whiskey + blue cheese burger

 

are you ready for chillin & grillin with modest marce? haha watch out bobby flay! now that we finally have a barbecue expect a lot more outdoor summer grill recipes, desserts too. since i started hey modest marce we didn't have a barbecue as we lived in a high rise condo in the city. as someone who thinks everything taste better on the grill we have a LOT of missed time to catch up on! why don't we start with the obvious; homemade burgers. i have been making my own burgers for years & can safely say i have never bought boxed burgers since. burgers are way too easy to make yourself that i just can't justify going the lazy route. you can use any ground meat you like but i almost always stick with ground turkey or chicken for myself & ground beef for justin. justin's friends are coming down this weekend for a may long weekend barbecue & you bet these exact burgers will be on the menu! they were so good. adding barbecue sauce to the meat was a little trick i picked up from ina garten & to pack in more flavour i used crushed harvest snaps to act as the bread crumbs.  i even left some pieces a little chunky as i knew it would dissolve into the meat and add a ton of flavour. in this recipe i used the black pepper flavoured snap pea crisps, but any flavour will work! i topped them off with my favourite whiskey caramelized onions & BRIANNAS as the sauce. i LOVE caramelized onions & could eat them by the spoonful.. wait i have. lastly this dressing from BRIANNAS is so creamy & delicious! as someone who has eaten a lot of wings & blue cheese sauce, you should totally trust my judgement:) 

happy grilling season friends!!! the may long weekend is the perfect time to dust off that grill.  

ingredients

for the whiskey caramelized onions

  • 5-6 cups sliced onions (white or red)
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon whiskey

for the snap pea burgers

directions

for the whiskey caramelized onions

  • in a large skillet over medium low heat melt the butter and olive oil together. 
  • add the onions, salt & pepper. cook until the onions begin to break down & caramelize, about 30 minutes.
  • add in the whiskey. season with salt & pepper if desired. 
  • set aside while you prepare your burgers. 

for the snap pea burgers

  • in a large mixing bowl add the ground meat, egg, harvest snaps, barbecue sauce, black pepper & salt.
  • mix well and shape into burgers. place in the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before transferring them to the barbecue.
  • once firm, grill on each size for 3-4 minutes. toast the bun while you wait.
  • place fully cooked burger on toasted bun. top with caramelized onions, creamy blue cheese dressing & lettuce. serve along side some extra harvest snaps!

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! you can find the black pepper snappea crisps here & BRIANNAS blue cheese dressing here. thank you for supporting the brands that help me do what i love!

spaghetti ft. mussels + lemon + garlic + white wine

 

this spaghetti & mussels pasta dish is the perfect recipe to serve at a summer dinner party. i can't wait till we get our outdoor space ready this month! i thought it would even be cute to set up a table & chairs set on our front porch for dinners too since it is such a large space.. we shall see! anyways, this dish comes together in a flash, looks gorgeous & simply just needs to be served with some toasted, buttery garlic bread & a cold glass of cambria's chardonnay. serving a recipe this simple means less time spent in the kitchen cooking & more time actually hanging out with your guests.

i love cooking with the type of wine i will be serving that night & as every chef says you should never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink! especially when the sauce to the spaghetti is simply wine, stock & olive oil. simplicity at its best. cambria's chardonnay opens with lively fruit & oak spice aromas. it is perfect to both cook & pair with fresh seafood. while i chose to add only mussels to this dish to keep it simple, you don't have to stop there! depending on the size of the crowd i am feeding, i like adding clams to the mix as well. shrimp & scallops too if you want a hearty seafood pasta dish.

have a lovely weekend & happy mother's day! we will be outfront gardening saturday & attending our towns art show sunday because my parents are on vacation in england, ireland & scottland. i am a little jealous, but mom if you are reading this please bring me be back ALL the grey & ivory wool you can find:) xo

ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti, cooked to al dente
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup cambria's chardonnay
  • 1 1/2 cups fish or chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh mussels
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsely, roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
  • salt & pepper, to taste

directions

  • boil a large pot of water & cook spaghetti to al dente. strain, rinse with cold water & set aside.
  • in a large frying pan over medium low heat add the garlic, shallots & olive oil. cook until the shallots turn translucent. season with salt & pepper.
  • pour in the lemon juice & chardonnay, cook until the chardonnay reduces to half.
  • add the chicken stock & let come to a simmer.
  • add the mussels & steam with the lid on for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels have opened up.
  • tosss in the cooked pasta until coated. finish off with fresh parsely, lemon zest, parmesan, salt & pepper.
  • serve with a glass of cambria's chardonnay!

maple spinach salad ft. strawberries + avocado

 

as you can imagine, i roast a lot of veggies throughout the cold winter months. but now that the sun is shining all day, the only vegetables i have been craving are fresh veggies in salad. i love including different berries in my salad & this combination of strawberries + avocado is my go to. the avocado is so creamy! instead of using store bought dressings, i make my own four ingredient maple dijon dressing. this dressing recipe also works well with honey too instead of the maple syrup! seriously, between the strong blue cheese, fresh spinach & sweet strawberries these flavours are just so good together. a million times better then any salad i have been served at a restaurant. top in with grilled chicken breast or roasted chickpeas for a little protien.

in this recipe i used organic baby spinach as the base from taylor farms, but the organic baby spring mix works well too! they grow the highest quality of salads + vegetables around. everything is always super fresh because lets be real, there is nothing worse then soggy salad mix. this month (just in time for mother's day) they are hosting a fun little contest on instagram! to celebrate national salad moth you can enter to win a month supply of chopped salad kits. they will be drawing a winner once a week! to enter simply follow @yourtaylorfarms on instagram, create an original instagram post with a photo featuring your best salad (a.k.a this one) & tag #sweetsaladskills + #taylorfarms. good luck!!!! now is the time to get back to healthy eating with all the fresh fruits & vegetables spring has to offer.

ingredients

for the spinach strawberry + avocado salad

  • 5 oz taylor farms organic baby spinach
  • 1 avocado, sliced or diced
  • 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • whole grain croutons (optional)
  • maple dijon dressing (see recipe below)

for the maple dijon dressing

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • salt & pepper, to taste

directions

for the spinach strawberry + avocado salad

  • in a large salad bowl add spinach, avocado, strawberries, cucumber & red onion. toss to combine.
  • sprinkle over salad pecans, blue cheese & croutons.
  • drizzle with desired amount of maple dijon dressing.

for the maple dijon dressing

  • in a mixing bowl whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, syrup, salt & pepper until thick.
  • set aside until ready to use.