Home Cooked Sunday: on the grill

On the menu this Sunday for our weary law student friends is:

Dinner- Guacamole Burgers, Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing, and Sweet Potato Fries
Dessert- Hot Fudge Spoon Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

Guacamole Burgers

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. ground beef
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Emeril's Original Essence
• 1 Tbs. dried parsley
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• dash of salt and freshly cracked pepper
• slices of cheese, to top burgers

Guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 Tbs. fresh pico de gallo
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• dash of salt and freshly cracked pepper

For guacamole, mash avocados first, and then add remaining ingredients and mix.  Let sit in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes for flavors to mingle.

In a large bowl combine ground beef and remaining burger ingredients.  Mix well using hands to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.  Form into hamburger patties about 1 inch thick and grill.  I usually put a slice of pepper jack cheese on the burger patties during their last couple minutes of cooking.  This is also a good time to put the buns on the grill to toast them as well.  Once done, spread guacamole on bun and build burger with desired toppings.

Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

recipe courtesy of For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients

• pint of grape tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Honey Lime Dressing:

• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs. honey
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• dash of Cayenne pepper

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.  Slice the tomatoes in half.  Remove the husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes.  The corn should have some char marks and be tender, but not mushy.  Cut the corn off the cob and scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices.  Set aside and let cool.  Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.  Add the tomatoes, corn, avocado, and cilantro to dressing and mix gently so that everything is evenly coated.  Be careful no to mash the avocados.  Let the salad sit for flavors to mingle 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Hot Fudge Spoon Cake

recipe courtesy of Gooseberry Patch

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed and divided
• 1/4 cup plus 3 Tbs. baking cocoa, divided
• 2 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbs. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup hot water
• Optional- vanilla ice cream

Combine flour, one cup brown sugar, 3 Tbs. cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk in milk, butter, and vanilla.  Spread evenly in slow cooker.  Mix together remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa.  Sprinkle evenly over top of batter.  Pour in hot water; do not stir.  Cover and cook on high setting for 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted 1 inch deep comes out clean.  Spoon warm cake into bowl and top with vanilla ice cream.

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but how can you go wrong with warm chocolate gooeyness?  That's what I'm thinking at least. :)  It has been wet and cool outside today, so I am looking forward to huddling by the grill and not sweating tonight.  We've had a productive weekend, but I'm certainly not ready for it to be Monday yet...  I'm going to go cuddle up by my hubby on the couch for the rest of the Texans game and pretend our weekend is not almost over!