Sliders

For our 4th of July cookout, we’re having sliders! For our mini burgers, we bought ground beef and ground lamb fresh from our local farmer’s market and set up a burger bar so that our guests can fix their sliders the way they like. We served these with grilled corn on the cob and herb butter. Happy Independence Day!

For beef sliders:
Source: Sliders, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
2 pounds premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
1 tablespoon good Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces cheese (like Gruyere, Swiss, or Colby)
12 small slider buns or Brioche buns
4 ounces baby arugula
3 medium tomatoes, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
2 small red onions, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
Ketchup, for serving

Directions
Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 12 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.

When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the sliders over with a spatula and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, until medium-rare, or cook longer if you prefer the sliders more well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, place ½-ounce cheese on the top of each burger and close the grill lid. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.

Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill.

Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato and red onion. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with ketchup.

For lamb sliders:
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slider buns or pita pockets
1 medium tomato, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
1 small red onion, sliced in ⅛-inch-thick rounds
Feta cheese (optional)
Tzatziki sauce (optional)

Directions
Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.

Combine first 9 ingredients and gently mix together with a fork to combine. Shape the meat into 6 (2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.

When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the sliders from sticking. Place the sliders on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the sliders to a platter and cover with foil.

Slice the buns in half crosswise and toast the halves cut side down on the grill.

Divide the baby arugula among the 12 bottom buns, top each with a slider, and finish with a slice of tomato, red onion, and feta. Cover with the top of the bun and serve hot with tzatziki sauce.

Grilled Portobello, Gruyère, and Zucchini Sandwiches with Smoky Pesto

In the mood to grill dinner tonight, McHubby and I wanted something other than regular burgers. We adapted this recipe to include grilled portobello mushrooms for a cross between a veggie burger and a grilled cheese sandwich, but you'll never miss the meat! The bread is perfectly toasted and crisp, and the grilled vegetables are a nice smoky contrast against the creamy, melted cheese.

Adapted from: Grilled Gruyère-and-Zucchini Sandwiches with Smoky Pesto, Food and Wine

Ingredients
1 packed cup basil leaves
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt
4 portobello mushroom caps
One 8-ounce zucchini, cut into 4 lengthwise slices
4 multi-grain sandwich thins, split
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, cut into 8 thin slices

Directions
In a mini food processor, combine the basil, garlic and paprika and process until finely chopped. With the machine on, gradually pour in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until blended. Season the pesto with salt.

Light a grill. Brush the portobello mushrooms and zucchini slices with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over high heat until nicely charred and just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Cut each zucchini slice in half crosswise.

Grill the sandwich thins, cut side down, over low heat, until just soft, about 30 seconds. Turn and grill until the bread starts to brown, about 1 minute. Spread the cut sides of the bread with the pesto. Layer 1 slice of cheese, portobello mushroom, zucchini, and 1 more slice of cheese on the bottom halves of each muffin. Close the sandwiches and grill over low heat, turning, until they’re crisp on the outside and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve right away.

Grilled Herb Shrimp

Why, oh why have I never tried this recipe before? How in the world did this one slip past me? This recipe is right down my alley…with my long work commute, I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare for weeknight cooking. To keep things light, I served this dish with a fresh salad of mixed baby greens (with toasted pinenuts, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, and honey lime vinaigrette) and pearl couscous (made with sauteed onions, chopped parsley, and grape tomatoes).

So yummy! The only changes I would make next time is reducing the salt just a bit and maybe adding a drizzle of honey to the marinade. This recipe will become part of my regular repertoire. Excellent choice by Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen for this Barefoot Bloggers selection!

Source: Grilled Herb Shrimp, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients
2 pounds large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined (with tails on)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup good olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Skewer the shrimp. I use 3 or 4 shrimp on a 12-inch skewer for dinner. Heat a grill with coals and brush the grill with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking. Grill the shrimp for only 1 ½ minutes on each side.

