It was a steamy, hot day today. It was one of those days where you just don’t know what to do with yourself. The kids and I ran errands, took a walk (what was I thinking?!?) and ran through the sprinkler. Because I wanted to. Finally, we gave in and collapsed onto the couch with the air conditioner on (remember how I was boycotting the a/c this year? I still am … but we did install one unit in an unused window).

When it came to dinnertime, I didn’t want to cook. Who would? But that’s exactly why I plan our meals for the week. When the plan is laid out for you, it makes it way easier to just give in and go for it … so I did. And really, when I realized what I had planned for tonight, I couldn’t say no.

That delicious burger above was worth every bit of heat and torment to create it. It’s just that good.

Inside this juicy burger is an oozing center of juicy, savory deliciousness. You bite into it and it spills warm juices down your chin, leaving you to lap them up wipe it away with your napkin. I first made these about two weeks ago and feel instantly in love. Since then, we’ve had them several times … they are rather addicting.

I have to give the credit for this one to Shawn, who wanted “something, some cheese to stuff the burgers with,” one day when I was heading to the store.

Coincidentally, the hamburger is a total New England food. The hamburger – a ground beef patty stuck between two slices of bread- was created right here in a little restaurant in Connecticut. The first burger was created by Louis Lassen, who ran a small lunch cart in New Haven that he called (so creatively) Louis’ Lunch.

Today, Louis’ is still run by the Lassen family and is now located in a small building on Crown Street. It’s a favorite for Michael and Jane Stern, who have written about it on their website Roadfood as well as naming it one of their picks for “20 Burgers to Eat Before It’s Too Late,” in the June issue of Gourmet. I daresay, I will be trying that little hamburger joint quite soon …

Back to my delectable burger, it’s worth every single second and bite. Try it.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers
serves 4

1 lb ground beef
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 oz blue cheese, cut into four 1/2 oz slices

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four equal-sized balls (they should be 4 oz each). One at a time flatten the ball to 1/4 inch thickness. Place one 1/2 oz slice of blue cheese in the center and fold the ground beef in around it, like a package. Seal the edges, shape into a patty and press your thumb into the center. Repeat for the remaining three patties.

Cook the burgers on a hot grill, flipping once, to desired doneness.

Serve immediately on a soft bun.

It was a rare occasion the other day: I headed off to the local organic farmers market without any children in tow. That meant I could meander around and take things slow while I shopped for vegetables for dinner, something for lunch and a few things to add to an extra special gift basket I am planning for someone. I could ponder over the local oils and gaze at the varieties of artisan bread. It was blissful.

I might have skipped a little on my way in. Maybe.

And it was because my attention was totally focused on the task at hand — shopping — that I was able to eavesdrop and learn that the two side by side containers of beans were in fact two different types — green beans and pole beans.

Pole beans are long (twice as long as a green bean) beans with more pronounced beans inside. They are a little thicker and tougher than their green bean counterparts. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to give them a shot. So, on the recommendation of Patrick from Waldingfield Farm, I marinated and cooked the beans up on the grill.

The result? Really good. Super good.

We ate these beans that night with burgers in place of fries, and they were a perfect fit.

Grilled Pole Beans
serves 4

1 lb pole beans, washed
3/4 cup marinade (I used an herb and garlic marinade, but Italian dressing would be a good fit too)

Pour the dressing over the beans and let marinate, tossing periodically, for 2-3 hours.

Heat the grill to medium and toss the beans on in a heap, discarding any excess marinade. Cook for 20 minutes or so, until crisp tender and lightly browned.

Some things have changed since childhood though. For instance, whereas my grandmother used to do 90 percent of the cooking herself (with the other 10 percent being my grandfather barbecuing), my stepfather and I split cooking duties these days when I am there. But more on that another day (he’s quite a cook).

For the Fourth of July, which was rainy for the first time in memory here in Connecticut, I planned to barbecue on the brassiere out back. But torrential rains had other ideas. Fortunately, I am resourceful and was able to quickly change up my cooking to be done on the stove instead (there was no way those brickettes would light and stay lit in weather like that).

Like spending summers by the shore, these clams are something of my childhood. But I’ve adapted the cooking method so you get more hoppy taste with the little delicious clams. Why change it up? Because at home I have a gas grill and while gas is easy and great for a lot of things, it isn’t suitable for pouring beer over the flame, as you could in a brassiere with brickettes. As it turned out, the clams came out so well that this is the only way I cook ‘em nowadays. Special thanks to Curt of Bucky’s Barbecue Blog for talking me through the development of this method.

