How To: Caramelize an Onion

Well, another first for my Little Kitchen... caramelizing an onion. This was starting to feel like a secret ingredient to me on great sandwiches, pizzas and even soups. These salty and sweet onions seem to make everything a little gourmet and a little special so I decided it was time to experiment. In my experiment, I found two keys to great onions... time and temperature...lots of time and low temperature. Do not be scared by the lots of time. Although it can take up to an hour for great caramelized onions, it is not necessarily hands-on time. You need to give these a good stir every once in a while, but I made these while I cleaned the kitchen and made dinner one night. I was also able to use the onions all week on sandwiches and pizza. I have to say they are my new secret ingredient on my chicken pesto pizza. So make a batch and use them all week.


How To: Caramelize an Onion
1.  Slice off the top and root ends of the onions and peel.
2.  Thinly slice the onion.
3.  Heat a wide saute pan over medium high heat.  Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil (about a teaspoon per onion).
4.  Spread onions evenly so that they cook evenly.
5.  After 10 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with salt.
6.  Gently stir onions every few minutes. The key is to give the onions enough time to brown, but to stir them before they burn.  Allow to cook for about an hour.
7.  If onions are close to burning, lower heat a little and add a little extra oil.
8.  After about 30 minutes, scrape the pan of all brown bits and every ten minutes as the caramelization process continues.  Cook until the onions are brown and a little bit mushy.  You might need additional time if you have a large batch.
9.  Optional: At the end of caramelization, add a little bit of balsamic vinegar to help deglaze the pan and add extra flavor.
10.  Use immediately or store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

At the beginning...

After 15 minutes...

After 30 minutes...

After 45 minutes...

After 1 hour...

The onions made this Chicken Pesto Pizza extra special.  I only put them on half in case we didn't like them, but that was a mistake.  They are the best part of the pizza!

Aioli And The Child In Me

I just managed to catch the film "Julie and Julia" before it ceased showing. I went with my daughter Nicole. It was a great bonding movie for us both as there was much to relate to in this movie. My dear friend Gayle sent me an email saying she thought of me the whole way through the movie. Really Gayle, the whole way. Wow that is saying something.

My daughter's best friend, Pip, saw me later that day and said "Julia reminded me so much of you. You even look the same." And, yes, we do. I am rather tall with a mop of curly hair that I have been trying to tame my whole life. It's a battle I have lost and I am now resigned to allowing the waves to go wherever the hell they like. The funny thing is, now I don't seem to mind too much. Sometimes, shock horror, I even like the way they choose to flick out or over or under. Sticking straight up is still not on, so the odd pot of hair jel has to come to the rescue sometimes.

I actually did not know very much about Julia Child, (forgive me please I'm Australian), however I had heard about her and I'd read some of her many famous quotes. I think I even used a couple in one of my cooking classes a few years ago.

I adore Meryl Streep. Strangely enough, so does Nicole and Pip, which is really saying something for a couple of sweet and sexy 19 year olds. They also absolutely love and adore Audrey Hepburn, but now I am really getting off the track.

Meryl Streep who played Francesca in 'Bridges of Madison County' absolutely touched me to the core. Her performance in that movie and indeed her character, has made this my all time favourite movie. So yeah, I like Meryl. Her portrayal of Julia was incredible. I actually found myself relating a little more to Julia than I care to admit. I felt the boredom of 'what to do' with my life. I felt the excitement of creating a recipe and seeing the wonderful expressions of gratitude and satisfaction ooze from the faces of those I love. I felt the hard work involved in pursuit of a dream, a mission, a goal.

I adored her "secrecy" and the guarding of her recipes. Oh how I laughed. I've well and truly been there. Infact I have been down right mean in not giving away some of my 'famous' recipes which I now have no trouble in posting about so that all the world can see. Are you out there world? My Danish Pastries really are the bomb! Sorry to all you ladies who begged for that recipe. Gosh I was mean. Gee "gosh" was another word Julia used rather often. Hmm.

But apart from Julia and the wonderful Meryl, I also loved the story of Julie. Anyone who is a food blogger would surely understand. This movie was made for us.