McHubby’s Guest Blog: Rum-Brown Sugar-Glazed Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro

As we begin to drift into a Hawaiian state of mind, what better way to prepare for our upcoming trip than to enjoy some seafood? As I casually flipped through my favorite cookbook, Boy Gets Grill, a MUST for all men with a grill, I came across this recipe that practically jumped off the page at me. I mean, come on, shrimp, rum, lime, sugar - what more could you ask for? And the topper, this could not have been any simpler!

Source: Rum-Brown Sugar-Glazed Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro, Boy Gets Grill

Ingredients
For the Glaze
1 cup dark rum
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

For the Shrimp
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, zest grated and quartered
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Combine the rum and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is reduced by half, (roughly 20-25 minutes). Add the pepper and season to taste with salt. (The glaze can be make a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Heat your grill to high. Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze for brushing the cooked shrimp.

Brush the shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the shrimp, brushing often with the glaze, until pink, opaque, and just cooked through, 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter and brush with the reserved glaze. Squeeze the lime quarters over the shrimp and sprinkle with lime zest and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

White Pizzas with Arugula

McHubby and I love homemade pizzas, and we especially enjoy white pies. We have made pizza many times, but this is one of the best pizza dough recipes we’ve used. It’s easy—just a matter of throwing the ingredients into a mixer until a ball of dough forms, kneading the dough, and allowing 30 minutes for the dough to rise. The dough can even be made in advance and refrigerated.

We usually cook our pizzas on our grill, but since it was gloomy and raining this evening, we used our pizza stone in the oven. When using a stone, be sure to sprinkle the pizza peel and stone with cornmeal for ease of moving the pizza. The cornmeal acts as tiny ball bearings that allow the pizza to simply slide off the peel onto the stone and vice versa. Also, the stone should be placed in a cold oven before preheating to avoid possible cracking.

Once this pizza is cooked, the crust is a perfect golden brown color with a firm, crunchy bite. The garlic oil enhances the flavors of the three white cheeses. Finally, the pie is topped with a crown of arugula salad tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette. The salad complements the pizza, both in its fresh, crunchy texture and in its lemony, peppery flavor.

This was a fun and tasty Barefoot Bloggers selection by Andrea of Nummy Kitchen.

Source: White Pizzas with Arugula, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients
For the Pizza

1 ¼ cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
Good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups grated Italian Fontina cheese (8 ounces)
1 ½ cups grated fresh mozzarella (7 ounces)
11 ounces creamy goat cheese such as Montrachet, crumbled

For the Salad
½ cup good olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula

Directions
For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of the flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of 

flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic oil. Place ½ cup olive oil, the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each parchment-lined sheet pan. (If you’ve chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.) Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Fontina, mozzarella, and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Meanwhile, for the vinaigrette, whisk together ½ cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and serve immediately.

Pearl Pasta with Grilled Summer Veggies

As a locavore, I love all the fresh summer vegetables and herbs we’re getting from the garden, the farmer’s markets, and our CSA share! This recipe was a great way to use them in a single dish, and it was super easy to prepare.

McHubby put the veggies on the grill while I worked on the Israeli couscous, the larger pearl-like variety of couscous. When the veggies were done, it was just a quick slice into bite-sized pieces, with grilled portobello mushrooms added to the mix. Toss the veggies with the couscous, add the fresh herbs, and enjoy!

Source: Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables, Bobby Flay

Ingredients
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 green zucchini, quartered lengthwise
2 yellow zucchini, quartered lengthwise
6 spears asparagus, trimmed
12 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
¼ cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll in a cigar shape and cut crosswise into thin strips)
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Israeli couscous
3 cups vegetable stock, heated

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour ½ the marinade over the vegetables and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat the grill. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and grill the vegetables until just cooked through. Cut the zucchini and peppers into ½-inch pieces, cut the tomatoes in half.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the couscous and toast until lightly golden brown. Cover the couscous with the hot stock and bring to a boil, cook until al dente and drain well. Place in a large serving bowl, add the grilled vegetables and herbs and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Herbs and Cheese

Our neighborhood had a community picnic yesterday, where neighbors were asked to bring a side dish to share. I decided to bring a vegetable side dish and thought this recipe would be perfect, since it could also be a finger food.

