Ingredient: raisins

Swiss Easter Rice Tart

With Easter coming up real soon, why not bake something different this year or should I say, different for me. Swiss Rice Tart  has a custard type filling made with rice, eggs, milk, citrusy lemon zest, ground almonds all baked in a sweet, crunchy pastry. Traditionally only served during Easter time in Switzerland, it is a wonderful non-fussy and unusual brunch dish/dessert item.

It took a bit of time to try and learn some history of this Easter specialty. It seems that the first available recipes for a similar tart are from the end of the 16th century. In a cookbook by Anna Wecker, (the first German cookbook to be published by a woman) there was mention of a similar tart. In some of the early recipes, Parmesan cheese was included in the dough but this was abandoned for a sweeter crust. Another version used bread as a starchy filling instead of rice or semolina and the flavoring was rosewater and wine. By the 19th century, the tart, as it is known today, made its way into the rotation of most Swiss bakeries.

The key to getting the right consistency for the filling is to slightly overcook the rice from the beginning as it needs to to become smooth and creamy. The ground almonds, amaretto liqueur and raisins all add richness to the flavor of this ‘rice pudding baked in a crust’.

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 Swiss Easter Rice Tart
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, European, German, Swiss
Servings
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Crust
Rice Custard Filling
Topping
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, European, German, Swiss
Servings
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Crust
Rice Custard Filling
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pastry
  1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt & baking powder to blend. Add butter & pulse about 3-4 times, until butter is in pea- size pieces. Sprinkle in the ice water; pulse another 4 times. Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface & knead gently a few times to form a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate at least an hour.
Custard Filling
  1. In a small bowl, combine amaretto liqueur & raisins & allow to marinate until ready to add to filling.
  2. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, lower heat to medium & cook until rice is soft & water is absorbed. Add evaporated milk, skim milk, butter, sugar & salt. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to low & add amaretto liqueur ONLY, setting raisins aside.
  3. Simmer until mixture has thickened almost to a 'risotto' consistency, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat & place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to cool mixture.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F. & place oven rack in the lowest position. When cooled, pour rice mixture into a bowl; add lemon zest & raisins. Mix ground almonds with the 1 Tbsp flour & fold into mixture along with eggs.
  5. Press chilled pastry evenly into tart pan. Trim edges flush with pan. Pour filling into pastry dough & bake about 35 minutes, until filling is set & golden. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar & almond slices (create a design if you wish) before serving.
Recipe Notes
  • This recipe was adapted from a site called cuisine Switzerland.
  • I had used a 10-inch tart pan for mine but there was a small amount of filling left over which had to be baked in a casserole dish.
  • I would suggest using a 10-inch spring form pan instead so the pastry sides could be higher to accommodate the extra filling.

Cardamom Fruit Cakes with Rum Sauce

No other spice more completely captures the essence of the exotic. Cardamom’s complex flavor is difficult to describe. There’s nothing subtle about cardamom, so when used in all but sparing amounts it will dominate whatever its paired with. Used properly, it elevates sweet and savory dishes, adding layers of flavor. 

A versatile spice, in that it can be used in everything from desserts to main courses. Relatively expensive, coming in after saffron and pure vanilla, but well worth the expense.

Today, I’m back to ‘recipe development’. My plan is to create some tender, little orange cakes and topping them with a fruit and spice mixture reminiscent of flavors from Morocco.

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 Cardamom Fruit Cakes with Rum Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German, Middle Eastern, Moroccan
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Fruit Topping Mixture
Rum Sauce
Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German, Middle Eastern, Moroccan
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Fruit Topping Mixture
Rum Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Fruit Topping Mixture
  1. In a small bowl, combine dates, apricots, raisins, apple & remaining orange juice & zest from cake ingredients. Season with cardamom & mace; mix well. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 6 custard baking cups. Divide fruit between them; covering bottom & pressing a bit up the sides. Set aside.
Cake
  1. In a small bowl, beat together eggs & sugar until thick; gradually beat in oil. In a small dish, combine flour, baking powder & salt. Stir flour into egg/sugar mixture, then add orange juice. Combine well then add zest & vanilla.
  2. Pour the batter over fruit in custard cups, dividing it evenly between them. Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. Allow the cakes to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling. When ready to serve, place on individual dessert plates & drizzle with warm rum sauce.
Rum Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Combine sugar & cornstarch; stir into melted butter. Slowly pour in milk, stirring frequently until mixture begins to lightly boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & stir in rum extract. Serve warm.

Apple & Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops

CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY! 