In recognition of Julia's thorough and comprehensive recipes, I have enclosed my recipe for aioli which I have attempted to explain in detail. There really is a knack to making a "mayonnaise" and so many recipe books have let me down in the past. Sure you can bung it all in the food processor but this is one of those recipes where "handmade with love" makes all the difference. If you have any questions, make sure you ask me so I can hopefully clarify. Julia would have loved that.

MARIANA’S AIOLI

(For best results ensure all ingredients are at room temperature)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
100 ml pure olive oil
100 ml light olive oil
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
Fine sea salt & cracked pepper



• Smash garlic with some salt in a mortar & pestle; set aside.

• Pour oils together in a pouring bottle with a fine nozzle.

• Warm a bowl by placing hot water in it for a few minutes. Dry quickly. Sit over another bowl with some hottish water in it, a little like using a double boiler. By doing this I find I eliminate that "raw" egg taste that can sometimes dominate. My aioli may appear rather 'yellow' because my egg yolk is almost orange. Remember I have very healthy free range chooks and they reward me with bright eggs. Also the dijon mustard is brownish in colour and also contributes to a more 'coloured' aioli.



• Put yolk, mustard & juice in warm bowl; begin to whisk immediately.

• Add droplets of oil & thoroughly whisk till ½ of the oil has been used.

• Continue whisking in oil, now in a thin but steady stream until it has all been incorporated.



• Add garlic, season further with salt & pepper to taste. I added half a teaspoon of castor sugar. If you choose to do this, whisk well till the sugar is dissolved.

• If you prefer your aioli to have a thinner consistency, add a spoonful of warm water at the end. I do.

• Aioli is perfect to eat with carrots, asparagus, zucchini, celery, snowpeas, crudités.

• Pat dry dipping vegetables that are moist such as cucumber & tomatoes or the aioli will slip straight off when dipping.



1. This recipe may take 15min to prepare. Get ready to sweat a little!
2. Some countries like Spain use extra virgin olive oil, however I find it is too strong and overpowering. For me an aioli should be tangy but subtle without that dominating “olive” taste.
3. You may use 100% light olive oil if desired. I often do.
4. For added variety try an aioli with vinegar instead of lemon juice, more or less garlic, 1 or 2 tbsp shredded basil or chopped continental parsley.

Aioli keeps well sealed in jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.

I was really pleased with my aioli; the balance of flavours was perfect for me. It worked really well with my salad leaves, red onion, smoked salmon and squeeze of lime juice. Hmmm. Really, really nice and really, really 'real'.



Have a go. It's all Child's play.

New Beginnings

In less than a month I shall turn 50. My dear friend Gayle shall be back in New Zealand. We decided to have a lunch, a proper lunch that is, down on the farm before she returned. And so it was haphazardly thrown together with her lovely daughter, grandson and sons attending as well.

Hubby has gone to the trouble of creating an outdoor area just above the river flat. When I say creating, I mean, well, building and putting it together. He is one of those rare creatures these days who has to make everything himself. No storebought, ready-made for him. No way. That would be tooo easy. Heaven forbid.

And so out we went to christen the building and the new chairs. Unfortunately we didn't have time to drench and dry the 'kwila' hardwood chairs and so the tanins leached out and stained our clothes. Oops. Oh dear. Sorry about your very good footie tee Simon. We were guinea pigs. And sometimes we find things out the hard way because of it.

However when it comes to food, Gayle always says she loves being my guinea pig. I was very happy with the lunch and so it would appear was everyone else. Not sure if it was the outdoors but it was a lovely, relaxing day despite the searing heat. And her little grandson was very intrigued with the cows and calves. He left with a new word in his vocabulary. Moo.

I guess in a way I am like Hubby too. When it comes to food that is. I am very hard on myself and usually have to make "everything". And make everything I did. However I really enjoyed myself. I was well organised, paced myself well, and worked steadily. The most important thing is I didn't stress. I am thinking that I'm old enough now to figure out "it just aint worth it". If I "stuff up", well then I am just human. It has taken me a loooong time to get here. But I have finally made it. And I am finally relaxed. Having said that, it shall be interesting to see how I go when I cater for my 50th. That will be the 'real' test.

