Sadly I was only able to submit one recipe and I did not submit the recipe for this blended burger with onion fig jam recipe.

But I hope that you enjoy this recipe in all its California glory. You have sweetness from the fig onion jam, the acidity from the roasted tomato, the tang from goat cheese, the bitterness of the arugula, and the saltiness from the bacon.

All in all, this burger with goat cheese and fig onion jam is a great gourmet burger for entertaining or an end of the week meal.

For the blended burger recipe that I submitted to Bon Appetit’s Blended Burger Contest, check out my Blended Burger with Creamy Romesco Sauce.

What is a blended burger?

A burger that is partly made of ground meat, but also partly made of vegetables/other plant-based ingredients. In the case of Bon Appetit’s competition, the beef was blended with ground mushrooms. I used crimini mushrooms because they have a rich flavor compared with button mushrooms.

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Buy?

The fattier the ground beef, the more juicy and tender it is. 80% lean beef is even fattier and juicier, but 85% lean ground beef works well and is much healthier.

How do I season my burger patty?

It depends on personal taste as well as the other burger toppings you will be using. If you are going to be using salty toppings (blue cheese, bacon, pancetta, pickles), then I would just season the surface of the burger patties. But if you plan on using relatively sweet or acidic toppings (onion jam, ketchup, roasted bell pepper), seasoning the inside of your burger patty should be fine as well. Test it out and see which method you prefer.

What toppings should I put on my burger?

• California style: crispy bacon, onion jam, and fresh figs, arugula
• Classic style: cheddar cheese or American cheese, thousand island dressing, raw onion, fresh tomato, and fresh lettuce
• Tex-Mex style: chipotle mayo/aioli, roasted poblano peppers, pepperjack cheese
• Asian style: miso mayo sauce, cabbage slaw with sesame ginger dressing, fried egg

How to make onion jam?

How do I form the perfect burger patty?

Do not smash or press your burgers as they cook. That will release all the juices and result in a dry patty.

For burger patties, always make the patty a bit larger than your bun. Burger patties shrink when they are cooked, and if yours is too small it throws off the ratio of your cheeseburger.

When shaping the burger patty, make slight dent in the middle. Burgers plump up in the middle as they cook, so making a dent toward the middle will allow it to be flat/even when cooked.

How do I cook my burgers?

I have a tutorial on searing steak that covers the basics of meat searing. The basic principles are simple:

• Hot oil
• Hot pan
• Room temperature meat
• Cast iron skillet
• Do not move the meat around once it is in the pan!
• Flip only once
• The thicker the burger, the more time it needs to cook

Price Comparison

What did I spend to make this burger with goat cheese? Brioche buns ($2), ground beef ($2), crimini mushrooms ($1), arugula ($.50), tomato ($1), onion ($.50), dried figs ($.50), bacon ($.75), goat cheese ($1)

Restaurant ($10-13) vs. Home-made ($4.63)

Gastropubs sell fancy burgers that are about 3x the price of how much it would cost you to make a similar dish at home. And the best thing about making it at home is you get to choose your own toppings without having to pay an extra $1 or $2 for bacon or cheese.

Print

Blended Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Fig Jam

Fig onion jam gives a sweetness to the blended burger, while bacon adds saltiness and goat cheese adds a tang.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword blended burger, Burgers, cheeseburger, onion jam burger, sandwiches

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Roasted Tomato

• 1 beefsteak tomato 1/4 inch slices
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt

Fig Onion Jam

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 c dried golden figs
• 2 tsp sherry wine
• 2 tbsp water

Burger Patty

• 4 cremini mushrooms minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 lb 85% lean ground beef

Toppings & Buns

• 4 tbsp chevre goat cheese
• 1 handful arugula
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 brioche buns