It seems as we get older, reminiscing becomes a part of our lives. It is an that important psychological process called ‘life cycle review’.

Father’s Day,  for Brion and I, is a day that brings back many fond memories. My father passed away in 2005 and Brion’s in 2011. There is never a week that goes by that we don’t reminisce about something we remember about one or the other. Both of our Dad’s loved to talk and tell you stories from their lives. I think back to when I was just a kid and my Dad would recount the same story more than once. At the time, it all seemed a bit boring but now I realize how the benefits of storytelling and review are greatly underestimated. I would give anything to retrace those years once again.

A father’s love and influence is never fully appreciated until he is no longer with you. It is so important to appreciate every hour they are in your life.

My father’s day blog recipe features some pork chops with a nice apple-apricot stuffing. Hope you get a chance to try it sometime.

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 Apple & Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Cut a deep, horizontal pocket in each chop.
  2. In a skillet, saute onion & celery in oil until tender crisp. Add bread crumbs, oatmeal, diced apricots, apple, raisins, brown sugar, ginger & 2 Tbsp apricot preserve; mix well. Divide stuffing between pork chops. Place in an ungreased baking dish & cover.
  3. Bake for about 45 minutes; uncover & spread remaining 2 Tbsp preserves on top of chops. Bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes more or until chops are tender.

German New Years Cake

The German New Years cake is a traditional round cake with three layers of different fillings: poppy seeds, nuts & apple. Going back to pre-Christian days, ring-shaped breads and cakes were always considered fortunate because they signified continuity by ‘coming full circle’ or ‘the circle of life’.

The start of the new year has a tenancy to turn even non-believers a bit superstitious.  All around the world, New Years Day  is filled with traditions and symbolic ritual with many of the traditions revolving around food. Certain foods symbolize wealth, prosperity, health and good luck for the coming year. In some cultures, cakes or bread have symbolic items baked inside.

Poppy Seed is believed to bring a year of abundance. Nuts are a symbol of new life and potential. Apples, along with healing properties should bring a ‘sweet new year’!

Keeping all that in mind, it seems like a good reason to invest some time into making this special layered GERMAN NEW YEARS CAKE.

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 German New Years Cake
Votes: 6
Rating: 4.17
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Cake Dough
Poppy Seed Filling
Nut Filling
Apple Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Cake Dough
Poppy Seed Filling
Nut Filling
Apple Filling
Votes: 6
Rating: 4.17
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Instructions
Cake Dough
  1. In a large bowl, combine dough ingredients & knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap & place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Poppy Seed Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, combine all poppy seed ingredients. Place over LOW heat for 1-2 minutes; remove from heat & cool.
Nut Filling
  1. In a small bowl, combine all nut filling ingredients; set aside.
Apple Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, saute peeled & chopped apples over low heat with butter & sugar. Do not add any water as they need to be semi-soft, NOT MUSHY.
Assembly of Cake
  1. Divide chilled dough in HALF, then divide one of the halves into THIRDS. Roll out the largest piece into a circle big enough to cover the bottom & sides of a 12-inch spring form pan. Make sure to have a bit hanging over the top of the ring.
  2. Add the poppy filling. Roll out one of the small pieces of dough to fit neatly on top of filling. Gently cover with nut filling. Roll second small piece of dough; fit over nut filling. Add apple filling layer. Fold extra dough edges onto apples & top with third piece of dough. Your dough base & dividers should all be rolled quite THIN.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat egg & add a tiny bit of water. Brush it over top surface. Bake for about 1 hour & 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven & place on a wire rack to cool. This cake is best if left in a cool place for a day or two before serving so the flavors will marry. Dust with a layer of powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe Notes
  • When you're making this type of cake, never hesitate to adjust the quantity of any one of the filling layers to make it not as thick if you feel it might be too overpowering to your personal taste.

Milchreis – German Rice Pudding

I recall my mothers’ rice pudding with much fondness. It was a creamy pudding with raisins and a nice cinnamon flavor. Although, as a kid, raisins didn’t really appeal to me they seemed to belong in this pudding. My father was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of man with an inherited love of sweets. I rarely ever remember my mother preparing a meal that didn’t end with some kind of dessert. It didn’t have to be anything elaborate. To this day, I still think a meal isn’t complete without a little sweetness at the end. Not a good thing as we get older.

Rice puddings are found in nearly every corner of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of the pudding vary depending on preparation and the ingredients selected.

