Reader's Request: Whole-Wheat Flatbreads with Lamb and Yogurt

I'm very fortunate to work for a company that allows me to work from home.  Ever since we all got laptops, my manager has been very understanding of when I want/need to work from home.  She knows that my commute is one of the longer ones from our department and agrees that working one day a week is helpful on my budget (and well-being).  Anyway, over the last year, I've been working from home one day a week and it's been wonderful.  I can do laundry, run errands, and watch TV, while still getting a full day's work done.  I also get the opportunity to see people during the week who I would not normally get to see outside of the weekend.  My bestest friend from high school and photographer extraordinaire, Nicole, stopped by last week.  She had a few things for me and I for her and we also got to sit and chat for a bit.  The conversation eventually turned to talking about food, which is quite common for me, and while sitting in the kitchen we both started to flip through my cookbooks and magazines on the shelf.  We mainly talked about what appetizers I've been asked to make for her upcoming Japan Tsunami/Earthquake Relief party, but she pulled a few other things off the shelf, too, just to have a peek at what recipes I had lying around.

She picked up my little Martha Stewart digest magazine (the same magazine I got this lovely gem) and started flipping through it.  I mentioned how much I loved that little magazine and that I wish Martha would start producing them again.  They're so infrequent, I don't even think she does them anymore.  Anyway, Nicole found the recipe for Whole Wheat Flatbreads with Lamb and Yogurt, immediately turned to me and said "You're cooking this and writing about it in your blog, so I can get the recipe!"  Well, Nicole, your wish is my command!

I remember making this recipe for the first time a long time ago.  I think it was our first year living in our current apartment, so about 2.5 years ago.  This was the first time I attempted a bread of any kind, let alone a whole wheat flatbread, and I think my first foray into something resembling Southeast Mediterranean or even Middle-Eastern.  I just remember making them and being totally pleased.  The warm nutty whole wheat bread, the spicy lamb, the sweet onions, the creamy and tangy yogurt, and the cool mint just plays such a melody in the mouth.  There are so many flavors it's crazy, but they all work together to create a fantastic meal on the plate.  The one thing I was a little disappointed with this time around, was my flatbreads weren't as crispy as they were the first time.  I have a feeling my dough was a little too wet and perhaps too thick and weren't cooking long enough in the pan.  They shouldn't be like crackers, but they should at least be more crisp than chewy.  Overall, though, I was again pleased with this dish.  It's hearty and filling and thoroughly delicious.

Nicole, I hope you and Jesse like this one as much as Marshall and I do!

The Cure for the Boring Turkey-burger: Danish Chicken Burgers

I knew there was always something I didn't like about cooking with ground turkey.  Turkey has a very unique flavor, compared to other poultry.  It certainly cannot be a substitute for chicken and I definitely cannot substitute anything that was originally made with beef with turkey (like meatloaf, although I do have a post about a turkey meatloaf waiting in the wings).  I just cannot get past the flavor of turkey.  It overpowers everything and definitely is something that must stand alone.  Well, unless you roast it whole, drizzle with giblet gravy, serve it with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, then, well, it works (umm, I love Thanksgiving dinner; it's the one time of year that I greatly invite the turkey to my table).  Otherwise, I just don't have an affinity for that particular bird.

I do, however, love chicken.  Yes, I know chicken can be bland and it's become sort of the blank canvas of the table.  You can cook it any which way and serve it with any other food.  On the other hand, I think it may be the most universally cooked protein.  Seriously, find me a culture or country or nation that does not cook chicken!  A few years ago, I think everyone in my family started experimenting with Rachel Ray recipes.  She was big on the Food Network and she really catered to the novice cook.  My husband's first cookbook was Rachel Ray's very first 30 Minute Meals cookbook.  When he lived on his own, he learned to cook on his own, and this cookbook really helped.  Each recipe was easy and the ingredients were readily available at any grocery store.  Plus, each recipe made huge portions, which made cooking for the week a snap.  My mom even picked up a few of her recipes, including this chicken burger recipe.  Before my mom made these, I had never had a chicken burger.  I didn't even know you could buy ground chicken (like ground beef or turkey).  My mom made these one night, while I was still living at home, and they were delicious!  Or, the words of the recipe's creator, YUM-O!

Unlike other burgers that I had eaten or made, they were pan-fried.  This created a delicious caramelized crust on the outside of the burger, plus it helped keep the cheese from oozing out of the burger too much.  Oh?  Did I not mention that the cheese is IN the burger?  Oh yeah, one of my favorite things about this burger is that it's a cheese burger with the cheese built-in.  Okay, I'm starting to sound like Rachel Ray, here, but it can't be helped.  These also can be served with just about anything.  This particular night we had chicken burgers with baked sweet potato fries (not shown due to poor presentation).  I also do not eat these like normal burgers on a bun, but rather with a knife and fork with a little whole grain dijon mustard, like my friend, Maille, here.  The bright vinegary bite of the mustard compliments the savory chicken and melted dill Havarti cheese.

