Bison Burgers with Cabernet Onions and Wisconsin Cheddar

Courtesy of Bon Appetit

I have been craving a burger, big time. I was in Harris Teeter (one of my favorite places ever) and randomly saw ground bison. I knew it was a sign. I decided to see what recipes were out there, just to spice it up. Tonight was the night!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cups sliced onions (about 2)
3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1 pound ground bison (buffalo)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4 hamburger buns (I used potato rolls)
6 ounces sliced Wisconsin white cheddar cheese
Dijon mustard

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium- high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until tender and golden brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to sauté until very tender and well browned, about 15 minutes longer. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. 

Preheat broiler. Gently mix meat and next 3 ingredients in large bowl. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook until well browned, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. I cooked them about 5 minutes per side because I made thick patties and wanted them more medium-well. 

Open buns and arrange, cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Place cheese slices on bun tops. Broil until cheese melts and bottom halves are lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Spread bottom halves with ketchup and mustard. Spoon onions atop burgers, dividing equally. Cover with bun tops; press lightly. 

*Also delicious without the bun, which is how I experienced this tonight :)

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo and Asparagus

Tonight, I had a hot date with Kaiser and made her dinner :) Since we both enjoy seafood, I decided to keep up the trend of cooking it. I found another great recipe on Cooking Light and decided to check it out. I must say, from now on, I will always cook orzo this way...so full of flavor! YUM. I could make a meal out of just that, but I decided to serve the scallops too, and top it all off with asparagus...seeing green on my plate makes me feel more healthy :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup  pre-chopped onion (or shallot)
• 1  cup  uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives (I had green onions on hand and used those)
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  pounds  sea scallops
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• bunch of asparagus

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry and sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with pasta mixture.

Prepare the asparagus however you prefer - steamed, baked, grilled, broiled, etc. I chose to bake the asparagus for about 10 minutes in a dish with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. I then drizzled balsamic dressing over them once they were out of the oven. Serve with scallops and orzo.

Sauteed Tilapia with Honey-Scallion Dressing

Courtesy of Cooking Light
Tilapia is one of my favorite fishes to cook -- it's delicious, healthy, fast, and budget friendly! I came across this recipe and decided to give it a go since I had all of the ingredients. Kim was my date tonight and she enjoyed it ... or so she said anyway :) I will definitely be adding this to my list of regulars!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  chopped green onions
• 1  tablespoon  honey
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1/4  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
• Rice, rice noodles or salad greens (I used Uncle Ben's wild rice and had a separate salad on the side)

To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. To prepare fish, heat canola or olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish on top of rice, rice noodles or salad. Top fish fillet with dressing.

Avgolemono Soup with Chicken and Orzo

Do you ever eat something at a restaurant and wish you could make it home? Well, I had this soup over 5 years ago at McLean Family Restaurant which I still think about. All I remembered was that it was Greek inspired and had orzo and lemon flavors. I was never able to find a recipe that seemed similar enough, until this month (no, I have not been searching constantly for years)! I came across this and it made my day. I took a chance at it last night and it came out pretty tasty...it's the soup I remember from years ago. This soup was also great for lunch today, thicker, but still delicious. I highly recommend it!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite-sized pieces

1. Bring broth and dill to a boil in large saucepan and add orzo.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove one cup of broth from the pot (without any orzo in it.)  Let it cool for 5 minutes.

2. Put eggs and juice in blender and process until smooth and frothy.  With blender on, slowly pour the one cup of cooled broth that you removed from the pot into the blender and process until smooth.  This is to thin out the eggs a little more so they will blend in to the soup obediently later on.

3. Add carrot, salt, pepper and chicken to the broth and orzo in the pot.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until orzo is tender.  Reduce heat to low.

4. Slowly pour in egg mixture, stirring constantly, until soup is heated through, about 1-2 minutes.  Do not let it boil or you may get the dreaded curdling.  If you do, remind yourself that it is still going to taste just fine.  

5. Ladle into bowls and serve at once.

Did you say deep fry party?

Yes, yes I did. This all started when Nick purchased his indoor deep fryer, "Fred". We talked it over with some coworkers and decided a deep fryer dinner party was in order. Everyone brought something to fry up and then we all basked in the cholesterol. It was delightful. The menu consisted of macaroni and cheese, pickles, potato chips, mozzarella sticks with homemade marinara sauce, calamari, chicken tenders, doughnuts and Oreos! Yes, all deep fried. I also had a few random steamed shrimp dumplings, but they seemed out of place -- but still yummy. I highly suggest hosting a deep fryer party :)

I've decided to include links to the recipes I have access to instead of taking up too much space in typing them all...and it's late and I'm tired :) I was unable to get pictures of everything (I know, I fail at life), but have included those I did snap and those recipes I do have or were sent from those that contributed. Enjoy!

Deep Fried Mac n' Cheese (I failed at capturing a photo of these -- but very tasty with Ranch!)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/deep-fried-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Deep Fried Dill Pickles
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/deep-fried-dill-pickles/Detail.aspx

Deep Fried Oreos
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/deep-fried-oreos/Detail.aspx 

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks (I used the marinara sauce from my Egg Roll Wrapper Lasagna recipe minus the meat)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mozzarella-sticks-recipe/index.html

Deep Fried Chicken Tenders with Dipping Sauce
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/fried-chicken-tenders/Detail.aspx

Deep Fried Doughnuts
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/super-easy-doughnuts/Detail.aspx

Roman Style Chicken

Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis - Food Network

I saved this recipe a long time ago in my recipe box on the Food Network's website (I do this way too often). One of my best friends from JMU came down with her husband, so I figured it would be a good dish for a group. It's also great for easy clean up because you only use one pan! I'm all for that :) Another reason I like this dish - it's great for leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (I had roasted red peppers on hand and used those)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Rice (optional - I used basmati and served the chicken on top)

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.