Pesto Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese

Perfect Pairing:  Store bought pesto

Last year I talked about my garden woes.  This year was not exactly better, different maybe.  I continued to be my overly optimistic self and planted window boxes and herbs.  I bought most of the goods at Gethsemane Nursery again.  That place is incredible. 

I tried some new things in the window box this year.  The shade loving ferns and the mini hosta worked well.  Er, maybe not WELL.  They ended up being a little confused with one side growing twice as fast as the other side, and doing the complete opposite thing from the other window box.  Whatever, there was green stuff growing so I had to be ok with that.  

I tried impatiens AGAIN and they all died AGAIN.  I actually replanted them twice.  One batch died within two days.  That was a new record.  Then I found out that there is a rampant impatiens disease in Chicago.  I am not even kidding, google it. 

I came up with a new method for my herbs.  Instead of having them on my front patio (where there was very little sun) I moved them to the other side of my garage after getting the OK from my nice neighbor to use his plot of land.  Everything was going along swimmingly until I came home one day and found one of the pots missing and part of my basil dug up from the other pot.  I fumed on Facebook for a moment, and then went about my day.  Long story short, another neighbor thought they were being thrown out and rescued them.  Um, that probably does not say much about the state of my herbs, huh?  I got them back and continued giving them TLC.  They still died.  I am going to get a complex over this.

I think I made about two dishes from my herbs before they all went kaput.  These turkey burgers did not make the cut.  There was no chance I was getting an entire batch of pesto out of my sad basil plant…. Not from the first or the second planting (no one can say I didn’t give it a valiant effort).  Store bought pesto was perfect in this recipe.  I mixed some in with the ground turkey and added a dollop on top instead of the traditional condiments.  Add a healthy dose of goat cheese and you have a pretty fantastic burger. 

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Strawberry Pie

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Chicken Yakitori

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Un-Recipe Files - Grilled Barbecue Salmon with Mango Salsa

Grilled Barbecue Salmon with Mango Salsa is an easy and delicious weeknight dinner.  In fact, it is so easy, there is no recipe.  

Simply grill a salmon fillet and baste with your favorite barbecue sauce.  If you feel like making it extra special you can make your own sauce.  I wrote about my favorite homemade BBQ sauce in this post.  That stuff is delicious, but store bought is great in a pinch.

Top the salmon with fresh mango salsa.  A lot of grocery stores have mango salsa available in the pre-made section or on the salad bar.  If you do not have that available you can whip it up with just a few ingredients.  I made mine with fresh mango, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice.  Unfortunately, the mango I had was not overly sweet so I added a little honey to the salsa which worked well.  This is a great go-to, healthy recipe with some easy shortcuts!

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Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Perfect Pairing:  Sriracha

This recipe came to be because of a cooking accident.  Fortunately it turned into a very good thing!

I have a really good deal going when I visit my parents.  Before I head home I will send my mom some menu ideas along with a grocery list.  Usually by the time I get there everything is purchased and put away.  How fabulous is that??  My mom thinks it is a pretty good deal too because I do most of the cooking.  Everyone wins.

Recently I asked my mom to buy chorizo for an appetizer I wanted to try.  I guess I didn’t think to tell her to get Spanish chorizo instead of Mexican.  Once we realized this we were about 20 miles from the closest grocery store.  How different could they really be?  Well, it turns out they are very different.  My goal was to slice the chorizo and grill it, but you cannot do that with Mexican chorizo.  It is more of the crumbly bulk sausage variety. 

So now I had some cooked chorizo that needed to be used.   We didn’t have much else in the house, but did have eggs and potatoes.  A frittata!  There is a chance that this is actually more like a Spanish Tortilla, but honestly I don’t understand the difference, so I am calling it a frittata.  I am including this picture against my better judgment.  I know it is so far from being pretty, but it is nice to get an idea of what the entire recipe looks like.  Right?

