A Sunday Double Header…Time again to break out the Barby

Grilled Asian Burgers with Onions and Pineapple

Spicy Sweet Potato “Fries”

Last October 10^th we prepared a delicious dinner for our good friends Steve and Doctor KT Waxman, which we posted here at Cooking D’Lites.  Steve and KT and their beautiful daughters Ashley and Samantha, “Sam”, along with the girl’s boyfriends Brian and Ryan, have been visiting Judy and me here at our summer home for a few days of rest and relaxation.  And of course, good eating has been at the center of everything.

If you recall, Steve and KT are big “Foodies” who love to cook with a gourmet’s flair.  Whenever we get together for a home cooked meal there is no doubt, the meal will be a memorable one.

After dining out at some of Lake Tahoe’s most renowned eateries for the past few evenings, we decided that for a change we would stay in tonight and have a Bar-B-Que.  Everyone pitched in, a requirement here for our summer guests, and in a joint effort we created a most wonderful meal.

The Burgers were loaded with tons of flavor and had a dazzling depth of flavor. The Sweet Potato “Fries” were an incredible surprise.  I may have even heard the phrase, “To die for”, with regard to those fantastic fries.

To complete the plating we added another of our recent favorites, the Gazpacho Salad, which we just recently posted.  All in all, it was a magical and successful albeit extremely casual evening of Bar-B-Que with the best of friends. 

Here are two quick and easy recipes, just perfect for a warm summers evening.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Asian Burgers

Ingredients

Grilled Asian Burgers with Sweep Potato "Fries"

1 pound uncooked Ground Beef, Lean (8% fat)

¼ cup Scallions, sliced

3 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce

1 Tbsp Ginger root, freshly grated

4 tsp Garlic, freshly minced

4 slices Pineapple, fresh if possible

½ medium Vidalia Sweet Onion, sliced

4 sprays Cooking Spray

¼ cup Cilantro, freshly chopped

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium high

In a medium sized bowl, combine Beef, Scallions, Teriyaki sauce, Ginger and Garlic until thoroughly mixed; form into 4 patties.

Off heat, lightly coat Burgers, Pineapple slices and Onion with Cooking Spray.

Grill Pineapple, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes; remove from grill and cover to keep warm.

Grill Burgers and Onions, turning once, until Burgers are your desired degree of doneness And Onions are lightly charred and tender, about 7 – 8 minutes.

To serve, plate 1 Burger, 1 slice of Pineapple and 1 slice of Onion. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of Cilantro.

Yields 1 Burger per serving. PointsPlus value per serving is 5. Prep time is 18 minutes. Cooking time is about 9 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Spicy Sweet Potato “Fries”

Ingredients

2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch wedges

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

2 tsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick Cooking Spray

Combine the Potatoes, Chili Powder and Cajun seasoning and Oil in a large bowl.

Spread the Potatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Bake until tender and golden, about 30 – 40 minutes. Yields a generous ½ cup per serving.  For a slightly crispier Potato, bake on 450°F.

Yields 4 servings.  PointsPlus value per serving is 4. Prep time is 5 minutes. Cooking time is about 40 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh