Week of May 10th

Mushroom-Beef Blended Burgers

Cook Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4 burgers

Ingredients:
12 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed
1 pound 80 percent lean ground beef, broken into rough 1½-inch pieces
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½–2 teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
4 slices American, Swiss, or cheddar cheese (optional)
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
Process mushrooms in food processor until smooth paste forms (paste will resemble thick oatmeal), scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Transfer to large bowl and cover. (Do not wash out processor bowl.)
Microwave mushrooms until liquid released begins to boil, about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. (Do not walk away during final minute; mushrooms could boil over.) Transfer mushrooms to large fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Using spatula, press on mushrooms to extract ½ cup liquid (if more than ½ cup is removed, stir extra liquid back into mushrooms). Discard liquid and return mushrooms to bowl. Refrigerate mushrooms until room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Return mushrooms to processor bowl. Add beef and salt and process until mixture is uniform and begins to pull away from sides of bowl, about 20 seconds. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties that are 4½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle both sides of each patty with pepper. (Patties can be refrigerated overnight or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen, thaw before cooking.)
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned on both sides and burgers register 135 degrees (for medium-rare) or 155 degrees (for medium-well), 6 to 10 minutes. If using cheese, place 1 slice on each burger 1 minute before burgers finish cooking. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to buns and serve.

OK- I totally get it if you think this recipe sounds weird or very finicky. But trust me, these will taste just like really good, juicy burgers. Like unusually good burgers. This recipe is slightly too time consuming for me to make mid week, but works great for Sundays on the grill.

Spicy Salmon Bowl

Cook Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 cups sushi rice or other short-grain rice
3 Tbsp. chili crisp
⅓ cup plus 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
12 oz. salmon fillet, preferably skin-on, cut into 1" cubes
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 avocados, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Furikake, shichimi togarashi, and/or toasted sesame seeds (for serving)

Directions:
Toss 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, and a big pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until ready to use.
Bring 2 cups sushi rice or other short-grain rice, a pinch of salt, and 2½ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until water is completely absorbed and rice is tender, 20–25 minutes; gently fluff rice with a fork.
Meanwhile, stir together 3 Tbsp. chili crisp, a drizzle of rice vinegar, and ⅓ cup mayonnaise in a small bowl; set spicy mayo aside.
Heat broiler on high with a rack in the upper third of oven. Pat 12 oz. salmon fillet, preferably skin-on, cut into 1" cubes, dry with paper towels and place in a small bowl; season with salt. Add remaining 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise and a pinch of cayenne pepper; toss to coat. Arrange salmon (skin side up if it has skin) in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and broil until lightly browned and flesh is opaque throughout, 8–10 minutes.
To serve, scoop cooked rice into bowls. Divide salmon, drained pickled cucumbers, and 2 avocados, thinly sliced, among bowls; spoon some cucumber pickling liquid over. Drizzle with reserved spicy mayo and top with 3 scallions, thinly sliced. Sprinkle furikake, shichimi togarashi, and/or toasted sesame seeds over.

So this recipe came from Bon Appetite, and bless their hearts, they just can't help themselves sometimes. "Persian cucumbers". Please. Just use one of those long, wrapped english cucumbers. You can thinly slice it using your Benriner Mandolin Slicer. I also use mild chili crisp- the spicy chili crisp might make this spiral out of control.

Anyway. Mrs. Treats gave this her top "I could eat this every night" rating, which is a rare endorsement.

Ultimate Cashew Chicken

Cook Time: 45 minutes | Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
5 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
⅓ cup hoisin sauce
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup raw cashews
2 celery ribs, sliced on bias ¼ inch thick
6 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:
Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, cornstarch, sherry, and sesame oil in bowl. Combine hoisin, water, vinegar, and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce in separate bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add cashews and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if cashews begin to darken too quickly. Using slotted spoon, transfer cashews to small bowl.
Heat oil left in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown and no longer translucent, about 3 minutes. Add celery, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook until celery is just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add hoisin mixture, bring to boil, and cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in scallion greens and cashews. Serve.

This is a recipe that lends itself to doing all the prep and marinating in the morning, and having the ingredients ready to rock at dinner time.

Remember- you can peel fresh ginger, wrap it in saran wrap, and freeze it. It keeps for a long time, and makes grating a breeze.

