Aussie Burger

Some Australians add grilled onions to this burger—feel free to make it your own.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Asian chile paste such as sambal oelek
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef chuck
• 4 kaiser rolls, split
• 4 pineapple rings
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup drained sliced pickled beets

Preparation

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
Combine ketchup, mayonnaise, and chile paste.
Mix beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then form into 4 (4 1/4-inch-diameter) patties.
Lightly toast rolls on grill.
Pat pineapple dry and brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil.
Oil grill rack, then grill pineapple and burgers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until pineapple is tender and caramelized and burgers are medium-rare, about 4 minutes total.
Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then fry eggs.
Spread chile mayonnaise on rolls, then assemble burgers with pineapple, beets, eggs, lettuce, and tomato.

Cooks' note: Rolls, pineapple, and burgers can be cooked in a hot oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.

The Ultimate Burger

A burger doesn't have to mean beef chuck: Of all the cuts we tested, skirt steak had the juicy, intense flavor we were after. (Sirloin flap was a close second.) Another revelation: salting the meat before grinding.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds skirt steak or sirloin flap steak

• Accompaniments: homemade burger buns ; homemade ketchup ; homemade mustard ; homemade pickle relish ; lettuce and tomato

Preparation

Cut steak into 1 1/2-inch pieces and season with 11/2 teaspoon salt. Chill in a sealable bag 4 to 6 hours.
Rinse steak under cold water, then pat dry. Grind using a meat grinder with a 3/8-or 1/4-inch die or finely chop in a food processor. Form into 6 balls and flatten into patties about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Chill until ready to grill.
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
Season burgers with 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Lightly oil grill rack. Grill burgers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, about 5 minutes total for rare or 6 minutes for medium-rare. (Burgers will continue to cook slightly once removed from grill.)

The Burger Lover's Burger

Grinding your own meat gives you total control over your burger. It frees you to select the cut of beef you want and lets you decide how finely or coarsely to grind. The chuck top blade has all the right characteristics for a do-it-yourself burger that's got everything going for it: It's beefy, juicy, and tender when cooked to medium (160°F). To further enhance the meat's juiciness and flavor, we recommend dry-brining the steaks overnight before you grind them. See the Cook's Note below for what to do if you don't have a meat grinder and for more about the chuck top blade as well as tips for cooking burgers, see our complete Burger Primer.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds well-marbled beef chuck top blade steaks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• Vegetable oil for brushing on burgers
• Freshly ground black pepper

Accompaniments:

• Your favorite condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, and pickles

Equipment:

• Instant-read thermometer, preferably digital; meat grinder fitted with a fine (3/16-inch) or coarse (1/4-inch) die

Preparation

One day ahead, dry-brine the steaks: Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and rub kosher salt evenly into both sides. Put the steaks in a resealable plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove the steaks from the plastic bag and pat them dry. Cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch cubes and grind them using a meat grinder fitted with a 3/16- or 1/4-inch die. Gently form the ground meat into 4 (3/4-inch-thick) burger patties—each patty should be about 4 inches in diameter. Chill the burgers on a wax paper–lined plate, covered, until ready to grill.
Meanwhile, prepare your grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat: If using a charcoal grill, open the vents on the bottom of grill and light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When the coals are covered with white-gray ash (about 20 to 30 minutes later), spread them out on the grill's bottom rack, leaving a space to one side that is equal to the size of the food to be grilled so that it can be moved there in the case of flare-ups. Test the heat of the charcoal by holding your hand 5 inches above the coals for 3 to 4 seconds for medium heat. If the charcoal is too hot, continue to let it burn until it reaches medium.
If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, covered, for 10 minutes, then adjust the heat to medium.
Grill the buns, cut sides down, on the main grilling grate, until grill marks appear, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Lightly brush some oil on one side of each burger and season the same side with freshly ground black pepper. Grill the burgers, oiled and seasoned side down, covered, until nicely browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Season the other side of the burgers with pepper, then turn them carefully and continue to grill, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the center of each patty registers 160°F for medium, about 4 to 5 minutes longer. Serve the burgers, topped with your favorite condiments, on the toasted buns.

