Thursday, May 26, 2011

Let's Pretend....

Let's pretend that June is almost here and that the weather is hot and summery.  Woah--wait--June is almost here but what's with the weather?!?!  Yuck.

I was born in southeastern Texas where it's hot and muggy and the bayou was only 1/2 a mile from my house.  (We saw 'gators, snapping turtles, and water moccasins on many occasions).  I lived there 'til I was 10 and I don't think I have ever acclimated to any other type of weather!  I am cold, here in Seattle, for 50 of the 52 weeks in a year.  When the weather hits over 90 I find it quite comfortable while most people around here call it miserable. 

So, I'm pretending it's summer.  I've been wearing my sandals a lot.  Even threw on a skirt last week and a pair of shorts the week before that.  I forbid myself to touch the long-sleeved shirts in my closet.  I broke down and wore a light jacket a couple of times, though.

Last night, I made a dinner that tasted so much like summer.  I'm going to keep on pretending it's summer.  If you have to imagine too, than you can cook this on the stove and in the oven.  For those of you who have the real summer deal, this meal is even better on the grill [you lucky devil, you]!

Patty Melts with Smothered Onions (from Betty Crocker with add-ins from me)
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Smothered onions (see recipe below)
4 slices Swiss or Gouda cheese
8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread

1. Heat coals or gas grill.  Mix first 7 ingredients together.  Shape mixture into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick.  Prepare smothered onions; keep warm.

2. Cover and grill patties 4 to 5 inches from medium heat 12-15 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink in the center.  Or, heat 1-2 Tbs. vegetable oil over medium heat on stovetop and cook patties or broil on low rack in oven--check for doneness. 

3. Top patties with cheese.  Cover and grill until cheese is melted (1-2 minutes). 

4. Add bread slices to side of grill for last 5 minutes of grilling, turning once, until lightly toasted or toast them in the toaster.

5. Place patties on bread and top with smothered onions.  Spread with mayonnaise first, if desired.

Smothered Onions

1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings (I prefer Walla Walla sweets or Vidalia)
1/8 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

Heat oil in 8 inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook onions in oil, stirring frequently until tender.  Stir in salt and pepper.


Sugar Snap Peas with Orange-Ginger Butter (not pictured)

3 cups fresh or frozen loose-pack sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1.Remove strings and tips from peas. Cook fresh peas, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water, 2 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. (Or cook frozen peas according to package directions.) Drain well.


2.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat and stir orange marmalade just till melted. Stir in vinegar, ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3.Pour sauce over hot cooked sugar snap peas. Add margarine or butter, tossing lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

3 comments:

the Holyoaks said...

That meal sound delicious! And I'll bet it would be yummy on the grill. I'm with you on the weather. It is killing me!!! I'm currently sitting at my computer wearing flannel pj's and a sweatshirt because I refuse to turn the heat on since it's ALMOST JUNE! Good grief. Could we even just get some decent spring weather up here? You're not alone.

ldsjaneite said...

Mmm--that's looks and sounds great! I'm pretending it's spring until summer finally arrives. I adore summer in UT--since I hate A/C and am not always fond of humidity (though I'm used to it). The couple of times I've been to visit you I've always been chilly, too! Of course, I don't much remember TX. I do think it's funny when people here think 30 degrees is cold! With no humidity and no wind chill, they don't know cold!

Shea said...

I like heat also. I'm sure it will hit us soon enough.