Instructions

• Preheat oven to broil setting. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and place onto a baking sheet. Season with olive oil and salt. Place in the oven 6 inches from broiler when oven has pre-heated. Broil for 15-20 minutes or until the top of the tomatoes have a golden brown crust.
• While tomatoes are broiling, prepare onion fig jam. Thinly slice a sweet onion. Remove stems from dried figs and roughly dice.
• Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Then turn the temperature to medium low. Drizzle olive oil in the pan and add onions. Move them around the oil. Cook onions on medium low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• When onions are softened and golden brown, add in diced figs, sherry wine, water, and salt. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes until figs have softened. Then remove from heat and set aside.
• Take broiled tomatoes out of the oven and set aside.
• Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Turn the heat to medium and fry 4 slices of bacon. Fry for 3 minutes each side, flipping frequently to allow fat to render. Remove from pan when bacon is golden brown. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
• Prepare burger patty. Use a food processor to pulse crimini mushrooms until they are finely minced. Add minced mushrooms to ground beef. Mix with half the amount of salt and pepper, leaving the other half of salt and pepper for seasoning the surfaces of the burger patties.
• Form 2 burger patties. Make them slightly bigger than your burger buns, as burger patties shrink during cooking. Make burger patties approximately 3/4 inch thick on the edge, with the center slightly thinner than the edges. This will allow space for the center to rise during cooking.
• Heat an iron skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Turn the heat to medium and drizzle in olive oil. Season 1 side of the two burger patties with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side down on the pan first.
• While the burger patties are sizzling, season the side that is facing up with the remainder of the salt and pepper. Cook burgers 3 minutes on each side, flipping only once. This should make your burger medium rare.
• When burger patties are done, set aside.
• Dress arugula with lemon juice.
• Assemble the burgers. For each burger, spread 2 tbsp of the onion fig jam onto the bottom bun. Then place the burger patty on top of the fig jam. Place 2 slices of roasted tomato on top of the burger patty, followed by 2 slices of bacon, crumbled chevre, and arugula salad. Finally place the top bun and enjoy!

Tag me on instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of a gourmet burger!

I recently submitted an entry for Bon Appetit Magazine’s Blended Burger Contest. If you are trying to eat less meat and reduce your carbon footprint overall without going to extremes, you should check out the blended burger concept.

For a classic, non-blended burger recipe, check out my Home-made Big Mac.

What is a blended burger?

A burger that is partly made of ground meat, but also partly made of vegetables/other plant-based ingredients. In the case of Bon Appetit’s competition, the beef was blended with ground mushrooms. I used crimini mushrooms becaue they have a rich flavor compared with button mushrooms.

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Buy?

The fattier the ground beef, the more juicy and tender it is. 80% lean beef is even fattier and juicier, but 85% lean ground beef works well and is much healthier.

How do I season my blended burger patty?

It depends on personal taste as well as the other burger toppings you will be using. If you are going to be using salty toppings (blue cheese, bacon, pancetta, pickles), then I would just season the surface of the burger patties. But if you plan on using relatively sweet or acidic toppings (onion jam, ketchup, roasted bell pepper), seasoning the inside of your burger patty should be fine as well. Test it out and see which method you prefer.

What toppings should I put on my burger?

• California style: crispy bacon, onion jam, and fresh figs, arugula
• Classic style: cheddar cheese or American cheese, thousand island dressing, raw onion, fresh tomato, and fresh lettuce
• Tex-Mex style: chipotle mayo/aioli, roasted poblano peppers, pepperjack cheese
• Asian style: miso mayo sauce, cabbage slaw with sesame ginger dressing, fried egg

What is Romesco Sauce?

How do I form the perfect burger patty?

Do not smash or press your burgers as they cook. That will release all the juices and result in a dry patty.

For burger patties, always make the patty a bit larger than your bun. Burger patties shrink when they are cooked, and if yours is too small it throws off the ratio of your cheeseburger.

When shaping the burger patty, make slight dent in the middle. Burgers plump up in the middle as they cook, so making a dent toward the middle will allow it to be flat/even when cooked.

How do I cook my burgers?

I have a tutorial on searing steak that covers the basics of meat searing. The basic principles are simple:

• Hot oil
• Hot pan
• Room temperature meat
• Cast iron skillet
• Do not move the meat around once it is in the pan!
• Flip only once
• The thicker the burger, the more time it needs to cook

Price Comparison

What did I spend to make these burgers? Brioche buns ($2), ground beef ($2), crimini mushrooms ($1), arugula ($.50), tomato ($1), roasted red pepper ($1), garlic ($.20).

Restaurant ($10-13) vs. Home-made ($3.58)

Gastropubs sell fancy burgers that are about 3x the price of how much it would cost you to make a similar dish at home. And the best thing about making it at home is you get to choose your own toppings without having to pay an extra $1 or $2 for bacon or cheese.

Tag me on instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of a gourmet burger!

In Italy, tomato bruschetta is a very simple affair.

It has: toasted bread rubbed with garlic, fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, and basil. That’s it.

In the United States, many Italian restaurants have started drizzling balsamic vinegar on the tomato bruschetta to add a little zing.

How to Pick Balsamic Vinegar

Aged balsamic vinegar is sweeter, richer, and thicker. I love the aged balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe’s. It is perfect with this tomato bruschetta recipe.