Cook's Notes:

• If you don't want to dry-brine the steaks, just pat your meat dry and proceed with grinding.
• If you don't have a meat grinder but still want to make your burgers from scratch, finely chop the meat by pulsing it in a food processor. The texture of the meat won't be exactly the same, but you'll still get many of the advantages of making your own burger patties. Another option is to go to a market with a good meat department and knowledgeable staff, and ask the butcher to grind chuck top blade steaks, gristle and all, only once—not twice (the way butchers usually do for burgers). Make sure to also specify that you want an 80/20 proportion of meat to fat. Just before grilling, season the burgers with 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (the same amount specified for the dry brining) and several grinds of black pepper from a mill.

Creole Crab Burgers

Food lovers on America's coasts have long known that crab cakes make wonderful sandwiches. Here, tender lumps of sweet crab are seasoned (in the manner of traditional Louisiana deviled crabs) and lightly bound with egg and bread crumbs, then panfried until the cakes have a golden crust. A thin layer of tangy tartar sauce and crisp lettuce is all the accompaniment they need.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 3/4 cups fine dry bread crumbs, divided
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted

• Accompaniments: tartar sauce; iceberg lettuce

Preparation

• Stir together crabmeat, mayonnaise, scallions, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup bread crumbs in a bowl until just combined. Form into 4 (1-inch-thick) patties (3 1/2 inches in diameter; patties will be soft but will firm up when fried). Spread remaining cup bread crumbs on a plate, then dredge patties in crumbs, knocking off excess, and transfer to a platter.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then fry patties, turning over once, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Assemble burgers with buns and accompaniments.
• Cooks' note: Patties can be formed, without bread-crumb coating, 12 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Dredge in bread crumbs just before frying.

Spinach and fetta parcels

Ingredients

• ¼cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 bunches English spinach, chopped
• 200g fetta, crumbled
• ½cup chopped parsley
• 2 cups (300g) plain flour,
• plus extra to dust
• 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water

method

• Preheat barbecue on low. 
• 
  
• In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium. Cook onion for 3 minutes, stirring, until soft. Remove and set aside. Cook spinach in same pan for 2 minutes, until wilted. Combine onion, spinach, fetta and parsley in a bowl. Season and cool.
• 
  
• Combine flour with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in warm water, until a soft dough forms, adding more water if necessary. Knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic and smooth.
• 
  
• Divide dough into three and roll each piece on a sheet of baking paper into a 25cm round. Divide filling between rounds, fold in half, then fold over edges to form a rectangle and enclose. Pinch sides to seal.
• 
  
• Lightly oil grill plate. Use baking paper to transfer parcel to barbecue. Cook for 3 minutes each side, brushing with oil, until golden and crisp. Cut and serve. Use two spatulas to help you turn the parcels over on the barbecue.

Chilli and prawn spinach pizzas

Ingredients

• ready-made pizza bases, 2
• grated pizza cheese, 1 cup
• olive oil, ¼ cup
• garlic cloves, 3, crushed
• chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon
• green prawns, 16 medium, peeled, deveined, tails on
• baby spinach, 150g packet
• extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preparation method

• Preheat oven to very hot, 220°C. Place pizza bases on trays. Sprinkle each with a quarter of the cheese.
• In a bowl combine oil, garlic and chilli. Season to taste. Add prawns, tossing to coat. Place prawns on pizza bases. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden and crisp.
• Serve topped with spinach leaves and a drizzle of oil.

Mitchell Watt and Curtis Stone's citrus and ricotta crepes

Ingredients

• CREPES
• 1 cup flour, sifted
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups full cream milk
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1/2 cup thickened cream
• 20g unsalted butter, softened, for cooking
• FILLING
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• SAUCE
• 1 ruby grapefruit
• 1 orange
• 60g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp Grand Marnier or other
• orange liqueur
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Preparation method

• FOR THE CREPES
• Using a stick mixer or blender, mix flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs and cream together in a large bowl until very smooth. Set aside for 30 mins to allow time for the flour to absorb the liquid.
• 
  
• FOR THE FILLING
• Mix mascarpone and ricotta together in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• 
  
• TO MAKE THE CREPES
• Heat a crepe pan or heavy-based, 16cm, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
• Dab some paper towel into the butter and grease pan.
• 
  
• Using a ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the centre of the pan and swirl to coat the base thinly. Cook for on and a half mins, or until edges of crepe are pale golden.
• 
  
• Loosen edges gently with a spatula and carefully flip crepe over. Cook a further 1 min,
• or until golden. Remove to a plate.
• 
  