We all loved this.  It was super hearty and great as a main course for dinner.  I used Manchego cheese but you could use whatever favorite cheese you have on hand.  The chorizo has a kick, but this dish is great topped with a little (or a lot of) sriracha sauce.  I love that stuff.

 

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7-Up Biscuits

Perfect Pairing:  Coconut Jam

Baking recipes kind of fascinate me.  There is so much science involved that I rarely feel like I can play around with baked goods, so I am always impressed when people come up with creative baking recipes.  Who thought of using 7-Up in homemade biscuits?  One time I sautéed green beans with a little Crystal Light Lemonade.  It was not awesome.  I had a lot to learn.  Fortunately, 7-Up as an ingredient in biscuits is amazing! 

These biscuits were light, fluffy, and buttery.  We had them as part of a family dinner but I think they would be great for breakfast as well.  I used a pastry cutter/blender to cut the sour cream into the Bisquick, which worked really well.  I wrote about pastry cutters on this Scottish Oatcake recipe.  If you don’t have a pastry cutter you could use two knives to work everything together.

We topped our biscuits with coconut jam.  It is as good as it sounds.  I spotted this jam at a deli/grocery store in Healdsburg, California called Oakville Grocery.  Healdsburg is a ridiculously adorable town in Sonoma County filled with charming restaurants and shops.  Oakville Grovery is one of my favorite spots when touring wine country.  It is the perfect place to pick up lunch to enjoy at a winery.  Our favorite winery is De Lorimier in Geyserville.  It is exactly what you want from a wine tasting experience.  It is relatively small and has a really friendly staff, and most importantly, great wines. 

On a recent trip we planned on stopping at our old favorite, De Lorimier, for a quick tasting and lunch and then we would move on to another winery.  Well, we ended up spending the day there.  It was perfection.  It was my dad’s birthday and he said it was the best one yet.

I’m ready for another trip to wine country.  It just never gets old sipping good wine among loved ones with beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Back to the coconut jam…. It is so good on toast, ice cream, or 7-Up biscuits.  You can order it here.  In fact, ordering through the website turns out to be a fraction of the price compared to buying it at Oakville Grocery.  Oh well!

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Traditional Potato Salad

Perfect Pairing:  Small paring knife

September?  Really?  Already?  I know it is so cliché , and everyone says it, but wow, summer just went way too fast.  I had such a wonderful summer with friends and family.  I definitely made the most of it, which was my goal.  At least we still have some warm weather to enjoy.  Before I start posting pumpkin recipes I have at least one more summer-y dish for you.

Traditional potato salad and apple pie have something in common for me.  My family has been making both of these things for years using handed down family recipes.  They are both so amazing that I have very little desire to try either of these things from restaurants.  They never compare.

A long time ago I wrote about another recipe that I called, “Not Your Standard Potato Salad”.  I even wrote in that post about my mom’s recipe. 

Anyway, that one contained bacon, cheese, and all kinds of seasoning, so it can’t really be compared to the good old fashioned traditional potato salad that mom makes.  Don’t get me wrong… it is really good, just different.  Everyone in my family loves mom’s traditional recipe, which is good because it makes a big batch.  Nothing like a big bowl of tater salad!  The dressing is made from scratch and is pretty simple. 

After cooking the red potatoes they need to be peeled, which can be kind of annoying.  We have found the best way to do this is with a small paring knife.  That is what we like to call a moron job.

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Year Two in Review

It is hard to believe it has been TWO years since I started Perfecting the Pairing!  Thank you to everyone that reads my little pet project.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate hearing your feedback, comments, stories, etc.  It is the best feeling to find out that someone has made and enjoyed something from this site.  Makes it all worth it!  I have learned so much along the way and I can’t wait to share more recipes and perfect pairings in the coming year.

Let’s do a little recap of year two. Ok, maybe it is not little.

Top ten most viewed posts from year two 

Lake House Brownies  - I have to agree with this being the #1 most viewed post, they are just ridiculous.