And so we had our first official lunch at the farm. The beginning of many, many lunches I hope to have on our beautiful place in the country. The beginning of my new self, a more relaxed self, that will in fact be able to put on these spreads and 'enjoy' doing so. The beginning of the second half of my life. Am I being a little optimistic here? Why not. The beginning of a new life with time spent more around nature and the outdoors rather than in the shopping centre. Life's good.

The Menu.

Roasted Mini Trim Lamb - A Mediterranean Morsel
Buffe of Turkey Breast with Pistachio and Bacon Stuffing
Couscous Tabbouleh
Confetti Coleslaw
Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mariana's vinagrette
Salad of avocado, cucumber, tomato and spanish onion
Oven roasted capsicum, marinated in garlic, olive oil, white vinegar
Char-grilled eggplant marinated in garlic, olive oil, parsley, balsamic vinegar
Silverbeet, Feta and Ricotta Tart
Tomato Relish
Cranberry Sauce

Homemade Vanilla Slice with Passionfruit Icing
Freshly made fruit salad with mango, passionfruit, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, orange and peaches. Sorry, no photo, but it was absolutely delish!!!!!













Stuffing for the Turkey
5 or 6 slices of multigrain bread, trimmed of the crust, finely processed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
60 or 70gm butter
2 rashers chopped bacon
1 small onion
1/2 cup whole pistachio's

Heat butter in pan, add peeled and chopped onion and bacon. Saute gently until onion is tender. Combine with remaining ingredients; salt and pepper if desired. Mix well.

Turkey & Cranberry Ravioli... a.k.a. Pilgrim Potstickers

I have to admit I was a tad bit nervous about the recipe.  I have learned over the years that if something doesn't sound right, it usually isn't (EX. strawberry risotto... even if an Italian chef made it in Florence), but I was willing to take a chance because it had amazing reviews on Food Network.  I changed it up a little after my coworker, Frances, and I had a conversation about how turkey sausage might have more flavor than just regular ground turkey.    I decided to use half ground turkey and half sweet italian turkey sausage.  I think this was a good move because there was a smoky sage flavor that I believe came from the sausage.  If you are looking to buy as few ingredients as possible, you could try the original recipe, but I can't make any promises.  Needless to say, I am pretty sure it wouldn't matter what you put in the middle of these little wrappers because once you taste the cream sauce on top, you will be in heaven.  There was definitely some preparation involved in this one so I decided to make them a couple of days in advance and freeze them.  I suggest doing this so that you don't get bogged down trying to put ravioli together before guests arrive.  
Once again (I seem to be giving this disclaimer more and more.. sorry), I did not share this for the fantastic final picture.  If you are going for visual appeal, this might not be your dish.  It looks a little bit like a blob on your plate, but they sure are delicious!  Oh yeah,  and my brother came up with the idea of calling them Pilgrim Potstickers, which I thought was pretty darn perfect. 
From my Little Kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Toasting fresh bread crumbs... I put them in a mini food processor after I toasted the bread with olive oil and removed the edges.

Removing the casings of the turkey sausage.  Not pretty, but wanted to show in case you have never done this before.

Turkey & Cranberry Ravioli
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
8 tablespoons cranberry sauce (I used the whole berry kind over the jellied kind)
8 tablespoons grated romano cheese
4 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs
4 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
4 eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
80 store-bought wonton wrappers (2 packages)
for the cream sauce:
12 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, chopped
4 tablespoons all-pupose flour
2 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Make the ravioli:
In a medium bowl, stir together turkey, turkey sausage, cranberry sauce, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper.  Place 10 wonton wrappers at a time on a work surface.  Brush each wrapper with water using a pastry brush.  Spoon 1 tablespoon of the turkey mixture on each of the wonton wrappers.  Top with another wonton wrapper and seal each ravioli.  Make sure to press out any air bubbles to tightly seal. Repeat 3 additional times until all turkey mixture has been used. 
To freeze for later:
Line a deep dish with wax paper.  Place ravioli in a single layer on top of wax paper.  Continue to alternate wax paper with single layers of ravioli.  Cover tightly and freeze for up to one month.  When ready to cook, take out of the freezer and cook for an extra 3 to 4 minutes, until turkey mixture is cooked thoroughly.  
Make the gravy:
In a medium, heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and stir until cooked, about 1 minute.  Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring quickly to avoid lumps.  Add the cream, parsley,  salt and pepper and cook, without boiling, for two minutes.  Make sure to stir often to avoid lumps and keep the sauce from burning.
To cook the ravioli:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add the ravioli and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, making sure that the turkey is cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain the ravioli and stir into the sauce to coat.  Serve immediately on individual plates with the remaining sauce drizzled on top. 