Other recipes that with aged balsamic vinegar are my balsamic roasted brussels sprouts with bacon.

How to pick tomatoes

You are looking for bright red skin/flesh.

The tomato should also have soft flesh that will give a little when you push it.

If the tomato is overly soft, the tomato is over-ripe,.

If the tomato is overly hard/green, the tomato is under-ripe.

Vine-ripened tomatoes work really nicely for tomato bruschetta. The tomato needs to be sweet and delicious. Vine-ripened tomatoes tend to be sweeter and more flavorful. Buy organic if you can.

What bread to use for bruschetta

Ciabatta works perfectly for bruschetta. But you can also use French baguette or some other crusty bread.

Print

Bruschetta

Fresh sweet tomato on crunchy ciabatta bread, drizzled with olive oil and balasmic vinegar.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword appetizer, bruschetta, fresh, tomato

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 small bunch basil chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Instructions

• Evenly drizzle olive oil onto the sliced bread. Toast at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes until lightly brown. When it is brown and crispy, take out of the oven and immediately rub the surface of all the toasts with 1 clove of raw garlic.
• Prepare the tomatoes. Dice them and season with 1 pinch of salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and chopped basil leaves.
• Place tomato mixture generously on top of toasts and drizzle with a finishing touch of olive oil.

Price Comparison

Ciabatta bread ($1.50), Tomato ($.95), basil ($.50), balsamic vinegar ($.10).

Restaurant ($9-12) vs. Home-made ($3.05). As you can see, the price difference is huge. You are paying well over triple the price to have bruschetta at a restaurant. Since this one is so simple to make and affordable, try making this for yourself at home!

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you’ve made any of these recipes! Love seeing all the variations.

Ok, brace yourselves. These easy pulled pork sliders have multiple components. With a little patience and the help of a slow cooker, you will get through. I love Mexican flavors and spices, and will oftentimes use them in recipes that are my own versions of some traditional dishes that I’ve tasted growing up in a Chicano community. I do not pretend to be an expert in Latin cooking, but I definitely have a fond appreciation of it and try my best to emulate some of the flavors that I’ve tasted.

The Perfect Party Food

I had a house warming party for my husband’s cousins a while ago. I took requests for what they wanted to eat. My nephew Miles requested something with slow cooked pork using Latin spices. Which is how I came up with this Latin-inspired easy pulled pork sliders recipe. The pulled pork is actually quite simple to make because I use pre-made salsa as the sauce/marinade for the pulled pork.

The Components of these Easy Pulled Pork Sliders

Because the pulled pork brings spice and savory meatiness, I wanted to have a contrast of flavors and textures.

Sweet: I wanted some sweetness, which was why I chose to serve the pulled pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls.

Acid: To bring some acid to cut into the heaviness of the pulled pork, I added some pickled red onion.

Crunch: The pickled red onion is a perfect pulled pork slider topping that gives a nice crunch.

Creaminess: Lastly, the creamy cilantro lime sauce brings everything together with a nice creaminess. The creamy sauce adds a zing and cools the tongue from all the wonderful spices in the pulled pork. So there you go: every component serves a purpose and helps to make this a complete dish.

Hope you give this a try for your next potluck or party. It will be a crowd pleaser!

Slowcooker Pulled Pork: Secrets for a Perfect Pulled Pork

1. Usually slow cooking results in lots of liquid left in the pot. I decided to pour out this liquid and remove most of the fat. Whatever juices were left, I put into a pot on the stove and boiled it on high heat to let it reduce to about half its volume. This took about 30 minutes.
2. I then added this reduced sauce back into the pulled pork to soak in. The result? Amazing depth of flavor. I highly recommend doing this to any slow cooked meat dish you make in the future. Do not waste those yummy juices! They just need a little tweaking and help from heat to concentrate their deliciousness.

How do I make raw onion less spicy?

To dilute the harsh spiciness of raw onion, soak it in cold water for at least an hour before using. I did this for the pickled onion prior to marinating it in its pickling brine and it worked really nicely.

What kind of yogurt should I use?

For better depth of flavor and richness, use plain full fat Greek yogurt rather than reduced or non-fat. You will not be sorry.

For other yogurt recipes, check out my pina colada yogurt.

What if I don’t have cotjia cheese?

Cotija can be substituted with feta cheese, but the cotija gives this dish the Latin flair that I was aiming for.

What cut of meat should I use for pulled pork?

You should be using pork butt or pork shoulder. A leaner cut of meat would not do well with this recipe because slow cooking can really dry out the meat, resulting in a tough product at the end. For example, a pork loin center cut would not be recommended.