Huevos Enfrijolados (Eggs in Spicy Black Beans)

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 to 5 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (to taste), chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
Kosher salt
6 to 8 large eggs
3 ounces queso fresco or Cotija cheese, crumbled
Cilantro leaves with tender stems and sliced avocado, for serving
8 corn tostadas

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium and add half of the onion, all of the garlic and the chopped chipotles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the beans, adobo sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, use a potato masher to smash beans until no whole beans remain. Taste and season with salt.
Return the pan to medium-high.Use a spoon to make wells in the beans, gently crack the eggs into the simmering bean mixture and season each with salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the eggs are just set, 5 to 7 minutes. If you prefer hard-cooked eggs, cover the skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve huevos enfrijolados with the queso, cilantro and remaining chopped onion sprinkled over the top, with sliced avocado and tostadas alongside.

I know- this is a recent recipe from NYT. I try not to turn around recipes too quickly because I know some of you subscribe to that. But this what I was in the mood to make, so...deal with it.

A couple things- for recipes that call for less than a qt of broth, I use Better than Bullion. You can get it anywhere it keeps forever in the fridge, and in several reviews from professionals it rates as tasty as the better boxed broth. Which is almost always made from concentrate. Or you might like the idea of paying for shipping water around.

Also- because you never use a whole can of chilis in adobo at once (or I never have)- you can dump out the unused portion on to a square of saran wrap, roll it up like a sausage and freeze it. Later on, you can just cut off a couple of tablespoons as needed. I do the same with tomato paste.

Having said that, I used 3 chilis, and it was mildly spicy. I think 5 would make it officially spicy.

Sous-Chef Salad
Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients:
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces marble potatoes
6 ounces green beans, stems removed, tails intact
4 large eggs (refrigerator cold)
1 small head soft lettuce, such as butter or red-leaf lettuce
1 bunch radishes
4 ounces artichoke hearts in brine
3 to 4 ounces ripe cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed)
1 (6.7-ounce) jar high-quality tuna packed in oil
1/2 small red onion (about 2 ounces), halved and thinly sliced
1 ounce pitted Kalamata olives, halved (about 1/4 cup)
3 garlic cloves, freshly peeled
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup)
2 large, leafy basil sprigs (2 to 3 ounces)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add plenty of salt to taste of the sea.
Add potatoes, and boil until the thin tip of a knife can pierce a potato as if going into soft wax, 8 to 9 minutes. Retrieve potatoes with a spider, and let cool and drain on a baker’s rack set into a sheet pan nearby.
Add green beans to still-boiling water, and boil until the color transforms from raw and dusty to saturated deep green, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a spider, and set out to drain and cool on the baker’s rack.
Add the eggs directly from the refrigerator into the boiling water, and boil for 8 minutes. Dump eggs and boiling water into the sink, letting the shells crackle as they land hard. Peel eggs while submerged under cold running water, which helps to stop the cooking and release the shells easily. Set peeled eggs to rest on the rack.
While eggs boil, wash and spin-dry lettuce.
Remove green leafy tops from radishes, and save for another use, if desired. Wash and carefully rinse radishes, taking care to remove any grit or sand.
On a large rimmed platter, begin to assemble the salad by tearing the clean, dry lettuce and arranging it as the bed.
Use a sharp paring knife to split the green beans in half crosswise. Scatter them artfully around the bed of lettuce.
Split the potatoes in half and arrange artfully.
Split artichokes, if whole, into quarters and arrange artfully.
Repeat with cherry tomatoes, followed by radishes, split into quarters, then eggs, quartered into wedges.
Remove tuna from the jar with a fork. Break it into chunks, and nestle it into the mound of salad. Drizzle the tuna oil over the salad.
Finish with scattered red onion and split olives.
Microplane the garlic into a small bowl. Add red-wine vinegar and 3 to 4 long glugs of olive oil (about 1/4 cup), and stir together briskly. Season with salt and a lot of freshly ground pepper.
Just before dressing the salad, tear the basil leaves to release their fragrance. Scatter them around the whole salad.
When ready to serve, drizzle dressing evenly and thoroughly over salad. When ready to eat, toss to dress, and don’t worry about messing up the beauty.

Total non-recipe. It's just a salad. This is just for you to add to your Paprika library so you remember to make it, and can add the stuff your grocery list. You are using Paprika, right?

Also- note this recipe as listed serves 2. Adjust as necessary, even using Paprika's scale tool.