2 dozen clams (I prefer little neck for this)
1 can or bottle of beer
1 tbsp butter

Preheat your pan over a grill, brassiere or stove over medium heat. If you are using a grill or brassiere, be sure to use cast iron.

Pour in beer (all of it) and add clams in a single layer. (It will likely take several batches to do all the clams – usually three batches for me.) Cover and cook, checking regularly, until the shells open wide.

Once the clams are all cook, in a small pan, melt butter and add two spoonfuls of the broth from the clam pan. Whisk together and then pour over the clams just before serving.

Let’s get something clear – I don’t like pork chops. I purchased a large quantity when I was developing recipes for the cookbook and have several left over. I was dreading eating them, but knew I couldn’t put it off forever (much as I would like to!). But then I saw a recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen. Simple, easy, and sounding quite tasty. I decided to try it.

Of course, I was missing some ingredients and added others. When all was said and done, Shawn likened this to the boneless spareribs at our local Chinese food restaurant – except, this version is cleaner, healthier and fresher. And without prompting, he answered the question I always ask him, “Would you have me make this again?” with enthusiastic affirmation. As for Will? He was too busy eating it up as fast as he could give any response . . . but I imagine that means it was good.

So, thanks Kalyn for the inspiration. This was a great dish (speaking of dishes, that is Will’s new Corelle there – He’s loving it.)

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground ginger (the powdered one you’ll find in the supermarket)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon (use a good quality one)
4 thick pork chops

Combine all the ingredients except the pork chops in a bowl and whisk together.

Wash pork chops and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over. Let sit for 8 hours or more (I let mine marinate all day while I was at work – about 9.5 hours.

Cooking Methods:

1) Grill: Set the heat to medium on your gas grill. Let the grill warm. Place pork chops on and cook, 6-8 minutes on each side. Cut into the chops to be sure they are done. If they aren’t, cut slits 1/4 inch apart, place on top rack and turn heat up to high. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until done.

2) Oven: Turn on your broiler. Place pork chops on a broiling pan and into the oven. Cook about 12-16 minutes until cooked through. Follow the above procedure if they aren’t yet done.

Let’s get something clear – I don’t like pork chops. I purchased a large quantity when I was developing recipes for the cookbook and have several left over. I was dreading eating them, but knew I couldn’t put it off forever (much as I would like to!). But then I saw a recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen. Simple, easy, and sounding quite tasty. I decided to try it.

Of course, I was missing some ingredients and added others. When all was said and done, Shawn likened this to the boneless spareribs at our local Chinese food restaurant – except, this version is cleaner, healthier and fresher. And without prompting, he answered the question I always ask him, “Would you have me make this again?” with enthusiastic affirmation. As for Will? He was too busy eating it up as fast as he could give any response . . . but I imagine that means it was good.

So, thanks Kalyn for the inspiration. This was a great dish (speaking of dishes, that is Will’s new Corelle there – He’s loving it.)

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground ginger (the powdered one you’ll find in the supermarket)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon (use a good quality one)
4 thick pork chops

Combine all the ingredients except the pork chops in a bowl and whisk together.

Wash pork chops and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over. Let sit for 8 hours or more (I let mine marinate all day while I was at work – about 9.5 hours.

Cooking Methods:

1) Grill: Set the heat to medium on your gas grill. Let the grill warm. Place pork chops on and cook, 6-8 minutes on each side. Cut into the chops to be sure they are done. If they aren’t, cut slits 1/4 inch apart, place on top rack and turn heat up to high. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until done.

2) Oven: Turn on your broiler. Place pork chops on a broiling pan and into the oven. Cook about 12-16 minutes until cooked through. Follow the above procedure if they aren’t yet done.

See, Kalyn over at Kalyn’s Kitchen has been grilling up a storm over the past week or so and her beautiful grilled chicken breasts really got me salivating. Plus, she offered a great tip earlier this week to cut slits in the top of a chicken breast to help the marinade really seep in (thanks so much for that tip! It really worked well!).

It seemed like a match made in heaven: juicy grilled chicken breasts marinaded in some sort of a blood orange marinade. Well, as things progressed, the blood orange marinade morphed into a citrus marinade. Regardless, the result was tangy and tasty and definitely worthy of inclusion in this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, which was started by the aforementioned Kalyn and hosted this week by Pat from Up a Creek without a PatL.

