Blue Cheese Burger

My old flame was a HUGE fan of burgers!  One of the best is at Chris Madrid's in San Antonio, TX (http://www.chrismadrids.com/ - I happen to love the Flaming Jalapeno with Cheddar Cheese, but I can't discount the regular old Cheddar Cheezy).  Sadly, Dallas isn't really convenient for a quick trip to Chris Madrid's, so I like to strive to make a delicious burger at home.  Blue cheese is a great mix-in for burgers.  It keeps the burger moist, adds a lot of flavor without too much seasoning, and makes additional cheese unnecessary.  These little sliders were perfect for a weeknight dinner - simple and delicious!

2 lb ground beef (93/7 is fine)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp parsley flakes
6 oz blue cheese crumbles

Combine ground beef, olives and spices in a large bowl.  Using hands (it's really the best way), combine ingredients.  Add blue cheese crumbles, breaking apart larger chunks and combining throroughly with the beef mixture. 

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp unsalted butter over medium heat in a nonstick skillet.  Take a golfball-size portion on beef and form into a patty, roughly 1/4-inch thick (the beef puffs up a little when it's cooked).  For an 8-inch skillet, place three slider patties in the oil and press down in the center of each gently, leaving a slight indention.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes (cooking times vary, so look for a light brown crust on the side facing down in the skillet to know it's time to flip).  Let the patties rest for 1 minute on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil.

Serve your sliders on either whole wheat buns or dinner rolls with baby spinach, thinly sliced tomato, and thinly sliced red onion.  Spicy brown or Dijon mustard is a nice compliment to the blue cheese.

Notes:
(a)  This recipe is for sliders, but normal-sized burgers would be just as easy.  Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly for thicker patties!
(b)  Most blue cheese burger recipes say to put a blue cheese "disc" in the middle of your beef burger, then cover with the rest of the meet.  Sure, you can do that, but crumbles are easier and, in my opinion, are more visually appealing, especially with the contrast of the meat and the olives.  Plus it spreads the flavor out over the whole burger and gives you the versatility to make your burgers any size you want.
(c)  A good quality beef is an obviously essential part of the burger process.  If you're feeling adventurous (and have the tools), try grinding your own meat.  Start with boneless chuck roast.  Cut the meat into cubes, cover and freeze for 20 minutes or so.  This makes it easier for the meat to go through a grinder. 

Black Olive tapenade

My roomie and I had a little get-together last Saturday and I was trying to come up with things to serve that fell somewhere between snacky food and "real" food.  The menu for the night included my homemade salsa and chips, beef crostini topped with mozzarella and a smidgen of pesto, thin crust pepperoni pizza, and THIS last minute addition, a black olive tapenade.  I was sort of winging it, but the reviews were positive, so there ya go.  Give it a whirl!

1 15 oz can black olives, drained
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 fistful fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp capers, drained
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and membrane removed
1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I actually used pecan oil because it was all I had, but a nice olive oil would be splendid as well)
sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times, scrape the sides, then pulse another 3-4 times.  Pour into a bowl; garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.  Serve with pita chips or crusty, thin bread.

Notes:
(a)  Seriously, this couldn't be easier.  That's my note.  This is crazy easy to make.....and yummy.