Fancy Burger on a Weekday

Another meal on the run...
Yesterday was hockey practice (I know it's spring, don't ask) and piano lessons.  I needed a quick meal for everyone.  Of course, I couldn't pick up a few burgers from Micky D's for the kids.  That would be too simple.  
So, I grilled some beef burgers from the local butcher for the kids. Slathered it with a home made guacamole and served it with a side salad.  To tie the meal together, I snipped cilantro into the salad, added some corn and red onion to give it a south west feel.   
My husband had a Boca burger with the same guacamole.  

As I said, it was a meal on the run, nothing fancy last night, but the guac helped to make it more than the same boring meal.

Here is the quick guacamole recipe that made the everyday burger a hit!

Ingredients:
2 ripe haas avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup chopped red onion
1 small tomato diced
2 tablespoons of fresh Cilantro
juice of one lime
a few shots of hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut avocados down the middle and remove pit.  Remove avocado with a spoon and place in a medium size bowl with garlic, onion and cilantro.  mash up the avocado and mix well with the other ingredients.  Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. 

If you have everything on hand, it only takes 20 minutes to make.  the simple guacamole will elevate your boring burger to something special.  

Quick Quiche

Like most moms, I don't have a few hours everyday to make dinner.  Sometimes I try to make a few in one day.  Last night was quiet.  The math tutor came, my kids did not have baseball or softball.  The only thing on my calendar was to pick up my 8th grader at 9:30 from the middle school.  Score!  I made an easy shrimp, spinach and pasta dish for that night then began making a quiche for the following night.  With a birthday party for my youngest and sports for the boys, I knew I needed to be prepared.

So I made a quiche, always easy and a crowd pleaser in my house.  You can serve it with a simple salad for a fast and yummy meal

Here is what I used:

1               prepared pie crust

8               eggs 

1/2 cup     half and half

1/2 cup     baby spinach

1               small tomato sliced

Just before putting it in the oven.

2 cloves    garlic

1/3 cup     shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Sautee garlic and baby spinach on medium heat until spinach is wilted

3. beat eggs and half and half until frothy

4. Place spinach loosely on bottom of pie crust, separating as much as possible

5.  Pour egg mixture into pie crust slowly

6.  Spred tomato slices over spinach

7. Top with cheddar cheese

8.  Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until to is browned

9.  Let cool before serving

Finished Product

My International Family Kitchen

My beautiful family

I'm a wife, a mom and a short order cook.  At least that's how I feel most days.  I love to cook, but it sure is a challenge to satisfy the entire family with their varied tastes and needs.  My husband is a vegetarian, my growing teenage boys crave meat and my daughter doesn't eat much at all...

Additionally, our family is a mini United Nations.  I'm Chinese, I came to America when I was four years old.  No not from China, or Taiwan, I was born in Canada.  My husband is Jewish, born in Brooklyn and grew up in western New Jersey. 

 I learned to cook from my dad.  He owned a restaurant in Chinatown.  Like many head cooks in his field, he had Mondays off. On those days, I'd come home from school and watch him cook.  He'd never let me help but I watched and learned, but mostly I tasted.  He would make some unique dishes like steak and mango stir fry, or a lobster salad with Japanese mayonnaise and fresh fruit.  They were not always hits, but the failures were fun too.  It taught me never to fear making a mistake in the kitchen.  Every dish was a lesson, you can even learn from a bad recipe.  

Join me on my adventures in cooking as I figure out how to feed everyone a healthy diet but not spend the entire day in the kitchen.  Did I tell you the kids play multiple sports and play the violin and piano?  And we have new puppy too!