22 February 2008

Smoky Cheeseburgers with Yammy Fries

Smoky Cheeseburgers with Yammy Fries
Can the "powers that be" be right? Has Spring come to stay? I can hope for that one. My patio furntiture is all in place, my barbeque is in it's rightful place. The barbeque is usually "man's world" ...but move over men...Valerie is here!!! My new barbeque is a thing of beauty, with its shiny stainless steel exterior and it's infrared roast cooker...can't wait to roast a spit chicken. I found the largest barbeque that my deck in the condominium would allow...still leaving plenty of room for the patio furniture and friends.

There was a time when I would barbeque all year round. I was out in the rain, the sleet, the hail..the snow.... nothing would keep me from my appointed task. If Spring has arrived then to speed up the process I have been flashing up the barbeque whenever the feeling moves over me. First it was the ribs for the Royal Foodie Joust and now Smoky hamburgers the quintessential and classic barbeque food. Roll on summer!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the heat of the summer my barbeque becomes invaluable. It is too hot in the kitchen to cook up a storm, so, instead of eating cold cuts and salads I turn on the side burner and cook up fresh veggies and stirfries, bake bread, make pizzas and even cakes and brownies in the barbeque. Experimentation is the key. The best thing about the barbeque there is little or no cleanup. No wonder it is man's world...wink...wink...sorry all you men out there :D We are just smart enough to make a delicious meal with the least amount of effort so we can move on to other things!! What a concept!

So to start my barbeque season off right I christianed my barbeque for the 2nd time with hamburgers. Cheesy ,barbeque sauce laden, dripping on your pants, juicy burgers with yam fries and oven baked onion rings. I'm sure there will be many more barbeques to come!!!!!!!!!!!

**Smoky Cheeseburgers with Yammy Fries**

Barbecue Sauce

1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic,

Mushrooms

1 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms

Patties

2 pounds (907 g) extra-lean ground sirloin
2 - 4 tablespoons water
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of the barbeque sauce
8 slices soft, whole-wheat hamburger buns
8 light cheddar cheese slices (in this case Provolone because it is what I had on hand)
Other burger toppings as desired: ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, etc

Yammy Fries

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (see Tip)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
4 x medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil

Barbecue Sauce :To make sauce, blend together all sauce ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Blend in food processor or blender until smooth. Let cool.

Mushrooms: Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in non-stick skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Patties: Preheat gas grill to high setting. To make patties, combine beef, 2 to 4 T water, and 2 T barbecue sauce in a large bowl. Mix gently using your hands. Shape meat into 8 patties. Make a small indentation in the centre of each patty with your thumb to ensure even cooking because the burger swells during cooking.

Brush grill rack lightly with oil or spray with cooking spray. Grill burgers over hot coals until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be dry. Baste both sides of burgers with barbecue sauce during last couple minutes of cooking.
Top with cheese slices, close lid, count to 10 and remove from heat! Serve burgers on whole wheat rolls with sautéed mushrooms and your favourite burger toppings.

** Yammy Fries**
Yammy Fries
Combine all spices: grated parmesan cheese, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika chipotle, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder, in a small bowl. Set aside.


Preheat oven to 450ºF. Wash potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel them if you desire. Slice each potato into french-fry-like wedges (about 10 fries per potato, depending on the size of the potato). Toss fries in a large bowl with olive oil until well-coated, then toss with spice blend.

Spread fries evenly on a non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn fries over and bake an additional 7 minutes, or until tender. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fries. Make sure you don’t over-bake them, or they’ll be soggy.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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30 comments:

  1. Val, i normally BBQ all year too but the damn thing is buried in snow!

    The yam fries look fab and I'm dying to throw a burger on a grill..now you've done it!

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  2. This is the second post where they have said spring is here. Not for me in Chicago.:-( But I want to get that grill fired up now. Yumm burgers!

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  3. I'm drooling all over my keyboard as I sit here looking out at the pouring rain and dreary day. Fortunately, here in San Diego, it has already been springlike and the rain is rare!

    How did you make the baked onion rings?

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  4. Mmmm - I am all over that burger! Especially with a side of sweet potato fries.
    Now I just have to scrape the ice and snow off my grill and get cooking.