This yummy marinade also features one of my favorite herbs: rosemary, which I recently wrote about here. It comes from the Mediterranean region and is known for its memory improving qualities.

Blood Orange-Citrus Marinade
yields enough to marinade 4 chicken breasts

Juice of one pink grapefruit
Juice of one blood orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl before using

To marinate the chicken breasts:
Cut slits in the top of the chicken breast (see above for a photo).

Place in the marinade for at least two hours, but preferably 6-8 hours.

To cook:
Heat your gas grill on medium.

Place chicken breasts on the grill. Turn every 5 minutes or so.

Cook until center is no longer pink.

So far, it’s griddled asparagus for me (which I ate all of … alone) and made a TON of sandwiches. Loving the sandwiches (with the grill press, of course).

This is one of my favorites so far -the Italian Roast Beef. No recipe. No cookbooks. No internet searches. This one was completely a what-I-have-in-the-house. And it was totally something that will be repeated. Often.

Seriously. I may have been moaning while eating it without knowing.

(Stop laughing! It’s true. And I have heard enough chuckles about it in this lifetime. My parents still laugh about my moaning while eating things I really enjoy like tacos, nachos, and my stepfathers special hot wings.)

Here’s how you can endulge in it too:

Italian Roast Beef Sandwich
serves 1

2 slices crusty bread
2 slices lean roast beef
fresh mozzerella
4 slices sundried tomato, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil

Preheat your grill/griddler and press (or if you don’t have one, a George Foreman grill works too).

Take one of the slices of bread. Layer the roast beef, mozzerella (enough 1/8 inch slices to cover), sundried tomatoes, and garlic. Drizzle the other slice of bread of olive oil and place olive oil side down on top of the sandwich.

Place the sandwich between the grill and press and cook on medium until browned on both sides. Eat warm and enjoy.

First, let me talk a bit about asparagus. Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A and C, both antioxidants. It’s also a great source of folate and vitamin K. It’s been a highly appreciated veggie since ancient times. And did you know that it’s a member of the lily family?

I’m a big fan of asparagus. Last summer I made grilled herbed parmesan asparagus and used white asparagus to create a savory ham napoleon. But it’s winter, the white asparagus hasn’t made it’s way into my local grocery store yet and hell! I have a new grill pan . . . so this is what I created:

What is it? Garlicy pan grilled asparagus with romano. Long name, I know. But it was worth it. I got the idea from a grill pan cookbook I received for Christmas. Except that recipe called for orange rind, no garlic, no romano and something else . . . maybe ginger? I don’t remember and frankly it’s important to this discussion. Really.

Making this was really easy and simple and the cleanup was a breeze. What more can you ask for from a tasty dish?

Garlicy pan grilled asparagus with romano
serves 4

1 bunch asparagus
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh romano, grated
sea salt

First, soak the asparagus in cold water for 15 minutes or so. This will revitalize the asparagus and any leftover dirt will float to the top (hey! easy cleaning!).

Meanwhile, heat your grill pan over medium until very hot (I did it for maybe 10-15 minutes).

Now, remove the asparagus from the water, rinse briefly and then dry with paper towels.

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and toss into the grill pan. Cook, shaking (or stiring) frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic to the pan. Continue cooking for an addition 5 minutes.

Remove asparagus from pan and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle with romano and sea salt.

Serve warm.

P.S. The secret? I ate it all!

P.P.S. This is an entry for Sweetnicks ARF 5-A-Day. Check out Sweetnicks later tonight for a roundup of great antioxidant rich recipes.

P.P.P.S. Have you ever thought about writing for Fit Fare? Drop me a line at sarahDOTcaronATgmailDOTcom. I am the editor of Fit Fare and am always looking for more healthy minded writers to join in.

::Sigh::

Isn’t it lovely? It’s red. That beautiful, deep shade of red – like a perfect, shiny apple. And it’s cast iron . . . mmm, cast iron. Better yet, Le Creuset cast iron . . . in red. Love the red.

I received the pan – this lovely grill pan – as a Christmas gift. (The grill was a present to myself . . . not Le Creuset but good anyway). I was fortunate to receive two wonderful Le Creuset pieces this year – you’ll be seeing the other one debut later this week. Since receiving it on New Year’s Eve, I have used it almost a dozen times.

Check back tomorrow to see some of the delicious things I have made so far.