Serves 8
 (5 ravioli per person)

Thanksgiving with a Twist

This year, we had a Thanksgiving dinner with a twist. We are spending the holiday with the in-laws again this year so we had an early Thanksgiving celebration with my family.  I wanted to use some of the usual Thanksgiving meal suspects (turkey, cranberries, apples) for the meal, but I thought I would mix things up this year.  There were no costumes involved so I thought I would try to make the food exciting.  I had been pondering the menu for awhile, and then I saw and episode of Giada's Everyday Italian and my menu was complete.  The topic was "Thanksgiving for two"and I thought it was easily adaptable for six.  I thought turkey and cranberry ravioli was about as out of the box as you could get.  Adding a few other recipes I wanted to try, and a pumpkin pie I was given as a Thanksgiving treat from work, my menu came out as follows...

Tomato Basil Soup

Cheddar Dill Scones

Turkey & Cranberry Ravioli

Cornbread Panzanella

Apple, Cranberry and Walnut Torta

Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Considering I had only had the cheddar dill scones, I knew I was taking a pretty big gamble, but I thought my family would be forgiving if anything went terribly wrong.  The tomato basil soup is a new favorite (and went perfectly with the scones) and the turkey and cranberry ravioli was surprisingly delicious as well.  The cornbread panzanella was okay, but not good enough to be made over and over again.  The dressing was delicious and I will experiment with it on other dishes.  The torta was also not an all time favorite.  It was great with ice cream, but not exactly a star dish on its own.  Stay tuned though because I think I know of a way to make it better.    So that's what the little kitchen has been cooking this weekend.  Be back tomorrow with my favorite recipes from the meal.

Winter cupcakes!

Jag har tyvärr inte haft så mycket tid över att baka cupcakes den senaste tiden, men nu när det börjar närma sig jul kan jag inte hålla mig längre. Det fick bli pepparkakscupcakes med cream cheesefrosting.

Pepparkakscupcakes
Cirka 12 st

-100 g smör
-2 1/2 dl farinsocker
-2 ägg
-1 1/2 dl gräddfil eller filmjölk (går även bra med mjölk)
-3 dl vetemjöl
-1 msk kanel
-1 tsk malen kryddnejlika
-1 tsk ingefära
-1 tsk bikarbonat

Sätt på ugnen på 200°C. Vispa rumsvarmt smör och socker poröst. Tillsätt ett ägg i taget under omrörning. Rör ner gräddfil eller filmjölk och sist mjölet blandat med kryddor och bikarbonat. Grädda i ca 15 min i mitten av ugnen.

Farinsockret går att byta ut mot 2 dl strösocker och bikarbonaten mot 2 tsk bakpulver, men kakan får då inte sin karaktäristiska färg och smak.

Leilas Cream Cheese frosting
-60 g mjukt smör
-5 dl florsocker
-1 tsk vaniljsocker
-1 msk färskpressad citronsaft (går bra utan)
-100 g Philadelphiaost
-Några droppar valfri karamellfärg

1. Rör smör, florsocker, vaniljsocker, citronsaft och philadelphiaost krämigt.
2. Dela upp frostingen och färga den i olika färger med karamellfärgen eller behåll den vit.
3. Bred frostingen på cupcakesen och garnera med strössel eller blommor.

Odekorerad och fin, föredrar nästan dessa!