With its abundance of rice and spices in Asia, it is likely that rice pudding was originally created in Persia, India or China. Eventually it made its way to Europe where recipes for baked rice puddings began to appear around the 17th century.

Milchreis  is the German version, made by cooking short grain rice on the stove top in milk with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. A popular accompaniment to rice pudding in Germany has been cherries in juice.

Due to the mildness of this pudding you can change the flavor significantly by making a few changes such as: nutmeg or cardamom instead of cinnamon –  adding dried fruits such as cranberries, apples or peaches – adding nuts such as walnuts, pecans or almonds – use almond milk instead of regular milk. No matter which way you choose to make it, if you like rice, you will love that homey goodness.

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 Milchreis - German Rice Pudding
Comfort food!
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, German
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, German
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine rice, sugar & salt. Stir in milk & vanilla.
  2. Place mixture over medium heat & bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Add raisins; continue cooking while stirring, 15 minutes more, or until the rice is soft & the milk becomes thick. Serve warm with cinnamon.
Recipe Notes
  • I saw an interesting recipe on paddockpost.com for Almond Milk Rice Pudding you might enjoy reading. Go to the website above & click on recipes. It was a blog from November 1/2016.

Moroccan Style Chicken Breasts

Chicken is incredibly versatile and none more so than chicken breast that can be stuffed with endless filling choices. In 2014, Brion and I spent a brief part of our vacation in Morocco. At that point I became aware of some of  the wonderful ‘flavors of Morocco’. Since then I have incorporated them into numerous recipes.

Moroccan cuisine has been influenced by Morocco’s interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Typically a mix of Mediterranean, Arabic, Andalusian and most importantly Berber. Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Spices are used extensively – some of which are imported and others are home-grown.

The dishes that likely inspired the stuffed chicken breast idea were Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Kiev. They appeared in the United States in the early 1960’s. Considered trendy dishes at the time, thus being served in fashionable, high class restaurants.

Recipes are not invented but rather evolve over time. Culinary evidence confirms roulades or roll ups of meat composed of veal or chicken were favored in centuries past by several cultures and cuisines. Mostly notably – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy.

Today’s MOROCCAN STYLE CHICKEN BREAST  is a meal we always seem to enjoy and it certainly doesn’t require a lot fuss to prepare. 

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 Moroccan Style Chicken Breast
A spicy sweet and sour blend of chicken, fruit & Moroccan spices.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dates, apricots, raisins, apple & orange juice in a small bowl. Season with spices; mix well.
  2. Place chicken breasts in a heavy freezer bag. Pound breasts gently until about 1/4" thick. Mound some of the fruit filling on flattened breasts & fold over, tucking in the ends. Place a small amount of filling on the bottom of the baking dish & lay breasts on top. Any extra filling can be placed around & on top of chicken as well.
  3. Cover with foil, bake 15 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake another 15 minutes or until chicken tests done.

Christmas ‘Stollen’ Scones

Having spent many years in the commercial food industry, baking is something I have definitely done a lot of. Of course it goes without saying, it is truly one of my passions.

It only seems logical, if you like muffins, you will also like scones. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I took more of an interest in scones. I found a recipe for ‘buttermilk scones’ that only made 6 wedges which was perfect for the two of us. Of course, I could never just leave it at that. From there my addiction to ‘recipe development’ created a whole new section in my recipe file for scones.

Scones are much like muffins in the way that they share many of the same ingredients, but each varies slightly in the way they’re made. With muffins, the wet and dry ingredients are measured separately before mixing them together and then baking. Scones, on the other hand require the shortening to be cut into the dry ingredients. They both fall under the category of ‘quick breads’, because they are leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast. One big similarity between the two methods though, is that over-mixing will cause them to be tough and dry.

Over time, in North America at least, it seems that the difference between the two has become a little blurred. It all comes down to who makes them I guess which brings me to the blog recipe today. Just for fun I decided to try to create that magical ‘stollen’ flavor in a scone just to see what would happen. Brion and I really enjoyed them and I hoping you will to.

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 Christmas 'Stollen' Scones
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine German
Servings
mini scones
Ingredients
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine German
Servings
mini scones
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spices & salt; cut in margarine until it resembles fine crumbs.
  3. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, candied fruit, raisins, almonds, extracts, lemon zest, eggs & almond milk. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Scoop onto baking sheet & bake 12-14 minutes.

