each side just to sear the outside then I turn it down to 300-350 degrees.  For me this seems to keep the juiciness of the hamburger intact.  Continue to cook til desired "doneness" is achieved. 

So, I'm a hypocrite.  I buy Organic meat but I serve the juicy morsel on a store bought 99 Cent package of enriched white buns.  I do this for two reasons. 1) I simply do not have time to make homemade whole wheat buns and 2) It taste better.  I learned when I "went organic" I couldn't have it all simply because it's stinkin expensive.  Some things I just have to not worry about.  And I didn't worry about it last night, quite the contrary I REALLY enjoyed my burger. 

I melt Colby Jack cheese on the burger the last few minutes of cooking then I toast my buns and add condiments.  Last night I just added steak sauce...it was quite divine.  Just thinking about it makes me want another one. 

Fries

5-6 ORGANIC potatoes
olive oil
vegetable oil

Wash your potatoes.  They may be organic, but they still grow in the ground and need a good washin and scrubbin!  Cut the potatoes into fries.  I made fries with the skins on, easier on me and the kids still ate it.  I cut off the "side walls" of the fries and those each made 4 fries then the middle cube made between 4 and 8 fries depending on the size of the potato.  Put cut fries in a bowl of cold water. This will keep your fries from browning and I read somewhere once will help give them a crispy outside (sure why not!)
Poor an equal amount of oil into frying pan so it's deep enough to cover a fry.  Heat oil. Dry small batches of fries at a time then add into hot oil.  (You MUST dry the fries first or you may have a small kitchen fire on your hands...ask me how I know) Now you can heat them all the way thru now or you can do what I did and heat for 4 mins a batch remove into strainer then cook all of your fries for 18 min. at 450 in the oven.  That may seem tedious but it was good for me because I prepared and fried the fries in the morning and then kept them in the fridge until I was ready to cook dinner.  So the fries cooked while I made hamburgers and I had a warm meal all ready for me at the same time!

On the blog again..

This is my umpteenth try at blogging.  I stunk at it before, my family blog was last updated before my last child was born.  I left everyone hanging, people still don't know my two year old is a girl.  Luckily there is FB for me to waste my time on and allow the government to spy on me from there.  I digress. 

I'm starting this blog as part of a project for "Personal Progress". I work with the youth in my church and I am encouraged to participate in reaching goals that will help me grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

I have wanted to start a food blog for a awhile anyway and it just seemed like this was a good push to do it.  Now I have a place to keep all my recipes and California hippie ideas ;)  aaaaand I suppose I'll let others follow my journey of "Nourishing and Strengthening my body"

Boeuf Bourguignon

I'm starting on a "Culture Night"  We decided that we would allow our children to choose a country they want to know more about, then I would prepare a dish from the country and we would learn more about it at our dinner time conversation.  Tonight was our first go of it and I think the kids really enjoyed the learning and the food actually was eaten as well, Hallelujah!  AJ chose France.

 

When I did a google search for French food, this was one of the few things I saw that I thought my kids would actually eat.  I found a recipe by the incomparable Julia Child.  And then I slaughtered it :) but it had to be done for the picky eaters in my house.  If you want the pure recipe in all of it's greatness go talk to Oprah....or at least go to her website http://www.oprah.com/food/Boeuf-Bourguignon.  If you have picky eaters or want a Bourguignon for dummies recipe follow mine below.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. of bacon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 of a yellow onion thinly sliced
• 4 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme

 Directions

Cut the bacon in 3 sections. in a large frying pan Simmer bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a casserole dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

 With the beef and bacon in the casserole toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

While meat is cooking sauté the onions in the oil and fat.  When brown add the beef stock.  Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Add to casserole dish. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

Thicken the sauce with 2 TBSP of flour as soon as you remove it from the oven.

Serve over noodles or boiled potatoes.  (we did both)