I doubled the recipe and used both zucchini and yellow squash from my CSA bag. To cut the zucchini and squash in thin and uniform slices, I used my mandoline. McHubby grilled the slices while I prepared the goat cheese mixture. Then we simply assembled and rolled. These were delicious and a big hit at the picnic.

Source: Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Herbs and Cheese, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
3 zucchini (about ½ pound each), sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ ounces reduced-fat soft goat's cheese
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley leaves
½ teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach leaves
⅓ cup basil leaves

Directions
Discard the outermost slices of zucchini and brush the rest of the slices with the oil on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, or until tender.

In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, parsley leaves and lemon ju

ice, mashing with a fork.

Put ½ teaspoon of the cheese mixture about ½-inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few spinach leaves and 1 small, or half of a large basil leaf. Roll up and place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices.

Teriyaki Chicken with Pickled Cucumbers

Teriyaki chicken reminds me of my grandmother, who made it almost weekly for dinner. Its sweet salty flavor permeates the meat of the chicken. When the chicken is grilled, the smokiness just adds another layer of wonderful flavor. This recipe pairs the chicken with pickled cucumbers, which gives me a great way to use the cukes I received in my latest CSA bag.

Source: Teriyaki Chicken with Pickled Cucumbers, Bobby Flay

Ingredients
2 cups mirin
1 cup sake
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
6 tablespoons sugar or honey, plus 1 tablespoon
1 (3 to 4-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into coins
¾ cup rice vinegar
Pinch red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt plus extra salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
2 English cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick
4 bone-in chicken breasts
4 drumsticks
4 chicken thighs

Directions
Heat grill to medium. Whisk together the mirin, sake, soy sauce, pineapple juice, 6 tablespoons sugar or honey, and ginger in a medium saucepan and cook on the grates of the grill until the sugar has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely.

Whisk together the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the cucumbers and stir to combine. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Heat grill to medium. Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, about 4 to 5 minutes. Brush with some of the teriyaki sauce, turn over, and continue grilling and brushing with the sauce every few minutes until cooked through, about 25 more minutes. Transfer to a platter with the marinated cucumbers and serve.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

McHubby and I love cooking homemade pizza on the grill in the summertime. We’ve even made them for tailgates! We prefer using whole wheat pizza dough and roll it out to a thin crust that crisps up on the grill. The best part about making pizza dough is that you can use them immediately or save them in the fridge or freezer for a quick and easy meal later. Just top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

In this recipe, I used honey instead of sugar. You can bake these in the oven, but if cooking on the grill, be sure to use indirect to avoid burning the crust.

Source: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen, Kathleen Daelemans

Ingredients
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 packages dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water from the tap
½ teaspoon olive oil
Flour for the work surface
Sprinkling of cornmeal

Directions
Place flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. While mixer is running, gradually add water and knead on low speed until dough is firm and smooth, about ten minutes. Turn machine off.

Pour oil down inside of bowl. Turn on low once more for 15 seconds to coat inside of bowl and all surfaces of dough with the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm spot until doubled in bulk, about two hours.

Preheat your oven to highest setting, 500° or 550°F. If using a pizza stone, place stone in oven on bottom rack, preheat oven one hour ahead. Punch dough down, cut in half. On generously floured work surface, place one half of dough.

By hand, form dough loosely into a ball, stretch into a circle. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into large circle until very thin. Don't worry if your circle isn't perfect and if you get a hole; just pinch edges back together.

To prevent dough from sticking to counter, turn dough over, add flour to dough, counter and rolling pin as needed. Sprinkle pizza peel or cookie sheet generously with cornmeal. Transfer dough to pizza peel or cookie sheet with no lip. Add toppings.

Slide dough onto pizza stone or place cookie sheet with pizza on bottom rack. Bake 10–12 minutes or until golden. To remove pizza from oven stone, slide cookie sheet under dough onto another cookie sheet, slice and serve immediately.

Roll out remaining dough and top with desired toppings or freeze in freezer bags.

Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles, Coconut Milk, Lime, and Crushed Peanuts

McHubby takes the credit as the primary cook this time. He selected the recipe and did most of the work to prepare the dish, which was delicious! After making the sauce last night, we were able to grill the chicken tonight and quickly assemble the dish.

