Turkey Burgers

I am a huge turkey burger fan. When I am out to eat and I am in the mood for a burger, I turn to the turkey burger option most of the time (okay, I admit, I am a sucker for a juicy beef burger now and again, but I tend to err on the healthy side). Andrew and I were FINALLY introduced to the Edina Grill last night. It is sad that it took so long... we have been missing out. For "first-timers" like us, our friends recommended the turkey burger hands-down, which I found unusual (turkey burgers are not usually the star of the menu). Once I read the description ("Fresh ground turkey, peanuts, jalapenos, onion, garlic and curry seasonings blended together and topped with pepper jack cheese, poblano peanut pesto aioli and iceberg lettuce. 'Voted Best Turkey Burger in the Twin Cities'"), I understood. Andrew and I both ordered it and were blown away by the combination of flavors.

I love making turkey burgers at home, so I promise to post my version of the Edina Grill Turkey Burger the next time we are grilling out at home.


P.S. Pair this burger with the Hennepin Ale. It is a Belgian-style unfiltered wheat ale with a citrusy flavor profile. (Brewed in New York). Similar to an ale that we love and can only get at the Great Dane in Madison, WI, so we were excited to discover this one!

Golden Fig Fine Foods

For those of you who have browsed your way down Grand Avenue in Saint Paul lately, you probably ran into the most wonderful treasure that I discovered two weekends ago. It is called Golden Fig Fine Foods. I was lucky enough to hear Golden Fig owner Laurie Crowell speak at a networking event. Laurie grew up in Wisconsin but worked under Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa) in The Hamptons in college (and I believe for a year or two after that). Ina continues to be a great mentor to her. You can see Ina's influence reflected in Laurie's shop. This quaint shop offers everything from kitchenware to gourmet chocolates, MN- and WI-made cheeses and other handcrafted goodies (read: homemade vinegars that looked out of this world!). It appears that all of her products come from the Midwest (another plus!). There were lots of opportunities to sample, as well. I picked up a small jar of horseradish mustard that has a huge kick to it - fresh from a small sandwich-shop owner in Chicago. I've used it on sandwiches and in a vinaigrette dressing - I'm obsessed! Now that the weather is warming up, take advantage and stroll down Grand, making sure to stop and purchase some goodies from Golden Fig!

Grilling Season is Upon Us!

Andrew and I hosted his parents for dinner a couple of weeks ago. To celebrate the beginning of spring, we brushed the snow off of the grill and grilled some chicken kabobs. I pulled an Asian-inspired marinade recipe out of a cookbook that my mom had purchased for me a couple of years ago (it's called An Occasion to Gather: Milwaukee Entertains). Once it was mixed together, I took a small taste to test for seasonings and my mind began to race with all of the things I could do with this marinade. On top of being a great marinade for chicken breasts or kabobs, it would make a great dipping sauce (think chicken satay) and would also work with hardy white fish (halibut, swordfish, etc.) or even seared tuna - just brush some on before grilling and drizzle a little bit more on top after the fish is cooked. You could even toss this marinade with noodles for a yummy side dish. You are guaranteed to love it. (This recipe makes enough marinade for 6-8 boneless chicken breasts).

1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 green onions, minced
1/2 cup chili sauce (I used a sweet, mild chili sauce from Lund's)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients together. Pour over chicken breasts (I recommend reserving some of the sauce for dipping!) and marinate for 8-10 hours.

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

I served this last night at book club, and it seemed to be enjoyed by all. It is super easy (except for maybe the cheese grating, which I do not have a talent for) and great for big groups.

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas
Courtesy of Giada DiLaurentiis and Food Network

4 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

HaiVy's Edits: I added 3 cloves of garlic to give the dish some more flavor and an extra handful of fontina cheese, just because I love both. I also cut back on the bread crumbs to about 1/3 cup and the peas to about 3/4 cup because I'm not crazy about either of those.

Wines Under $15!

The April issue of Food & Wine is my favorite so far in 2008 - it features "winter into spring" recipes and some great articles about wine (my favorite being a feature about Santa Barbera). Above all, there is a feature that highlights F & W's favorite American wines under $15. Click here to see their lists. Some I have tried before and some I will be purchasing soon! I recommend picking up this issue and saving it as a guide when you need to buy some great but afforable bottles of wine for entertaining. Share your review if you try one!

Byerlys Lunds Wine Sale

Hooray! It's wine sale time at Byerlys and Lunds wine shops. Now until March 15, you can buy one bottle and get the second half off.

Happy shopping.

Food & Wine Experience

Andrew and I attended the Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience this past Saturday. This is our second annual trip to the event and it was as much fun as we remembered! The wine was fantastic. The highlight was at The Wine Company table and tasting room. We signed up for a special tasting in the room (a free extra, you just had to know what website to go to to sign up beforehand!) and met Luc, the 9th generation winemaker from Bouchard Pere & Fils, a French Winery (located in the the Beaune region of the Burgundy region) whose history dates back to the 1700's. We tried 4 Premier Crus - two whites and two reds... at $50-$60/bottle they were way beyond our budget but incredible to taste while listening to live commentary from one of the members of the Bouchard family (French accent and all)! If only we could have been sitting amongst the vines in Burgundy... sigh....

Back to reality, we came across what could possibly be our new favorite "go-to" red and white wines that each retail at $11/bottle! Four Vines Winery (Paso Robles, CA) makes an awesome unoaked Chardonnay (2006 "Naked" Chardonnay, Santa Barbera, see bottle, right) and a tasty Zinfandel (called Four Vines OVC (Old Vine Cuvee) Zinfandel). I know that you can find them at France 44, we ordered up a few bottles right away from their website - FYI, if you order online you can get this wine for $9.35/bottle, as they are offering a F&W Experience discount. Just search "Four Vines" from their home page. You can pick the wine up right at the store.

Cheers!