• Repeat with remaining batter, wiping pan with butter as needed and making 12 crepes in total.
• 
  
• FOR THE SAUCE
• Grate or zest peel from grapefruit and orange and set aside.
• 
  
• Using a sharp knife, cut away skin and white pith from grapefruit and orange.
• 
  
• Working over a bowl to catch the juices, cut grapefruit and orange between membranes to release segments. Squeeze juice from membranes into the bowl to make 1/4 cup of juice.
• 
  
• Melt butter in a heavy-based, large frying pan over medium heat until it begins to bubble.
• 
  
• Add Grand Marnier and maple syrup and simmer 1-2 mins. Add zests, juice and segments and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 3 mins, or until sauce thickens slightly.
• 
  
• TO SERVE
• Spread a large spoonful of filling over each crepe and fold in half, then in half again,
• forming triangles.
• 
  
• Place 3 folded crepes on each of 4 plates, then spoon sauce and segments over crepes and serve immediately.

Brioche toasties

Ingredients

• brioche, 8 x 1cm-thick slices
• butter, 100g, softened
• cranberry sauce, ¼ cup, plus extra, to serve
• shaved turkey, 400g
• camembert cheese, 200g, sliced

Directions

• Preheat sandwich press.
• Spread one side of brioche with butter. Spread unbuttered sides of half the bread with cranberry sauce. Top with turkey and cheese. Place remaining brioche slices on top, buttered side up.
• Toast in sandwich press 2-3 minutes, until golden and melted. Serve with extra cranberry sauce.

Festive tiger prawn and potato salad

Ingredients

• 1 kg ALDI AlmareCooked Australian Tiger Prawns
• 10 medium sized potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Colway mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Farmdale sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Worldwide wholegrain mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 red capsicum, deseeded and diced finely
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 bag of fresh rocket

Directions

• Peel potatoes and dice into 2cm squares. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain and cool. 
• 
  
• Meanwhile, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon rind and wholegrain mustard. Peel and de-vein prawns leaving the tail intact (reserve some prawns to place on the finished dish). Stir in cooled potatoes, prawns, spring onion and capsicum through the sour cream mixture. 
• 
  
• Place a small handful of rocket on individual serving plates and spoon on a serving of the potato and prawn salad. Add the reserved prawns on top. Sprinkle lightly with dill and serve. 

SALMON WITH RED WINE-MOREL SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2-ounce package dried morel or porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• 1 cup seafood stock or bottled clam juice (see note)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt, divided
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 ¼ lb wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned (see tip) and cut into 4 portions

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Combine mushrooms and boiling water in a small bowl. Soak until the mushrooms are softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the soaking liquid through a paper towel-lined sieve into a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms; finely chop. Stir together 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• 2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining soaking liquid and seafood stock (or clam juice) to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10 to 14 minutes.
• 3. Stir the cornstarch mixture and stir it into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• 4. Meanwhile, season salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with the mushroom sauc

Short Rips of Beef

Ingredients:

• Four 8-ounce boneless beef short ribs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 Vidalia onion, diced small
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups veal stock or beef stock
• 2 cups water
• One 14.5-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 6 medium red potatoes, diced small, with skin on
• Three Cheese Polenta, recipe follows

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large ovenproof saute pan or roasting pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 
  
• Sprinkle the short ribs on all sides with the salt, pepper, garlic salt and seasoned salt. Pat the seasonings into the meat. Dredge the short ribs in the flour and pat off any excess flour.
• 
  
• Place the short ribs in the pan and sear until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, veal stock, water, undrained tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven. Roast for 2 hours. Then add the potatoes, cover and roast for an additional 30 minutes.
• 
  
• Be sure to occasionally check the liquid in the pan to make sure there is enough to keep the meat moist and simmering. Add more stock if necessary.
• 
  
• Serve over Three Cheese Polenta.

