Crazy Cantina Chili

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans
1 can (16 ounces) black beans
1 can (16 ounces) garbanzo beans
1 onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes with juice
1 cup tomato juice
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream or plain yogurt

Preparation
Open the cans of beans. Drain off the liquid from the cans into the sink. Set the beans aside.

Put the onion on a cutting board. Carefully slice off the root end and the stem end. Use your fingers to strip off the dry skin. Then cut the onion in half from the top to the bottom. Hold an onion half cut side down and thinly slice it crosswise. Now hold the slices together and cut across them in the opposite direction. Be sure to keep your fingers clear of the knife blade. Set aside.

Put the oil in a large saucepan. Set the pan on the stove and switch on the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and stir with the wooden spoon until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder and cayenne pepper and stir for 30 seconds.

Add the beans, the crushed tomatoes, and the tomato juice. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the chili with the cheese and sour cream on the side.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Crazy-Cantina-Chili-101652#ixzz1dcckvGfi

Top 5 Hamburger Sauces

Sauce For Those Hot Buns

I made a detour with that Possum recipe. I promised some sauces for your burger. Below I found five of the most popular "secret sauces". Enjoy.

1. IN&OUT

• 1/4 cup salad dressing (like Miracle Whip®)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp French salad dressing
• 1/2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 1/2 tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried, minced onion
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1/8 tsp salt

Preparation

        1.   Mix all ingredients, and stir well in a small container.

       2. Microwave on high for 25 seconds, and stir well again. 

       3. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

MCDONALDS'S

1 C. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Indian Relish Drained
1/2 tsp. Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Thousand Island Dressing

Mix all ingredients well. Let stand for at least 20 minutes, allowing to sit overnight is desired.

That was easy and the most simplest.

3.BURGER KING

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons French dressing
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Are you beginning to see a trend here?

4. CARL'S

* 1/2 ts Sweet pickle relish
* 1 1/2 ts Catsup
* 1 ds Salt
* 2 ts Mayonnaise

As you can see, there are no secrets here. Just plain ol' stuff you'll find in the fridge!


BOBS BIG BOY

• 2 Teaspoons water
• 2 Tablespoons sweet relish
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup

The base ingredients seem to be mayo (heavy on the mayo), ketchup and French dressing. With a little work you should be able to make your own signature dressing.

The Best Cheeseburger You Will Ever Eat

The cheeseburger is an American staple. How you like your cheeseburger or what appeals to your personal taste is an entirely different subject.

For now, let's go with the most popular. Bear in mind that this does not include grilled burgers. That's a different animal. Let's stick with the good old fashioned burger.

What does it take to make an exceptional burger? In one word: fat. The higher the fat content, the more flavor you get, the better the burger. Simple. I tend to stick with an 80/20 beef content. Call me middle of the road. Plus it's easier to work with.

OK. Best burgers I have had? McDonalds quarter pounder. Very good.  Depends on where you buy it though.
Surprisely the flavor changes, depending on where you buy it.  Her in AZ, they aren't very good. They ARE NOT the same as in Ca. Why is that?  Isn't beef, beef? Wouldn't you think so?

Jack in the Box used to make an Ultimate Cheeseburger that had a most unusual taste. One humoungus patty with all the extras. Now they give you a double cheeseburger and pass it off as the Ultimate Cheeseburger. The keyword here is "cheeseburger", not "cheeseburgers". Sorry, it's not the same.

MY favorite is IN & Out. Although I simply love sliders. White Castles to be specific. But that's another post. There used to be a burger franchise called Black and White. They made burgers similar to In & Out. I don't know if they survived or not. Does anybody have any information on this?

Again. What does it take to make an exceptional burger? Here's a list.

A. Fat content.
B. Dressing.

Damn, that was a short list. It all depends on where you put the extras and condiments. For some reason (I'm not an expert) you'll pick up the flavor of the catsup first, then the onions and then the meat and somewhere along the chewing process, you'll get the mustard. Lettuce and tomatoes is an afterthought. You know you just ate something crunchy, but you can't identify it. That's why In & Out put the onions on the bottom.  It has something to do with the taste buds. And to be honest. Can you really taste American cheese? It's there, but it's not there.

Let's get down to business.

To make a great, mouth watering burger here is what you need.

1. Hamburger. Preferable an 80/20 mixture. That's 80% meat and 20% fat. Less if you can deal with it. I am poor and can't afford to have the butcher grind up prime beef for me, so I stick with 80/20.

2. Buns. Not the cheap 99 cent ones. They don't absorb moistures very well. Check this out. Pick up a package of cheap buns, now pick up a package of the more expensive buns. Feel the difference in the weight? Spend the extra dollar.

3. Onions. For those of you who love onions. Here's a trick I learned.
   Cut the onion as usual in slices. Now salt them. Yep. Put a little salt on the   onions and leave them alone. The salt releases the juices  in the onions and   intensifies it.
4. Cheese.  Strictly your choice. Whatever you like. Everything else you put on    the burger is up to you and your tastes.

The Cooking Process

Cast Iron Skillet. Conducts heat really good.
High Heat. For the cast iron skillet
Try this out. Take a paper towel, dip it in grease or cooking oil and rub the bottom of the skillet with it. Just a very thin coating. It helps to prevent sticking of the meat or you could use  cooking spray.

The Patty

Squash it and shape it. Take into account shrinkage, but it should be thin. Put it in the skillet and cover it. You can also freeze it awhile. The water and steam will make a softer burger. It will cook for maybe 2 minutes on one side and 2 to 3 min. on the other at high heat.
When you see the grease forming with a little red in it... turn it over and let it cook for about a minute more. Cover it up again. We are trying to keep the steam in. The Secret.

Now put your onions in with the burger. Let them cook for a minute or two. Then put them on top of the burger. Now put the bottom bun of your hamburger bun on top of the onions which are on top of the burger. Leave the top off and  let cook for maybe 30 sec.

Carefully flip the whole thing over,  take out and and apply your favorite cheese and whatever flavors you prefer. Now take the top bun that you forgot about and put it into the skillet and let it brown a bit.  Place it on your cheeseburger , add assorted  add ons and press down a bit. You are good to go.

You can also put it in the microwave for 12 seconds. No more. McD's calls this Quing? Notice I didn't add any salt or pepper. That's because the salted onions provided all the seasoning I needed.  However, you can experiment with your favorite seasonings.

Next up.

Hamburger Dressings. The soul of a good cheeseburger.