Jag syns i julgranskulan! :D

In English:

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to bake cupcakes lately, but as christmas is approaching I just couldn't wait any longer! I made gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Gingerbread cupcakes
Makes about 12
-100 grams butter
-2 1/2 deciliters brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 deciliters sour cream or sour milk (works with regular milk too)
-3 deciliters all purpose flour
-1 tbsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground cloves
-1 tsp ginger
-1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Mix in the sour cream. Whisk together flour, baking soda and spices in a separate bowl and add to the other mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes or until risen and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

You can replace the brown sugar with 2 decilitres white sugar and the baking soda with 2 tsp baking powder, but the taste or color won't be the same.


Leilas Cream Cheese frosting
-60 grams softened butter
-5 deciliters powdered sugar
-1 tsp vanilla sugar
-1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-100 grams cream cheese
-A few drops of food coloring

1. Mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and cream cheese until creamy.
2. Divide the frosting into different bowls and color it or just keep it white.
3. Spread frosting on the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles or flowers.

Baked Brie + A Memorable Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving means many different things to many different people.  For some, it is highly anticipated to see cherished family and eat great food.  For others, it's a time to choke down grandma's fruit cake and spend the weekend with the only people they don't choose in their lives... family.  No matter where you fall on the scale, there seems to be a common thread... food.  For some, it's a traditional turkey and stuffing.  For others, it's tofurkey and brussel sprout.  No matter where you fall on this scale, everyone loves good appetizers.  I made this baked brie last year for our family Thanksgiving and I have to say it was quite a hit, and so simple.  Since I made this before I was sharing my Little Kitchen with the world, I do not have a picture of every step, but I promise anyone can do this.  The creaminess of the brie mixed with the crunch of the nuts and the slightly sweet tang of the apricot preserves all wrapped in a warm puff pastry is absolutely delightful.  Oh, and just in case you are wondering, I definitely consider myself to be in the first group of holiday goers... can't wait to see wonderful family and eat delicious food.
Baked Brie
Ingredients
1/2 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 8 oz round brie cheese wheel
1/8 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup apricot preserves
egg wash, one egg lightly beaten with one tablespoon of water
Step by Step
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Lightly grease a cooking sheet or use a non stick cookie sheet.
3.  Roll puff pastry out slightly on baking sheet.
4.  Sprinkle pecans in the middle of the pastry (no wider than the wheel of brie)
5.  Spoon preserves on top.
6.  Place cheese wheel on top of nuts and preserves.
7.  Bundle pastry dough around brie being careful to closely wrap the dough on the brie without letting the dough tear..
8.  Flip the pastry over and make sure all corners are tucked in underneath the pastry so that the preserves do not leak out while being cooked.
9.  Optional:  Use additional pastry to cut a shape and place on top of pasty dough.
10.  Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the pastry dough with the egg wash.
11.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.
12.  Serve with your favorite crackers and fruit.

And on to what I call a memorable Thanksgiving... Last year was a first for me and my family. It was our first holiday that my brother and I would both be with in-laws.  I was excited to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Hungry's family, but I did not want this year to be remembered only for the fact that my parents  did not have either of their children for the first time.  So instead, Mr. Hungry and I went to an extreme length to turn this into the most memorable Thanksgiving my family has ever seen.  We decided to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal a week before the actual day with everyone's favorite dishes.  This is all that my parents and  brother and sister-in-law knew.  They had no idea that when they arrived, there would be two pilgrims greeting them with costumes to turn this into a traditional celebration of Pilgrims and Indians.  Or that we would spend the night playing Thanksgiving themed games.  I will say, the first 10 minutes of my parent's arrival was spent with tears rolling down both of their faces in disbelief of Mr. Hungry in a pilgrim's cap.  It was memorable to say the least.  I have a feeling I will soon be getting in trouble for sharing these pictures, but I just thought if there was anyone out there that needed to turn a sad holiday into a memorable one, a few head dresses and prairie skirts can do the trick.  I was inspired to share this because I am again hosting our Thanksgiving meal tonight.  So no matter what your reasons are for needing to start new traditions for a holiday, there are plenty of ways to spice up a special day.

Life has been a little busier this fall so it will not be quite the same soiree(I think we might have set the bar too high), but I want to keep the tradition alive.  No costumes this year, but the menu is a Thanksgiving dinner with a twist.  I will get back to you shortly with recipes and how all of that goes.

My father... taking his role as an Indian very seriously.