The recipe I provide below is a modified version of the original recipe.  The thing is, her portions for her burgers are ridiculous.  I simply cannot eat a half-pound burger, no matter how delicious.  It's just too much.  Her original recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground chicken for only 4 burgers.  Yeah, I altered that.  However, even though I alter the amount of meat, the rest of the recipe is the same.  The seasonings all work with less meat.  You could easily cut the amount of cheese, considering with less meat there isn't as much space for the little cheesy morsels, but who would consciously use LESS cheese?

Picking Favorites: Grilled Caesar Salad

While some of these recipes are like my children, I am not ashamed to tell you my favorites.  This Caesar salad, which I am about to explain to you, is my absolute favorite salad to make at home.  Even with the ability that I have, I cannot fully explain the deliciousness that is this particular Caesar salad.  I also cannot pick out one thing that puts this salad above the rest.  From the charred and slightly wilted Romaine leaves, to the freshly grilled croutons, to the beautifully acidic and garlicky homemade Caesar dressing, all of them play a part in making this salad absolutely mouthwatering.  In fact, to be brutally honest, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about this salad.  It's that good, people!  Another way to show this is my favorite salad is the fact that I have made this salad over and over and over again over the past 4 years since I bought this issue of Gourmet (RIP)-- oh yeah, this is also the issue which moved me to get a subscription of Gourmet-- so that should say something.  You can easily make this into a meal by adding grilled chicken, which is what I did on this particular occasion, but it is an awesome side dish to pretty much anything.  It's great with grilled meats, since the reason behind the creation recipe was to utilize the residual heat of the grill after grilling steaks or chicken.  Honestly, I think we've actually just eaten this salad as it is as our dinner a few times.

I think I've said all I can about this salad.  I mean, at the base of it this is JUST a salad, albeit a super delicious fantastic salad.  One note of caution, which I want to tell everyone, this Caesar dressing is a true Caesar dressing, meaning it requires raw egg.  I've read other raw-egg recipes where you can boil the egg for only a minute, therefore cooking it just enough to hedge your bets against salmonella.  Gourmet suggests buying pasteurized eggs in the shell (as opposed to the scrambled eggs in the carton), which are available in the grocery store.  I was squeamish at first about using raw egg, but I've gotten used to it.  I will say, though, that if you do decide to use raw egg, which is chemically "cooked" by the lemon juice, the dressing is only good for that day.  Marshall and I tried using some and saving it for the next night, but it just wasn't quite right.  It was also super "eggy", which really turned me off.  But, I completely understand the desire to stay away from using raw eggs; it is a definite risk.  ...a delicious risk...  OK, I'll stop trying to persuade you to use raw eggs if you don't want to.  Oh yeah, if the raw egg wasn't enough already, the dressing also contains anchovies.  If you're allergic to fish, keep this in mind.  You can easily omit this ingredient if necessary.

The Meaty Manly Salad: Grilled Sausages with Figs and Mixed Greens

I say this as a woman and without fear of judgment...very rarely will I feel satisfied after eating a salad for a meal.  I usually require something else either on the side WITH my salad or in my salad (i.e. meat or legumes) to really feel full and satiated.  I know this is weird coming from a girl, because it seems all of us are quite OK with eating just a salad.  At least, that's what our movies tell us we order when we're on a date and looking to "keep our girlish figures".  Yes, I see the necessity of eating more vegetables and keeping our portions in check, but that doesn't automatically mean "must eat salad consisting of just lettuce for lunch and dinner".  Blech!  I don't know about you, but I like to eat.  When I'm on a date, or when I would go on dates, I never felt obligated to keep what I ordered in check.  This doesn't mean that I always ordered the surf n' turf on dates, but I would eat like I would normally eat:  burgers, pasta, chicken, steak, whatever I felt like.  If I am to show who I really am when I meet someone, I will eat normally.  I like food; I will show it!  Having said all of that, this is one of those rarest of rare times when I felt satisfied after eating what was essentially a salad.

During the grilling season, which in California is pretty much any time during the year as long as the grill area is covered, I love grilled Italian sausages.  One of my favorite Italian deli selections is a sausage and pepper sandwich, especially if the sausages are grilled.  There's something about the pork, fennel seed, and all the Italian seasonings licked with gas or grill flame that really makes me happy.  This particular salad marries a number of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors together and creates just a great meaty dinner salad.  The slices of warm and salty sausage mingle with the sweet figs, coupled with the crunch of the greens and the creaminess of the goat cheese just right.  Throughout each bite you get the cooling mint and the bite of the dressing, mixed in with all these other flavors.  You'd think this would be overwhelming, but it isn't.  It actually feels right and is perfect for a quick light meal and is great during the summer when you can grill freely and get some wonderfully fresh greens and herbs.