Over time my son was conscious of what he ate, forgoing beef burgers for turkey and limiting sugar. I made several turkey burger recipes, some with chutney, roasted pears, or other elaborate ingredients but my kids request the original simple recipe from Everyday Food magazine, “Our Favorite Turkey Burger.” Everyday Food, 2003.
Our Kids Favorite Turkey Burger
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (not finely ground)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine ground turkey with Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.
- Lightly oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 2 to 5 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.
This is my son’s favorite birthday cake. It became a birthday tradition. Accompany this rich cake with a big glass of milk. The banana cake is light; paring with peanut butter in the frosting makes it a decadent cake.
I originally found this recipe from marthastewart.com.
Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for coating pans
- 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pureed ripe bananas (about 3)
- 1 teaspoon pur vanilla extract
- 1/4 buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons pure vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-by-2inch round cake pans, and line bottomes with parchment paper. Dust the bottom and sides with flour; tap ou any excess. Set aside.
- Sift together four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; reserve. In a medium bowl, combine banans, vanilla extract, and buttermilk; stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and shortening. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of a bowl as necessary. Reduce mixer speed to low; drizzle in eggs, mixing until batter is no longer slick, about 2 minutes. Slowly add reserved flour mixture to egg mixture, alternating with banana mixture, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour. Scrap down side of bowl.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer pans to a wire rank to cool, about 15 minutes. Invert pans to remove cakes; return cakes to wire rack, top side up, to cool completely.
To assemble cake, remove parchment paper from bottoms of cake. Using a serrated knife, slice each layer in half horizontally. Place one sliced layer, cut side up, on an 8-inch cake round. Spread with 2/3 cup of frosting. Repeat this process, stacking the second and third layers on the first. Place fourth layer on top, cut side down. Frost outside of cake with remaining frosting. Transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 pound milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Prepare an ice bath. Melt chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pot simmering water. Remove from heat, add butter, and whisk until melted. Add peanut butter and milk, whisk to combine.
- Place frosting over ice bath, and whisk until it reaches a spreading consistency. Use immediately.
If the frosting becomes too thick, place over a pot of simmering water for a few seconds, and whisk until smooth.
When I think of the Super Bowl, I recall visions of chicken wings and young adults. My favorite recipe for chicken wings comes from a Minnesota born chef, author, and Napa Valley restaurant owner, Cindy Pawlcyn.
The recipe is simple. The main flavoring ingredient is mushroom soy sauce, with large amounts of chopped fresh garlic and freshly ground black pepper. You can get the mushroom soy sauce at an Asian specialty market, or you can use a good grocery store brand such as Kikkoman. It is worth firing up your grill to cook these wings. I live in a northern state, and we grill outside all year around. I think that makes them even more enjoyable in the middle of a cold winter.
The recipe is published in Big Small Plates, Cindy Pawlycn, Pablo Jacinto, and Erasto Jacinto.
The full recipe is on the Web here.
Pawlcyn, Cindy, et al. Big Small Plates. Ten Speed Press, 2006.
My son's grandpa makes these cookies every year for the holidays. They are the favorite of his grandchildren, and my husband, my son's father. The originating recipe is from Betty Crocker.
Ingredients
- 3/4 shortening
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup light molasses
- 2 and 1/4 shifted unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
My mom would make scalloped corn every Thanksgiving. This dish brings all of the memories of my Grandma, and a small Midwest farming town to my mouth. It is warm, creamy, sugary and full of freshness.
I adapted the recipe from my mom’s, which was missing the fine details, such as measurements of the ingredients. I make it with sweet corn from the farmers market, which my husband grills them in their husks, and then cut off the kernels from the stocks and freeze, just for this dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole kernel fresh or frozen corn
- 2 cups cream style corn (see note)
- 2 cups fine soda cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of oysters, drained and chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper to taste
In place of canned cream corn, I make my own. I adapted this recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook.
Transfer the kernels and milk solids to a saucepan, add the salt, cornstarch, sugar, and water. Bring to a simmer and stir until it is crisp-tender, four to five minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
- 1/3 cup water
