Surf & Turf Burgers

CELEBRATING CANADA DAY!

In Canada, July 1st marks the day for Canadians to reinforce national unity, sovereignty, and shared values against external economic pressures and to mark the 60th anniversary of the flag. It acts as a unifying force against trade tensions, protects our identity from being absorbed by larger neighbors, and boosts morale. 

Today, Canadian pride and sense of belonging have reached their highest levels in years. Being Canadian brings pride through a strong commitment to multiculturalism, inclusivity, and freedom, alongside a reputation for politeness, resilience, and a high quality of life. 

From coast to coast the country’s birthday is marked with various events. Barbecues are definitely the preferred choice of food event for the day. Of course, the staple at most barbecues, tailgates and picnics is the classic burger. But a burger doesn’t have to be just a burger. The surf and turf burger is a variation of the surf and turf dish, typically made with minced meat and marine products like lobster, shrimp, or crab. 

The concept of ‘surf and turf’ is reported to have originated in the US as a dining trend in the mid-20th century. It refers to a dish that combines both seafood (surf) and meat (turf) in a single meal. While the idea of pairing seafood and meat together has been around for centuries in various forms, the modern surf and turf combination gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. The surf and turf burger is a creative twist on this classic concept.

Brion & I thought this was truly a gourmet meal burger in a bun. Much more than just a delicious meeting of ocean and prairie.

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Surf & Turf Burgers
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Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
Burgers
  1. In a bowl, combine all seasonings & add ground beef & beaten egg. Lightly combine without overmixing. Form into 4 burger patties. Set aside in refrigerator.
Shrimp
  1. Peel & devein shrimp. Rinse in cold water & dry with paper towel. Toss shrimp in olive oil & Old Bay seasoning. Set aside in refrigerator.
Avocado Steak Sauce
  1. In food processor, add all sauce ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Remove from processor & place in a glass dish. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate.
Other Ingredients
  1. Slice tomato & red onion. Slice or shred cheese. Very lightly butter hamburger buns.
Cooking / Assembly
  1. Heat a griddle to medium-high & cook shrimp until they are just done, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set them aside.
  2. Place burgers on the griddle & cook them until done or to your liking.
  3. Assemble surf & turf burgers as follows: roll, burger, cheese, arugula, tomato & onion, generous amount of avocado steak sauce, shrimp & top of roll.
  4. Serve immediately.

Burgers in Loaded Potato/Bacon Buns

CELEBRATING THE LONG WEEK-END!

For many Canadians, Victoria Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer. It is Canada’s oldest non-religious holiday and although we still hang on to the British Queen’s name (for old times’ sake), this truly Canadian holiday has everything to do with the end of the cold weather and short days and a lot to do with some great food.

Canadians jokingly refer to this holiday as May ‘two-four’ day. This is an inside joke which refers to a case of beer, containing 24 cans. For many, this is the first (warm-ish) long weekend since Easter, so they head to campsites armed with a 24 (can) case of beer to celebrate the beginning of Summer.

Wherever you live across Canada, this May long weekend – typically marks the start of grilling season. It’s time to get outside in the sunshine, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy savory grilled food with family and friends.

Brion & I are enjoying some interesting burgers which are served on ‘swirly burger buns’.

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Burgers in Loaded Potato/Bacon Buns
Instructions
Buns
  1. In a large bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for about 3 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well. Add bacon, chives & sun-dried tomatoes; mix until just combined. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured work surface.
  3. Knead dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Assembly/Bake
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. From the long side, roll the dough like you would for a cinnamon roll & seal the edges. Using a piece of floss, cut roll into 10 pieces.
  3. Place buns on lined baking sheet & lightly brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Allow to rise while oven is heating.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.
Burgers
  1. In a large bowl, place all burger ingredients. Mix ONLY until combined. Divide mixture into 10 equal portions & form into patties.
  2. Prepare all burger toppings. When buns are baked, grill burger patties, adding cheese slices toward the end so they can melt. Slice buns (grill for a few minutes if you wish) then 'load' burgers & serve.

Breakfast Bagel ‘FEAT’ (fish, egg, avocado, tomato) Sandwich

A bagel for breakfast is the best way to start the day. A bagel fills you up in a way that a piece of bread never could, the chewy and dense texture just feels right in the mouth. And if it’s a salmon and avocado bagel with a poached egg and tomato as well …. perfect!

This recipe will work with all sorts of bagels … plain, cheese, onion, garlic, multigrain, pretty much any savory bagel will do. Toppings for a sandwich like this are very personal. Roasted salmon combined with the fresh flavors of tomato and avocado to go with the poached egg and chewy bagel.

It is the roasted garlic mayo and red onion that really makes this breakfast bagel sandwich sing! The fresh red onion flavor and hint of garlic meshes perfectly with the creamy mayonnaise to make a truly wonderful topping!

If you like all these ingredients, this bagel sandwich will taste like pure heaven!

Print Recipe
Breakfast Bagel 'FEAT' (fish, egg, avocado, tomato) Sandwich
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
SERVINGS
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Salmon
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, leaving a little room between each piece. Drizzle each salmon fillet with ½ teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  3. Put the salmon in the oven & set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the salmon out of the oven & let it rest for a few minutes. It will be very tender, the flesh will have turned opaque, and there will be only a few tiny spots of white showing. Slice each portion in half.
Poached Eggs
  1. Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil, then salt the water. Meanwhile, crack an egg (or 2) into a small cup. With a spoon, begin stirring the boiling water in a large, circular motion. When the water is swirling like a tornado, add the eggs. The swirling water will help the egg white wrap around itself as it cooks.
  2. Cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg (or eggs) to a dish.
Bagels
  1. Slice bagels, lightly butter & toast on a griddle. Spread the toasted bagel with roasted garlic mayo. Assemble the sandwich by layering with roasted salmon, red onion, tomato slices, salmon, avocado slices & poached egg. Top with remaining bagel half if you wish or serve it on the side.
Recipe Notes
  • In a 400 F. oven, salmon needs to bake for 4 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
    • ½ inch fillet – 4 minutes
    • 1 inch fillet – 8 minutes
    • 1 ½ inch fillet 12 minutes