White Fruit Cake

When most of us think of fruitcake we picture a dense, dark colored, dry loaf of bread packed with dried candied fruits and nuts. History and lore mingle in the telling of the fruitcake story. Many of the earliest recipes date back to ancient Egypt and Rome. Fruitcake also has historical associations with the Holy Land, with its internal bounty being said to represent the Wise Men. Like many other fruit breads and cakes, it has been venerated since Medieval times when fruit in wintertime was an extraordinary treat.

The English fruitcake or Christmas cake reached its heyday in Victorian times when, with the introduction of the Christmas tree and other festive customs and religious traditions exploded into colorful, season-long celebrations. These fruitcakes were made well in advance of the holidays, wrapped in cheesecloth that had been soaked in brandy or rum. Periodically, the cheesecloth was resoaked and the cakes rewrapped to absorb the liquid. The day before Christmas, they were unwrapped, coated with marzipan or almond paste, further coated with royal icing that dried and hardened, then glazed with apricot glaze. These Christmas cakes demonstrated such abundance that over the years, the same kind of cake has been used as wedding cake, as it has the advantage of preserving well for anniversary celebrations. The German Christmas bread called ‘stollen’  is a close kin to fruitcake.

Fruitcake character is largely determined by the wealth of fruit and nuts it contains. Spices are other key ingredients that go back to the Middle Eastern heritage of the fruitcake. Rum and Brandy are very often included in the liquids of the cake which leave their flavor but no alcoholic content because the alcohol is driven off during baking. Any favorite flavor, such as wine, fruit juice or liqueurs can be used. Rather than just adding it to the batter, I prefer to marinate the fruit and nuts in it overnight or longer.

The ‘mail-order’ fruitcakes that became quite popular in America in about 1913, although convenient, probably had a lot to do with our great dislike for this traditional ‘Christmas’ cake. I’m pretty sure this is where the dry part originated. As a kid, it certainly wasn’t my choice for a Christmas treat. I was never one for molasses or raisins and it seemed that was all  I could taste. I probably shouldn’t mention this but on occasion my mother would make an unbaked fruitcake. There were very few things she made that I didn’t like but that topped the list. If I recall it contained molasses, marshmallows and I think graham wafer crumbs  —- yikes!!  Things got a little better when ‘Betty Crocker’ came out with a boxed fruitcake mix that had a white batter. 

It seems like its been decades since fruitcakes were the du jour  dessert to be served at a wedding. These days, the wedding cake need not be a cake at all. Since about 2003, ‘Cheese (Tower) Cakes’ have grown in popularity as an alternative to the traditional fruitcake. It is made by stacking an assortment of round cheeses to resemble a cake which can be served with fruit and crackers. This will also compliment the wine being served. So much for the tradition of a single female wedding guest putting a bit of wedding cake under her pillow at night so she could dream of the person she would marry!

I’m sure your curious as to why I would dedicate a blog to White Fruit Cake. Some years back, I was co-owner of a catering company. At Christmas we were regularly asked for Christmas fruitcake. After a lot of ‘recipe development’ we settled on a white fruitcake recipe that became a signature product for us. To this day, I very often make a batch in about mid November, baking it in little individual loaves. Even though there is just the two of us I make the whole recipe and we enjoy it early on into the next year.

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 White Fruit Cake
A tender, light and delicately flavored fruitcake.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Servings
mini loaves
Ingredients
Course dessert
Servings
mini loaves
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Marinate the first 7 ingredients overnight (I prefer to marinate for at least 24 hrs.) in 1 cup of Rum ( use your own preference as to the type of Rum). Preheat oven to 275 F. Line baking pans with parchment paper.
  2. Cream margarine with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla & lemon zest.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder & salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture, beating well. Fold in marinated fruit mixture. Carefully divide cake batter into 24 mini loaf pans or 4 - 9 x 5" loaf pans.
  4. Bake for 1 hour for mini loaves & 2 hours for large loaves. Place a pan with 1/2 -inch of water in the bottom of oven while baking; checking periodically that it has not gone dry. If baking fruitcake in large loaves the temperature may be increased to 350 F. for the last 10-15 minutes. I found with the mini loaves it was best to bake them completely at 275 F. When cake tests done, remove from oven & place on cooling racks until thoroughly cooled.
  5. Wrap in Rum soaked cheesecloth & place in a tightly covered plastic container for a least one month before serving. Each week, check to see if you need to add more rum to the cheesecloth.
Recipe Notes
  • Total baked weight of fruit cake is 10 3/4 lbs or 4876 grams.
  • Yield equals either 4 - 9 x 5" loaves or 24 mini loaves.
  • Just for some extra 'Secrets for Perfect Fruitcake' go to whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/fruitcakesec.htm

Stuffed Burgers

RESHAPING THE BASIC BURGER

It’s only mid May and the enticing smell of the neighborhood barbecues drifts through the air. Spring has felt more like summer due to the high temperatures we are having.

