Sweet & Tangy Pork Burgers

I love the fact that Tastefully Simple has a variety of recipes for burgers.  Makes it fun . . . sometimes we eat them as burger sandwiches, most of the time it is just patties, and sometimes I make it into meatloaf.  And sometimes I do both patties & meatloaf.  Substitutions are always acceptable.  This time I used ground elk.  No gamey taste.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 3/4 Tbsp Onion Onion Seasoning
1/4 c Tangy Thai Sauce, divided
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/4 c mayonnaise
6 slices canned pineapple
6 Hawaiian sweet hamburger buns, toasted
Spicy sandwich pickles, optional
lettuce leaves, optional

Instructions:

1.  In large bowl, combine pork, Onion Onion Seasoning, 3 Tablespoons Tangy Thai Sauce and salt, if desired.  Pepper as desired.  Form into 6 patties.


2.  Prepare grill to medium heat.  In small bowl, combine remaining Tangy Thai Sauce with mayonnaise; salt and pepper as desired.   Set aside.

3.  Place patties on grill.  Grill, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, place pineapple on grill. Grill, turning once, 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned.

4.  Spread toasted buns with Tangy Thai mayonnaise.  Top with pickles, lettuce, burgers, pineapple and additional mayonnaise, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.  Serve with Cucumber Salad.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Prepare step 1.  Place patties in a gallon freezer bag between sheets of wax paper.  Place 1 Tablespoon Tangy Thai Sauce in a quart freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 2.

Seasoned Broccoli - Simple Side

Broccoli is one of our favorite vegetables.  When I made this recipe, I used fresh instead of frozen.  So much better.  We prefer our broccoli to be firm.  Frozen seems to overcook.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp Seasoned Salt

Instructions:

1.  Prepare broccoli according to package directions.
2.  Toss with butter and Seasoned Salt

Makes 6 servings.

Sticky Chicken Thighs

What can I say?  We love our chicken.  However, I used breast meat instead of thigh as we prefer the white meat.  It still turned out delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c honey
1 pkt Brown Sugar & Maple Bacon Seasoning
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Instructions:

1.  In small bowl, combine ketchup, honey and half the Brown Sugar & Maple Bacon Seasoning.  Whisk to combine.  Set aside.

2.  Sprinkle chicken with remaining Brown Sugar & Maple Bacon Seasoning.

3.  Prepare grill to medium heat.  Place chicken on grill.  Grill, turning occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 10-12 minutes.  Brush with sauce the last 5 minutes of grilling.

Makes 6 servings.

Serve with Seasoned Broccoli.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Prepare step 1; place in a quart freezer bag.  Prepare step 2; place in a quart freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 3.

Absolutely Almond Thumbprint Cookies - Holiday Baking Kit 2017

Christmas time is here again and I'm doing the cookies.  First up is the thumbprint cookies.  This is a variation from previous years.  Look just as good!  It is a sweet cookie.  I didn't have enough of the fruit spread so I used regular strawberry jam.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix

1/4 c butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten
1- 1 1/2 Tbsp water
1/2 c Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl, combine Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix, butter, egg and water; mix until well combined.

2.  Using hands, knead until the consistency of thick, moist dough.  Form into generous 1-inch balls.

3.  Place 2 inches apart on a greased large baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven; using back of a teaspoon or thumb, make a round indentation in each cookie.  Fill with Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread.  Continue baking 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned.


Makes about 30 cookies (I had 26).

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Prepare through step 2.  Place in a gallon freezer bag or storage container between sheets of wax paper.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and continue with step 3.

Cucumber Salad - Simple Side

This is a great side dish to take to family reunions.  It was a big hit!  I'm usually not crazy about tomatoes in my salads but this was fantastic.  Very delicious.  I used Avocado Oil instead of the olive oil called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:


1 3/4 Tbsp Onion Onion Seasoning
2 Tbsp water
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 sm fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, optional

Instructions:

1.  In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine Onion Onion Seasoning and water.  Microwave on High 30 seconds.  Let cool.

2.  Whisk in vinegar, oil, honey and dill.

3.  Stir in remaining ingredients; salt and pepper as desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Make Ahead:  Prepare through step 3.  Place in a storage container and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Quick & Easy Chicken Pad Thai

YUM!  Not really spicy and you can control the amount of Thai sauce that the recipe calls for.  Even though the recipe calls for chicken, you can substitute other meats like beef or pork.  I used our Avocado Oil instead of the vegetable oil.


Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 large eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp Onion Onion Seasoning
1 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 c Tangy Thai Sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 (14.2 oz) pkg fresh-cooked Thai rice stir fry noodles or 8 oz rice stir-fry noodles, prepared.


Instructions:

1.  In medium bowl, combine sliced chicken, sesame oil and cornstarch.  In small bowl, combine beaten eggs, Onion Onion Seasoning and Seasoned Salt.  In another small bowl, combine chicken broth and Tangy Thai Sauce,


2.  In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add eggs.  Using a rubber spatula, scramble eggs, breaking them up as they cook; remove to a plate.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet.  Add chicken; stir-fry until cooked through and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove to plate with eggs.


3.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet.  When hot add in Tangy Thai mixture and cooked noodles.  Bring to a boil.  Boil, stirring frequently, until sauce reduces by half and is glossy looking.  Stir in chicken and eggs.  Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.  Serve garnished with peanuts, chopped cilantro and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Prepare step 1 in 3 separate quart freezer bags instead of bowls.  Place all bags in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 2.