Best Ever Back yard Burger
¾ lb. ground chuck
¼ lb. ground sirloin
6 slices, cooked and crumbled bacon
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
salt and pepper
garlic powder

4 Tbls. butter

jack cheese

4 Kaiser buns

2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
4-6 Tbls. butter
mayonnaise to bind
or green olive mayo

½ small box mesquite chips, soaked in water for at least ½ hour

Mix ground beef, bacon and sundried tomatoes together. Season outside of patty with salt and pepper and garlic powder. When forming the patties, place a tablespoon of butter in the center of each patty. Makes 4 burgers.

Place mesquite chips on top of hot coals.

To grill burgers: Place patties directly over coals and grill for 18-23 minutes (160 degrees). Add cheese, toast buns on grill place burger on bun and top with some caramelized mayo or green olive mayo.

Camelized Onion Mayo
Caramelize the onions by melting butter over medium heat in a sauté pan add onions and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Stir only when the onions begin to brown. This process will take about 15-20 minutes. Let cool and then mix with mayonnaise.

Green Olive Mayonnaise
1 cup mayonnaise (preferably made with green Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
about 48 brine-cured green olives, such as picholine, pitted and chopped
Blend ingredients together. Season to taste.
Makes about 1 1/2 cup



Sesame Noodle Salad

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast; poached and cut up
1 bunch of green onions; shred with fork and cut into 1” strips
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 lb. spaghetti; cooked
½ cup canola oil
2 Tbls. sesame oil
2 Tbls. sesame seeds
½ cup plus 2 Tbls. soy sauce

Combine chicken, green onions and walnuts in a large bowl, add pasta. Heat oils with seeds in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat just until seeds turn light brown. Remove from heat and stir in soy. Pour hot dressing over noodles and toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold preferably at least 3 hours.