Can I make these easy pulled pork sliders ahead of time?

Since this is a crockpot recipe, it can be done ahead of time and would even be more delicious the day after making the pulled pork. Meat dishes that are slow cooked tend to taste better 1-2 days after the initial cooking time.

What to do with leftovers

The pickled onion is great in salads and on other sandwiches if you have any leftover

The cilantro lime dressing is something that I make for dipping veggie sticks or as a kind of green goddess dressing for my salads and/or pita wraps

The pulled pork can be frozen and later used as a filling for quesadillas and enchiladas, even tamales if you are up to the task.

Print

Pulled Pork Sliders with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

An irresistable spicy pulled pork slider with zesty creamy cilantro dressing. Perfect for easy meal prep or as an appetizer for your next party.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword pulled pork sliders, pulled pork sliders Hawaiian rolls, pulled pork sliders recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Equipment

• slow cooker

Ingredients

Pulled Pork

• 1 1/2 pounds pork butt
• 1 1/2 cups medium spicy red salsa
• 1 tablespoon BBQ spice rub
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1/2 cup water

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 lime- juice & zest
• 1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup cotija cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Pickled Red Onion

• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Slider Ingredients

• 12 Hawaiian rolls
• 1 handful cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Rub pork butt with BBQ spice rub.
• Add salsa into a slow cooker with diced tomato and water.
• Place pork butt into the slow cooker. Set slow cooker on high and allow to slow cook for 6 hours until pork is falling apart.
• After pork is done, remove pork from liquid and pull apart with 2 forks.
• Remove excess fat from the pork's cooking liquid. Then transfer the liquid into a saucepan. Turn heat on high and boil for 20-25 minutes until it reduces to 1/2 the volume and coats the back of a spoon.
• When sauce has reduced, mix into the pulled pork and set aside.
• Make pickled red onion: add water, white vinegar, sugar, salt and mix together until salt and sugar dissolve. Add in sliced red onion and allow to sit in the refrigerator.
• Make creamy cilantro dressing: add cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, yogurt, cotjia cheese, black pepper, salt, and sugar into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
• Assemble sliders: Spread cilantro sauce to both sides of Hawaiian rolls. Place a scoop of pulled pork onto one side of the roll. Add pickled onion, chopped cilantro, and extra creamy cilantro sauce on top of pulled pork. Top with another half of the Hawaiian bun.

You are probably rushed for time in the morning, and it’s hard to make time for a proper breakfast.

If you prefer something sweet and light for breakfast, you can grab an apple or make this yogurt parfait.

If you’re in the mood for savory food, you can make this easy vegan avocado toast.

The Joys of Avocado Toast

Ironically, there is a running joke about Millennials and our avocado expenses. Who knows if my extravagant spending on avocados will prevent me from ever being a homeowner? But I do know this: home ownership is not for everyone, so bring on the avocados!

If you like simple foods for breakfast that are healthy and easy to prepare, avocado toast is perfect for you! You have the freshness of the sliced veggies and the creaminess of avocado.

How to Make Avocado Toast

1. Pick a bread- sourdough, wheat, ciabatta
2. Find a ripe avocado-the flesh should give when you push gently with your finger
3. Choose seasonings- garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper, everything bagel seasoning
4. Pick toppings: fresh herbs, eggs, bacon, thinly sliced tomato, onion, cucumber, radishes
5. Add citrus: lemon/lime juice helps to brighten up your avocado toast

FAQ:

How to keep my avocado from turning brown?

1. Squeeze lemon/lime juice on the surface of the avocado flesh. For guacamole, mix lemon juice into the mashed avocado.
2. If possible, keep seed in the avocado/guacamole.
3. Wrap with cling wrap. For guacamole, make sure the cling wrap touches the surface of the guacamole and pushes out any air in between the cling wrap and guacamole.
4. Refrigerate.

How do you ripen an avocado quickly?

Place avocados in a paper bag along with a banana or apple. Close up the paper bag and place the bag in a cool dry place. Do not leave your avocados in the refrigerator if you want them to ripen. Only refrigerate after your avocados are already ripened.