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon diced minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (Spanish is best)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 8 flour tortillas (6 "inch")
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1/3 cup diced Tomato
• 2/3 cup mild picante sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Directions:

• Cook the ground beef over medium heat until brown, then drain.
• Return meat to pan and add the salt, onions, paprika, chili powder and water.
• Let mixture simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
• When oil is hot, fry each tortilla for about 30-45 seconds per side and drain on paper towels.
• Be sure to pop any bubbles that form when frying so that the tortilla lays flat in the oil.
• Tortillas should become golden brown.
• Heat refried beans.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Stack each pizza by first spreading 1/3 C beans on one tortilla.
• Next add 1/3 C meat, then another tortilla.
• Top the second tortilla with 2 T of salsa.
• Divide the tomato, cheese, onions and olives evenly and top in that order.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

• 1 -2 lb fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined, and butterflied
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 diced tomato
• 6 -8 whole garlic cloves
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 cup dry white wine
• olive oil
• 5 -7 leaves fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• parsley
• milk
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Pour enough olive oil in a large sauce pan to cover the bottom, turn to medium high heat. This is the only pot you'll need for the sauce so it should be big. Soak the shrimp in milk and combine the dry ingredients (flour, 2T cheese, salt, pepper). Coat the shrimp with the dry ingredients and let them fry in the olive oil, About 2 minutes per side until golden brown. The Flour that falls off the shrimp will add great flavor and consistency to the sauce. Add more oil as necessary, between batches of shrimp. Dab the shrimp with a paper towel, cover and set aside on range top to keep warm.
• Add the garlic to the oil, stir for a few minutes, then turn the heat to medium low. Now add the wine and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and cover, let the wine reduce, about 10-15 minutes.
• In a separate pot, bring water to simmer. (for pasta later).
• Add the cream, and bring it back to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 more minutes. While it is simmering dice your shallot and tomato, and chiffonade your basil. Now add the Basil, diced tomato, and remaining 2T Parmesan cheese. Stir for a moment then add the fried shrimp, and remove the pan from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
• Bring pasta pot to a boil and add angel hair and cook.
• To plate, pour some sauce on a dish and arrange the shrimp around the bottom (10 or so), then take a ball of the pasta and plate that above the shrimp. garnish with a little parsley.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef stew meat
• 1 onion
• 3 celery ribs
• 10 baby carrots (or a couple regular carrots)
• 2 potatoes (peeled if you like)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (I use salt-free)
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth (or 2 14-oz cans)
• 2 small bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or any cooking oil)
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Directions:

• Cut meat into small, bite-size (1/2") pieces.
• In a large pot or dutch oven, saute meat in 1 T oil on medium-high heat until all sides are brown.
• Set aside on a plate.
• Chop celery, onion, potatoes, and carrots into bite-size pieces.
• Saute celery and onion in remaining 1 T oil until onion is golden (about 10 minutes).
• Add browned beef, water, broth, tomatoes with juices, carrots, potatoes, corn, bay leaves and garlic.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beef is almost tender, about an hour.
• Add peas and hot sauce to soup.
• Cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Serve and season with freshly ground black pepper, hot sauce, or crumbled saltines, if desired.

fettuccine carbonara

Name: fettuccine carbonara

Difficulty: Easy

Preparation Time: less than 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 6 rashers of bacon, better be very thinly sliced
• 5 sliced button mashrooms
• 3 beaten egg yolkes
• Dry Fettucine pasta
• black pepper
• grated cheese
• olive oil

Directions:

• Add a teaspoon of salt to saucepan full with water.
• Wait until it boils, then add pasta.
• fry the bacon and mushrooms in a pan.
• when pasta is cooked, drain it, and reserve the water.
• put the pasta back on the pan and add the beaten egg yolks.
• add some liquid to it to make it creamy.
• mix it with the bacon and mushroom mixture.
• eat it while it is still hot :)
• Enjoy

Tips:

Instead of using fettuccine, you can use spaghetti.

spaghetti bolognese (very low-carb)

Name: spaghetti bolognese (very low-carb)

Difficulty: easy

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of beef mince
• A diced brown onion
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 800 grams of can crushed tomatoes
• heaped teaspoon minced garlic
• water (about 500 ml)
• heaped teaspoon crushed chilli
• 250 grams packet of spaghetti
• pepper
• salt

Directions:

• saute the garlic and onion in a heavy stockpot.
• put the mince in the pot until browned.
• stir the tomato paste through the mixture for two minutes.
• add tomatoes and half a can of water and simmer
• keep the heat to low for at least three hours, stir occasionally
• season with the salt and pepper
• pour boiling water over spaghetti until its covered. 
• after three minutes, drain the spaghetti.
• add the drained spaghetti to the bolognese sauce.
• top it with Parmesan cheese and side salad if desired.
• enjoy 

Tips:

you can always use carrots and finely diced zucchini.