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  5. Recipe Girl ..my good friend is in San Diego right now on business..she said it is raining as well..but there are palm trees so it is all good:D

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  6. O.k..I am intrigued...and darn! I just baked the sweet potatoes last night.

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  7. I double checked this time to make sure that I'm on the right blog:-)
    You are so optimistic to be talking of BBQ in Canada, isn't it cold.
    Thanks for giving us three recipes in one post please tell us how to make the onions. You are making me want to BBQ.

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  8. "Sister" Ivy is that you????? I don't have my glasses on :D It is only cold 4 - 5 months of the year in Canada...then it is too hot!!

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  9. Hi Val, three great recipes and BBQ ones too!! All I need is warm weather now - but - you have tempted me to perhaps stand in gale force winds to produce your wonderful cheeseburger and fries ;)

    Lovely post and pics.

    Rosie x

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  10. Looks delicious and now I'm in the burger mood! Browsing food blogs on an empty stomach is a dangerous thing....

    Also, I especially like the name "yammy fries" ;-) lol

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  11. Yumm now I know what to make for dinner tonight:)looks awesome!

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  12. I was hoping for Spring, but as I look out the window now, the snow is coming down :(

    My husband is the one to BBQ, but I'm going to share this recipe with him!

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  13. Wow those look great I love the yammy fries! Come on Spring!!!!
    x x x

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  14. Oh wow!! We are lucky here we can grill in relative comfort all year long but we still mainly do in the summer to help keep the house cool. The A/C runs all the time in summer.

    Burgers may be on the menu for the weekend!!!

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  15. Kudos to you mastering the grill. That is on my list for this summer to tackle. That meal looks so good!

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  16. I have recently taken over the bbq job from my husband. Whether he likes it or not! ;) But we're burried in snow here so I'd have to thaw the BBQ!

    What spices did you use on the fries?

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  17. Nooooo!! If spring has sprung there, it means Autumn is settling in here. Nooooo!! I'm not ready to let go so summer yet. I want more barbecued burgers like these ones!!!

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  18. It's snowing here, in Northern AZ...for pete's sake! I don't care, I'd fire up the grill in blizzards. Yammy fries...just the name makes me smile!

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  19. I'm so jealous that you have Spring and here in Ontario, all we have is snow and cold temperatures. I so need to get out for some walks, but it's too cold for me.

    I'll pass on the burgers, but your fries look amazing!

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  20. We (well, actually the meat man) barbecue all year long too, but we don't have to withstand all that tricky weather like you do (wow). Actually, he uses any excuse to throw something on his barbecue, even making pancakes for Sunday brunch.

    I like these yammy fries!

    have a nice weekend, Val,
    Nora

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  21. These look delicious! I am hoping to move soon...one reason is because I need a place to put a BBQ. Yum!

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  22. Yowza! Does this look awesome! My husband has been saying for about two weeks that he felt like a hamburger and I'm flippin over your yammy fries. So what exactly am I waiting for?

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  23. That really does look summery! I hope you're right, I want the nice weather to arrive and stay.

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  24. Wow, great minds think alike! We posted a fry recipe too, but your smoky cheeseburgers would be the main dish that would go perfect with it!

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  25. For me it's also hard to believe that Spring starts in Canada... Hey, it's me... the Spanish one!!!! :D We are the ones of the sun and the heat and the beach... :D

    I never BBQ, that's on my husband, in fact, he loves it, but won't start until April or so.
    Buen provecho, querida Val!!!!

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  26. I have never made yam fries. But I am a yam fan, so I must try this.
    Your description of the BBQ cheeseburger is downright mean. I have to go to work now and look at English hospital food all day.(say no more) I will have that burger on my brain all day.

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  27. Who would have thought there would be such heartwarming response to burgers and yammy fries. Thanks everyone for all your kind comments :D I am all for barbequing..think of how little cleanup there is :D... and yes Spring is coming!!!!!!!!

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  28. Those burgers sound good and the fries sound great! I like to get the sweet potato fies at restaurants but I have not tried making them at home.

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  29. I never made Yam fries. You make me want to try them. Looks great.

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  30. I think the grill is coming out today...if it ever quits raining...
    It's plain old black but near and dear to our hearts. Of course, mon mari has 3 others for various purposes....

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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