Print

Easy Avocado Toast

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwiches, vegan, vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole wheat toast
• ½ avocado sliced
• 1 Persian cucumber thinly sliced
• 1 Roma tomato thinly sliced
• 1 squeeze of lime juice
• 1 pinch garlic salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch everything bagel seasoning optional

Instructions

• Place toast in a toaster/toaster oven and allow to toast for 5-10 minutes at 300 degrees F.
• Slice avocado, cucumber, and tomato thinly. Set aside.
• When toast is golden brown and crispy, layer cucumber on and sprinkle sparingly with garlic salt. Then layer tomato and sprinkle sparingly with garlic salt.
• Lastly, top with avocado.
• Add a little splash of fresh squeezed lime juice on top of avocado toast. Add a small sprinkle of garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper.
• Optional: Add everything bagel seasoning.

Happy cooking! Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you’ve made this dish! Would love to see how it turned out.

All-American Home Made Big Mac!

Happy National Hamburger Day! Make yourself a home made Big Mac to celebrate! As a child of the 1990s, McDonald’s was a major pillar in the structure of my life. Because my family was very frugal with their money, my sisters and I often dreamed of dolls and toys from television commercials knowing that they were never coming home with us. Now that I am an adult I realize what a huge waste of money these overpriced toys are. But as a young child, these seemed to be the end-all be-all of life itself. You felt like you had to have a Barbie doll, Furby, and Tomagachi to fit in with the other kids.

Anyway, this was why I looked forward to Happy Meals as a kid. It often came with a toy that otherwise would never have reached my eager hands. As I grew older, I began to appreciate food for its own merits as opposed to its role as a bridge to coveted toys. I realized that the Big Mac tasted so much better than the cheeseburgers in Happy Meals. Back in those days, supersize was the way to go. Of course, at the time we did not realize that this would contribute to an already growing obesity epidemic. I remember the joy and reckless abandon with which I approached each Big Mac combo.

A Healthier Version of the Classic Big Mac

Unhealthy eating habits led to alarming weight gain for me into my early twenties. I realized that I could not eat McDonald’s on a regular basis if I wanted to live a long healthy life so I changed my eating habits and exercise habits. Nowadays my typical lunch and dinner plates are filled with veggies and lean proteins.

But every once in a while, I crave food that transports me back to the simple days. I return to my childhood favorites, and the Big Mac is definitely #1 for me. Something I’ve learned about food is that nothing improves the taste of food more than nostalgia. Well….nothing beside extreme hunger.

So, in attempt to relive fond childhood memories, I made my own home made Big Mac. It is a very easy recipe, and unlike the original Big Mac, it only has 1 slice of cheese, 1 patty, and 2 pieces bun. It satisfies my craving without breaking the calorie bank. My husband was definitely a happy camper when I made this for dinner. Hope you enjoy it too!

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Buy?

The fattier the ground beef, the more juicy and tender it is. 80% lean beef is even fattier and juicier, but I just used the 85% lean ground beef and it turned out great.

How do I season my burger patty?

I like to season my ground beef and mix it together, then form a patty. It gives the meat better flavor. Some people choose to form the patty and then put the seasoning on top. It depends on personal preference, but I am always in favor of more flavor.

How do I form the perfect burger patty?

Do not smash or press your burgers as they cook. That will release all the juices and result in a dry patty.

I know the classic Big Mac has thin patties, but this home made Big Mac features one big thick, juicy patty. For burger patties, always make the patty a bit larger in circumference than your bun. Burger patties shrink when they are cooked, and if yours is too small it throws off the ratio of your cheeseburger.

When shaping the burger patty, make slight dent in the middle. Big shout out to Rachel Ray for teaching me that one! Burgers plump up as they cook, so making a dent toward the middle will allow it to be flat/even when cooked.

How do I cook my burgers?

I have a tutorial on searing steak that covers the basics of meat searing. The basic principles are simple:

• Hot oil
• Hot pan
• Room temperature meat
• Cast iron skillet
• Do not move the meat around once it is in the pan!
• Flip only once
• The thicker the burger, the more time it needs to cook

Price Comparison

What did I spend to make these burgers? 1 bun ($.33), 1 burger patty ($1.5), lettuce ($.25), thousand island dressing ($.25), onion ($.25).

Restaurant ($3.99-10) vs. Home-made ($2.58)

Let’s be honest: McDonald’s makes some super cheap food, which likely reflects the lower quality of ingredients. So if you buy a Big Mac from McDonald’s, you will not save a lot of money when you do a home-made version. But the quality of burger you can make at home will be far superior to what you can get from any fast food chain. Ordering a gourmet burger like this one will likely cost you $10 at a restaurant. $10 vs. $2.58 is a much bigger price difference. When it comes to gourmet burgers, making them at home is a lot more budget friendly than ordering out.

Happy cooking!

Tag me on instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of a gourmet burger!