I have to say that the sauce required the most time and effort in preparing this recipe. The sauce is the key element of this dish—it’s where the flavor is. It has a delicate, smooth, buttery sweet flavor. The gorgeous orange-red color comes from the blend of the chiles and turmeric. The peanut-cilantro garnish perfectly complements the flavor of the sauce in this tasty dish.

Source: Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles, Coconut Milk, Lime, and Crushed Peanuts, Boy Gets Grill

Ingredients
For the sauce:

3 dried New Mexico chiles
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup canned cream of coconut
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:
¾ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the sauce:
Heat your grill to high or heat a heavy skillet on the stove.

Place the chiles on the grill and toast on each side for 20 seconds. Remove from the grill, discard the chile stems and seeks, and coarsely chop the chiles. Leave the grill on if you’ll be cooking the chicken right away.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 7 minutes; do not brown. Add the turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, cream of coconut, and chiles and cook for 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, or use a handheld blender in the pot. Add the lime juice and honey and blend again. Strain the mixture into a bowl and season to taste with lime juice, salt, and pepper. (The sauce can be made a day in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Rewarm before serving.)

For the chicken:
Heat your grill to high.

Combine the peanuts and cilantro in a bowl and toss together. Brush the chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken until browned and firm, about 3 minutes. Turn the breasts over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Remove the chicken to a platter or serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle the peanut-cilantro mixture over the chicken and serve immediately.

Grilled Leg of Lamb

When perfectly marinated and seasoned, grilled lamb just might be my favorite grilled meat. The seasons from the marinade soak into the lamb, producing beautiful, layered, and complex flavors that are only enhanced with the smokiness from the grill.

I really like this marinade because it is so flavorful with the red wine and only has a small amount of olive oil. (Other marinades I’ve used contained much more olive oil, which can then cause grease fires on the grill.) I let it sit in the marinade all day while I was at work. When I came home, I removed the meat from the marinade and seasoned it with an herb rub mixture before grilling.

Adapted from: Classic Roast Leg of Lamb, The Food and Wine of Greece; and Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb, Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients
Marinade:
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary and/or oregano, chopped
Strained fresh juice of 2 lemons
1 cup dry red wine
1 boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, about 5 pounds
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Herb Rub:
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Strained juice of 1 lemon

Directions
Rinse the lamb well and pat dry with paper towels. Trim fat and set aside.

To prepare the marinade, finely chop garlic cloves and combine them in a large bowl with olive oil, rosemary and/or oregano, juice of lemons, and red wine. Marinate lamb in mixture, covered and refrigerated, for 6 to 12 hours, turning lamb every few hours.

Prepare the herb rub. Finely chop garlic cloves and stir together with the remaining ingredients.

Remove lamb from marinade and put in a large dish. With the tip of a sharp knife held at a 45-degree angle, cut ½-inch slits all over lamb. Rub the herb rub mixture into the slits and all over the lamb.

Prepare the grill. On a lightly oiled rack, grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers at 125 degrees F for medium-rare. Remove from grill, loosely cover with aluminum foil, and let the meat rest, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Stuffed Pork Burger

McHubby and I were on the South Beach Diet for a while. Even though we’re not on the “beach” anymore, this was one of the recipes we enjoyed. We usually cook our burgers on the grill instead of pan-frying. It’s a tasty non-beef burger—very juicy and flavorful! (By the way, these burgers alone are phase 1, but they would be phase 2 if you eat with whole wheat buns.)

Source: Stuffed Pork Burger, South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook

Ingredients
5 tablespoons pesto (from a jar)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds lean ground pork
2 ounces low-fat mozzarella, cut into 4 cubes

Directions
Stir together pesto, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Add pork and, using your hands, gently yet thoroughly combine; do not overmix.

Shape pork mixture into 4 equal-sized balls. Press 1 mozzarella cube into the center of each ball; gently form a ¾-inch-thick patty, enclosing the cheese.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add burgers, cooking in batches if necessary, reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.