World’s Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Yep, agreed.  Awesome.  Great Grandma Lucy nailed it.  It could be so popular because I go topless in this post.  True story.

Garlic and Onion Biscuit Ring – Super easy side dish

Pasta Fagioli Soup – Just like the Olive Garden…. But better!

Thai Peanut Pasta Salad – So easy, it will be your new favorite salad.  I’m predicting it!

German Sugar Cut-Out Cookies – Family favorite.  You have to check out the frosting tip in this post.  Life changer.

Smoked Salmon Breakfast – I like all the things on my toast.

Candied Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Sandwich – You read that right, candied bacon.

All Purpose Breakfast Casserole – I use this recipe all the time.

Pumpkin Pecan Shortbread – Falls a comin’, break out the pumpkin

 

I love all of the top posts but I have to share my personal favorites from each month.

September 2012

Strawberry Pie – Make it with the press no mess crust.  I love it the next day for breakfast.  Just an idea.

 

October 2012

I can’t make up my mind.  October was a good month. 

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Roll Ups – Let’s face it, these are just more fun than normal lasagna

Overnight French Toast – No words.  Just make it.

November 2012

Alright, November must have been a really good month because I HAVE to share three favorites.  Have to.

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tahini Salad – Surprising flavor combo that is delightful.  Funny story about this salad…. Before I posted it on my blog I told my brother to make it and somewhere along the line he confused tahini for tzatziki.  FYI, tzatziki is not a good substitute for tahini.

Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce – The best fall dessert, ever.

Tortilla Soup – I make this ALL the time.  It is so easy, filling, and healthy.  Love it.

December 2012

Basil Slice and Bake Crackers – Best enjoyed with a glass of vino

January 2013

Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce – Best plate of food for 225 calories. 

February 2013

Butternut Squash Risotto – Comfort food

March 2013

Turkey Meatball Sandwiches – Dude food

April 2013

Corn Casserole – No joke, I have never made any dish more than this one in my life. 

May 2013

Greek Turkey Burgers – Spinach and Feta IN the turkey burger and topped with Tzatziki (not tahini, see November above)

June 2013

Raisin Bran Muffins – Staple in our house

July 2013

Salted Peanut Bars – Gooey salty goodness

August 2013

Mini Chile Cheese Corndog Muffins – There are never any leftovers of these bad boys

 

What a year! 

I hope you will stick with me for another one.  xoxo

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Grilled Bacon Wrapped Beer Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Perfect Pairing:  Freezer meals

I really wish I had a better picture of these suckers.  Let’s just review… they are meatloaves stuffed with a homemade beer cheese, topped with bacon and an awesome glaze and then grilled.  What could possibly be bad?  Except my picture of them, of course.  You see, I had people waiting to eat and well photography was just low on my priority list at that moment.

I made these during our family vacation this summer.  It was actually kind of a staycation since we were all at my parents’ place.  We had an absolute blast playing in and around the water, boating, relaxing, laughing, eating, swimming, floating, playing bags, tea parties, kiddo dance parties, etc.   We also had the third annual Lake House Chef Challenge, but that is another post another time.  I have to share some of my favorite photos from the week.

My mom and I figured that we served about 400 meals that week.  If you know us you know that it was not frozen pizza and premade stuff.   We like to make things difficult apparently.  Below is the menu for the week.  You will notice that a lot of the items are featured on this site.  We had a big folder with all of the recipes so we were ready to go each day.

In case you were wondering, this is what one of the refrigerators looked like.  I am sure my mom will be thrilled I am sharing this.

We pretty much stuck to the menu! The lake is about 15 miles from a decent grocery store so we had to be REALLY prepared.  We also wanted to make as many things ahead of time as possible.  One of the things we made in advance was this dish.  I made the beer cheese and meatloaf mixture earlier in the month, assembled them, wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer.  I let them defrost in the fridge and then topped them with the bacon and made the glaze the day we grilled them up.  It worked out really well. 

FYI…. The beer cheese is pretty awesome as a dip with pretzels.

 

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