Burgers have long been a summer barbecue staple so why not put a new spin on it. My first thought goes to using the same spice combination for a variety of ground meats such as beef, chicken/turkey, or pork. Next make a filling that would taste great in whatever meat you feel like serving or better still use a variety.

Over the last couple of weeks I did some recipe development  on seven different ideas to simplify  making  ‘Stuffed Burgers’.   In my next few blogs I would like to share these recipes with you.  Here is the list:   > Moroccan            >  Apple-Zucchini Bacon            > Savory-Herb                               > Seafood/Avocado &  Spinach/Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers                                                  > Mushroom-Cheese Stuffed Ground Salmon    > Garden Grain Burgers    

The focus of my blog is very often on the ‘Taste of a Memory’  so I decided to start my stuffed burger series with a memory from Morocco.

In 2014, my husband Brion and I enjoyed a holiday travelling Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. I had never really paid to much attention to the interesting flavor of the Moroccan spices before that trip. Since then I have made numerous dishes that included them as we have come to really enjoy that flavor.

Key Moroccan spices include aniseed, black pepper, cayenne, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, paprika, parsley, saffron and turmeric.      

Morocco is like a tree whose roots lie in Africa but whose leaves breath in European air. This is a metaphor that has been used to describe a country that is profoundly traditional and strongly drawn to the modern. It is this double-sided, seemingly contradictory disposition that gives Morocco its cultural richness. The country is slightly larger in area than California. Unlike most other African countries, it produces all the food it needs to feed its people. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the country is rich in fish and seafood. Beef is not plentiful, so meals are usually built around lamb or poultry. Another Moroccan staple is couscous, made from fine grains of a wheat product called semolina. It is served many different ways with vegetables, meat or seafood.

In today’s  Moroccan Burgers, I used beef and turkey patties, stuffing them with a spicy fruit filling. Strange as it seems, Brion and I found mustard   to be a great condiment to use on them.  In keeping with the Moroccan theme, couscous makes a nice side dish however you choose to prepare it. Your comments are most welcome.                                       

Print Recipe
 Stuffed Burgers
I used the same spice combination in the basic meat patty recipe for whatever meat I chose to use ( beef, chicken/turkey, pork), to keep it simple. These meat patties were then used to prepare the SAVORY-HERB, APPLE-ZUCCHINI BACON, & MOROCCAN burgers.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Servings
Ingredients
Basic Meat Patties
Moroccan Spicy Fruit Filling
Easy Couscous Side Dish
Servings
Ingredients
Basic Meat Patties
Moroccan Spicy Fruit Filling
Easy Couscous Side Dish
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Basic Meat Patties
  1. Place ground meat in a large bowl & combine with spices. Mix well. Shape into 8 - 1/4" thick patties. Place equal amounts of prepared filling in center of each of 4 patties. Top with remaining 4 patties & press gently to seal, enclosing filling completely.
  2. Place burgers in a greased foil disposable pan. Preheat barbecue grill to a medium heat, place pan on grates & close lid. Turn burgers once during cooking time, (do not overcook as the meat is only 1/4" thick on each side).
  3. Serve on a Ciabatta bun (or hamburger bun of your choice).
Moroccan Spicy Fruit Filling
  1. Combine dates, apricots, raisins, apple & orange juice in a small bowl. Season with spices. Mix well; set aside to let marinate for a few hours. Divide between 4 burger patties & complete as above.
Couscous Side Dish
  1. Heat 1/2 tsp olive oil in small saucepan. Add next 4 ingredients. Cook & stir until green onion is softened. Add honey. Heat & stir until onion is coated.
  2. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Add couscous & 1 tsp olive oil. Stir. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes without lifting the lid. Fluff with fork; stirring in remaining ingredients adding a bit of butter if it seems to solid. Makes about 2 3/4 cups.
Recipe Notes
  • I found it really made this whole burger idea easy if I made 908 grams (2lbs) of each of the 3 types of ground meat into patties. Portion the meat with a scoop into 56 grams (2 oz.) balls, flatten & place in a plastic container, layered singly between a non-stick waxed paper to freeze.
  • When it comes time to use, take out the number of patties you require for the meal. Prepare the filling of choice, stuff & cook. What could be easier than that for a quick & easy great tasting meal!