THE Queen's birthday is celebrated in Canada on May 24.
That day is also the unofficial kickoff to summer; the weekend when gardeners seek out their bedding plants; the patio furniture is uncovered and the barbecue gets its inaugural run of the season. With any luck we'll be blessed with gorgeous weather on our three days off, but rain or shine here's a great menu to celebrate the start of this popular season.
Be sure to choose ground beef with about 20 per cent fat content for the burgers.
Extra lean ground beef makes a dry burger.
SPICY BEEF BURGERS WITH GRILLED BALSAMIC ONIONS
1½ lbs lean ground beef (see note above)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced (wear gloves when mincing to avoid getting the oils on your skin) ½ cup smoky barbecue sauce (hickory flavoured or other favourite)
1 to 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (to taste)
1 egg
1 Spanish onion, cut into half-inch slices Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos
6 English muffins, sliced in half (or burger buns if you prefer)
½ cup melted butter with ½ tsp garlic powder stirred in Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Favourite burger condiments (mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard)
In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly combine the ground beef, minced jalapeno, one-quarter cup of the barbecue sauce, the Cajun seasoning and the egg. Form the mixture into six equal-sized balls, then form each ball into a patty slightly larger than the English muffins. Make a shallow indent in one side of each patty (this helps prevent them from puffing up while cooking). Cover the patties and refrigerate for at least
30 minutes.
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the onion slices. Keep the slices intact, don't separate them into rings. Cover and let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the burgers are chilling.
Preheat the grill to 425450 degrees and oil the grates. Rub a little olive oil on each burger and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt; place them indent-side down on the heated grill. Carefully place the marinated onion slices on the grill (oil may flare up). Close the barbecue lid and let burgers and onions cook for about five minutes, then flip the burgers over carefully. Spread the reserved barbecue sauce over them.
Gently turn the onion slices over so none fall through the grates, they should be getting tender and brown. Close barbecue lid and cook for another three minutes or so.
Place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese on each burger; close lid again and cook another two minutes or until cheese is melted. Carefully remove burgers and onions to serving platters. Cover the burgers and let them rest for about five minutes. Meanwhile, separate the onion slices into rings and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Also during that time brush the English muffins with the garlic butter and toast them on the barbecue. To serve, spread muffin bottoms with desired condiments, add a burger and sliced onions, then the muffin top. Makes six servings.
ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH FETA & TOMATOES
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup shredded fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp finely minced shallot Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium salad bowl, combine the zucchini and tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the feta and basil. In a small jar with a tightly fitting lid, combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, mustard and shallot; add salt and pepper to taste. Place lid on jar and shake vigorously to emulsify dressing. Drizzle dressing over salad. Makes six servings.
GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH RUM CARAMEL DIPPING SAUCE
1 ripe pineapple
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
2 Tbsp amber rum
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (toast in a dry nonstick pan over medium heat) Bamboo skewers that have soaked in water for at least 1 hour
Cut the ends off the pineapple, then stand it on one end and cut off the peel, cutting deep enough to remove the eyes. Cut the pineapple into quarters and cut out the core. Reserve half the pineapple for another use (upside-down cake?).
Cut each of the two remaining quarters into three or four slices lengthwise; cut each of those slices in half (you'll have 12 or 16 thin wedges). Place a bamboo skewer through each piece.
Turn the caramel sauce into a bowl and stir in the rum until well combined. With a pastry brush, coat each pineapple wedge lightly with caramel sauce.
Grill on a 450-degree grill just until grill marks appear, then turn to mark the other side, about four to five minutes total cooking time.
Remove to a serving platter; sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve remaining caramel sauce alongside for dipping.
Makes four to six servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie, and has done informal catering for sports and business functions. Contact: ashellard@hotmail. ca.