Artichoke, Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza

I lied... I said I was done with pizzas for awhile, but I just couldn't let them go.  With a few random ingredients in my fridge, this pizza was created.  When there is a little of this and a little of that, a warm crispy, chewy crust is just what they need.  This pizza was created because I happened to have all of these ingredients on hand except for the prosciutto.  So I had the deli department give me just a few slices of prosciutto and dinner was done.  And I have to say I have now really (no, really this time) found my favorite pizza.  I am sure you are a bit over hearing that since I seem to announce that every week, but this is it! This is really it! The best homemade pizza I could ever imagine!  It might have something to do with the fact that artichoke hearts are one of my favorite foods so to pair those with the salty prosciutto, fresh pesto, peppery arugula, fresh lemon, and hearty mushrooms was just one of the best things that has ever happen to me.

'

Artichoke, Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients

1 ball of pizza dough (store bought of homemade)

3 tablespoons fresh pesto

2 cups mozzarella cheese

5 artichoke hearts (one can), quartered

5 white button mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1 1/2 cups arugula leaves

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Step by Step

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Heavily flour a clean surface.

3.  Roll out pizza dough on floured surface into a rectangular shape that will fit a baking sheet.

4.  Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.  Transfer pizza dough to parchment paper.

5.  Spread a thin layer of pesto on entire crust.

6.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

7.  Top evenly with artichoke hearts, prosciutto and mushrooms.

8.  Top with parmesan cheese.

9.  Heavily pepper pizza and lightly salt.

10.  Bake for 15 minutes.

11.  While pizza is baking, toss arugula with lemon juice.

12.  Remove pizza when the edges are brown and the cheese is bubbling.

13.  Top with arugula and cut into slices.

14.  Serve hot.

Sliders

Oh, I love a good burger.  I am not the type to order one just anywhere I go, but a well seasoned burger with my favorite toppings is a favorite.  When I saw Ina make these the other day, I knew I had to try them.  This was my first attempt at finding a good hamburger recipe and my search is over. There is so much flavor in the meat and the combination of herbs and spices makes for a very tasty burger.    This was delicious and sliders are easy to handle and allow you try try different combinations in one meal.  For example, we had half with blue cheese and half with cheddar.  Whether you are feeding two or a crowd, they work for anything!

From my little kitchen to yours... enjoy.

Sliders

Adapted from Ina Garten

Recipe Notes

Ina's original recipe called for thyme.  I had rosemary on hand so that is what I used, but either will work great.  I also added the worcestire for an extra kick, but if you do not have any on hand, you do not need to worry because you will still have very flavorful burgers.  For the buns, I used kaiser rolls, but any mini sized bun will work.

Ingredients

• 1 pound premium ground beef (80 percent lean and 20 percent fat)
• 1/2 tablespoon good Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon worcestire sauce
• 6 thin small slices of your favorite cheese (I used sharp cheddar on some, and blue cheese on others)
• 6 small buns (I used kaiser rolls) brioche buns work well too
• 2 ounces baby arugula
• 1 medium tomato, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds
• 1 small red onion, sliced in 1/8-inch-thick rounds
• Ketchup, for serving
• Step by Step
• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.
• 
  
  Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, without compressing the meat. 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 1/2-ounce Gruyere 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.
  
  
  

Makes 6 sliders

{venturing outside the little kitchen} Mastering Masa Dough @ Sur La Table

There are just some things I don't like to try and figure out on my own.  Making my own tortillas and tamales has been on my list of things to do, but just didn't sound like something I wanted to try and figure out from a recipe on my own.  So that led me to Sur la Table's cooking class "Mastering Masa Dough."  I have always wanted to go to their cooking classes, but they are not the cheapest endeavor so I wanted to make sure I found a good one.  And let me just tell you, it was definitely worth it.  I met some of the most interesting people and had a wonderful time making tortillas, gorditas, tamales, empanadas and sopresas.  I will not go into all of the recipes right now, but as I make them again, I will share.  For now, I just wanted to give you a little sneak peek.  I will say with a class that was this jam packed with dishes, I did not master one thing.  However, it was just enough to have me trying all of these recipes in my own little kitchen.