Memorial Day Weekend Recipe

Hey Country Squire! Memorial Day weekend is coming up, and I know that many of you may be grilling or attending a few BBQs. Do you have a signature dish? Are you up for trying something new? Well, if you’re up for trying something new, I have a recipe for grilled herb burgers that you can try. Check it out! :

Grilled Herb Burgers:

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh oregano and/or basil or 2 teaspoons dried oregano and/or basil, crushed
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound uncooked ground turkey
• 8 ciabatta rolls, split
• 16 slices tomato
• Fresh oregano and/or basil sprigs (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine egg, onion, Parmesan cheese, the snipped fresh or the dried oregano and/or basil, the ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef and ground turkey; mix well. Shape mixture into eight 3/4-inch-thick patties.

2. For a charcoal grill, place patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 14 to 18 minutes or until no longer pink (165°F), turning once halfway through grilling. Toast ciabatta rolls on the grill. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce to medium. Place patties, then ciabatta rolls on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above. )

3. Serve burgers on toasted ciabatta rolls with tomato slices and, if desired, additional fresh oregano and/or basil sprigs. Makes 8 servings.

Red Wine, or White?

Imagine being in the Napa Valley at dinner party, where there are so many types of food and all the wine you can drink. However, you have no idea what wine goes with what food. Yikes! Well here is what I think are the best tips for food & wine matching!

To get the full experience of great food, I think it should have a nice wine to compliment it.  Lighter foods = lighter wines, heavier foods = heavier wines. Think a nice Riesling for a seafood meal and a room temperature red wine with steak and potatoes.

Another thing to consider is geography. Got Japanese food? Dare to be different and grab some Japanese wine! They’re both from the same place, so why wouldn’t they be great together? The last thing I’ll share is that only YOU know what wine you favor, no matter what the food. These rules won’t mean a thing if you happen to hate red wine. Make up your own food & wine matches for your tastes.

What food & wine match do you like?

Who loves cream soda? YOU love cream soda

Well, a lot of people like cream soda. But after one taste of the great ice cream sodas at Wiles-Smith Drugs, you’re sure to be hooked.

Whenever I think about buying a cream soda from a drugstore, I instantly think red floors, jukeboxes, poodle skirts, and saddle shoes. Which is kind of what you can get from Wiles-Smith’s. If you don’t drink your ice cream soda at the soda fountain while sitting on the swivel stools, then you’re not getting the full effect.

So what goes into a cream soda,  you ask?Well, owner Dr. Charles N. Smith puts a lot of love into each one. First you add syrup, then ice cream and seltzer, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. You HAVE to add the cherry on top. It’s the most important ingredient.

The sodas sell for $3.25 a glass, but when it’s served to you in those heavy fluted, ribbed soda glasses on a white china plate trimmed with green, you know it’s well deserved. Now, I know Wiles and Smith is a good 20 min away, but why not step outside the box (or Cordova) for a while?

Do you like cream soda?

Photo credit: Photo by Michael DonahueMIchael Donahue/The Commercial Appeal

Best Mexican Restaurants Around Cordova?

Hey Country Squire! Since it’s Cinco de Mayo, everyone seems to be getting into the ‘Mexican Spirit’. So I thought I’d pose a question for you: Where do you go to find the best Mexican food. I’ve listed a few here, let me know if any of these are some of your favorite hang outs!

• Los Tortugas Deli Mexicana
• Abuelos Mexican Food Embassy
• La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
• El Patron

Where do you like to go?

Healthy Snacks to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a super sweet tooth. This gets me into trouble many, many times, usually around the summer months and I’m itching to wear my bikini. Luckily, I’ve come across this lovely article from fitsugar, that lists healthy snacks that’ll satisfy any sweet tooth. They are:

• Fruit smoothies
• Breakfast anytime – when craving a little sweet, why not eat oatmeal (I recommend cinnamon roll), pancakes, or waffles?
• Yogurt
• Peanut Butter sandwiches (I know, it’s a throwback! But its good and healthy for you)
• Need something warm to satisfy that craving? Try baking some fruit, and topping it with nuts and a little bit of cinnamon or granola. That way you’ll get the crunch without the buttery crust.

Hopefully these will work for you. Granted, some may not be quick, but hey, it’s a start!

What’s your favorite tasty, yet healthy snack?

Best Burgers in Town!

There aren’t many ways that you can mess with a burger. It’s a classic! I can honestly say that I have not had a really bad (bad as in bad) burger in a very long time. Well, unless you count a paper thin variety of what used to be a burger at one fast food chain…but I digress.

My motto is, the messier, the better! If the ketchup is perfectly aligned with the mustard, and the pickle is directly in the center of the cheese, then that’s not what I need. Fortunately for me, there are plenty of restaurants out there that get these combos right, and I’m not talking about the golden arches! Here are a few of the best burgers in town:

Alex’s Tavern: This. Is. One. Great. Burger! The “Alex burger”, or the “Greek burger” officially, is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had the pleasure of biting into. It’s slightly crunchy on the outside, suprememly juicy on the inside, and topped with only the freshest, locally grown ingredients. What’s the key ingredient? The fact that the burger is hand formed, and splashed with Alex’s special Greek seasoning.

Uncle Lou’s: Though they’re infamous for their fried chicken, Uncle Lou’s can make a mean burger! The jumbo burger (which is coincidentally the smallest burger on the menu), is pretty much huge. And you can’t forget the sauce! The “Sauce of Love” gives the burger just enough kick to put it at the top of my list!

What list would be complete without Huey’s? They’re celebrating their 40^th anniversary this weekend. There’s a reason for that, don’t you think?

I know I left TONS of places off of my list, but hey, there are only so many hours in a day. Do you have any to add to the list?

Recipe of the Week: Pancake Wraps

Hey Country Squire! Do you love pancakes? We do! And to show you how much we love them, we’re sharing this recipe with you!

Pancake Wraps:

• 3 Morningstar Farms® Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties, or anykind of meat that you would like
• 6 frozen Kellogg’s® Eggo® Nutri-Grain® Pancakes or 6 frozen Kellogg’s® Eggo® Buttermilk Pancakes
• 1 tablespoon(s) apple, cherry, or strawberry preserves

Directions

• Prepare Kellogg’s® Eggo® Nutri-Grain® Pancakes according to package directions.
• Cook Morningstar Farms® Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties according to package directions. Cut each patty in half.
• Spread preserves on warm pancakes. Top each with sausage patty half. Fold pancakes around sausage patties. Serve immediately.

That’s a Spicy Meatball! Super Bowl Party Recipe

These are sure to be a hit at any Super Bowl Party!

1 package (about 18 ounces) fully-cooked beef meatballs
2 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
Prepared blue cheese dressing
Prepared ranch dressing
Celery sticks

Directions:

Cook meatballs according to package directions.

Meanwhile, combine hot pepper sauce, butter and honey in large bowl; mix well. Add meatballs; stir to coat. Serve with dressings and celery sticks, as desired.

Enjoy!

Resident Poll: Who Has the Better Pizza?

Hey guys! I have a question for you. Which restaurant has the better pizza: American Incredible Pizza Co. or Johnny Brusco’s NY Style Pizza?